The Ascending Stairways

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ

Transliteration: Sa ala saaa'ilum bi'azaa binw-waaqi'

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ

Transliteration: Lilkaafireen laisa lahoo daafi'

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

Transliteration: Minal laahi zil ma'aarij

[It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ

Transliteration: Ta'rujul malaaa'ikatu war Roohu ilaihi fee yawmin kaana miqdaaruhoo khamseena alfa sanah

The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا

Transliteration: Fasbir ssabran jameelaa

So be patient with gracious patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا

Transliteration: Inaahum yarawnahoo ba'eedaa

Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا

Transliteration: Wa naraahu qareebaa

But We see it [as] near.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

Transliteration: Yawma takoonus samaaa'u kalmuhl

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

Transliteration: Wa takoonul jibaalu kal'ihn

And the mountains will be like wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا

Transliteration: Wa laa yas'alu hameemun hameemaa

And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

Transliteration: Yubassaroonahum; ya waddul mujrimu law yaftadee min 'azaabi yawma'izim bibaneeh

They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

Transliteration: Wa saahibatihee wa akheeh

And his wife and his brother

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

Transliteration: Wa faseelathil latee tu'weeh

And his nearest kindred who shelter him

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

Transliteration: Wa man fil ardi jamee'an summa yunjeeh

And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

Transliteration: Kallaa innahaa lazaa

No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

Transliteration: Nazzaa'atal lishshawaa

A remover of exteriors.

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

Transliteration: Tad'oo man adbara wa tawallaa

It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

Transliteration: W jama'a fa aw'aa

And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Transliteration: Innal insaana khuliqa haloo'aa

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا

Transliteration: Izaa massahush sharru jazoo'aa

When evil touches him, impatient,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

Transliteration: Wa izaa massahul khairu manoo'aa

And when good touches him, withholding [of it],

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

Transliteration: Illal musalleen

Except the observers of prayer -

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

Transliteration: Allazeena hum 'alaa Salaatihim daaa'imoon

Those who are constant in their prayer

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ

Transliteration: Wallazeena feee amwaalihim haqqum ma'loom

And those within whose wealth is a known right

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

Transliteration: Lissaaa 'ili walmahroom

For the petitioner and the deprived -

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

Transliteration: Wallazeena yusaddiqoona bi yawmid Deen

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

Transliteration: Wallazeena hum min 'azaabi Rabbihim mushfiqoon

And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ

Transliteration: Inna 'azaaba Rabbihim ghairu maamoon

Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ

Transliteration: Wallazeena hum lifuroo jihim haafizoon

And those who guard their private parts

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

Transliteration: Illaa 'alaaa azwaajihim aw maa malakat aymaanuhum fainnahum ghairu maloomeen

Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

Transliteration: Famanib taghaa waraaa'a zaalika fa ulaaa'ika humul 'aadoon

But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

Transliteration: Wallazeena hum li amaa naatihim wa 'ahdihim raa'oon

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

Transliteration: Wallazeena hum bishahaadaatihim qaaa'imoon

And those who are in their testimonies upright

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

Transliteration: Wallazeena hum 'alaa salaatihim yuhaafizoon

And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ

Transliteration: Ulaaa'ika fee jannaatim mukramoon

They will be in gardens, honored.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

Transliteration: Famaa lil lazeena kafaroo qibalaka muhti'een

So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muhammad],

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

Transliteration: 'Anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali 'izeen

[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ

Transliteration: Ayatma'u kullum ri'im minhum anyyudkhala jannata Na'eem

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Transliteration: Kallaaa innaa khalaq nahum mimmaa ya'lamoon

No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

Transliteration: Falaaa uqsimu bi Rabbil mashaariqi wal maghaaribi innaa laqaadiroon

So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

Transliteration: 'Alaaa an nubaddila khairam minhum wa maa Nahnu bimasbooqeen

To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

Transliteration: Fazarhum yakhoodoo wa yal'aboo hattaa yulaaqoo yaw mahumul lazee yoo'adoon

So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ

Transliteration: Yawma yakhrujoona minal ajdaasi siraa'an ka anna hum ilaa nusubiny yoofidoon

The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

Transliteration: Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillah; zaalikal yawmul lazee kaanoo yoo'adoon

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.