SURAH 70: AL-MA`ARIJ (THE LADDERS)

Ayah No. Ayah Yusuf Ali's Interpretation Shakir's Interpretation Pickthall's Interpretation
1 سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall. One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
2 لِلْكَافِرينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off. The unbelievers-- there is none to avert it-. Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel.
3 مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent. From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent. From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
4 تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years. To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years. (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
5 فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا Therefore do thou hold Patience,- a Patience of beautiful (contentment). Therefore endure with a goodly patience. But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.
6 إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event). Surely they think it to be far off. Lo! they behold it afar off
7 وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا But We see it (quite) near. And We see it nigh. While we behold it nigh.
8 يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ The Day that the sky will be like molten brass. On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper The day when the sky will become as molten copper.
9 وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ And the mountains will be like wool. And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool And the hills become as flakes of wool.
10 وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا And no friend will ask after a friend. And friend shall not ask of friend And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend
11 يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ Though they will be put in sight of each other,- the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children. (Though) they shall be made to see each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children. Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children
12 وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ His wife and his brother. And his wife and his brother And his spouse and his brother
13 وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ His kindred who sheltered him. And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter. And his kin that harboured him
14 وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ And all, all that is on earth,- so it could deliver him. And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him. And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
15 كَلَّا إِنَّهَا لَظَى By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!. By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell
16 نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَى Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!. Dragging by the head. Eager to roast.
17 تَدْعُوا مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّى Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right). It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth). It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth).
18 وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَى And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)! And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up. And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.
19 إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا Truly man was created very impatient;. Surely man is created of a hasty temperament Lo! man was created anxious.
20 إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا Fretful when evil touches him. Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him Fretful when evil befalleth him
21 وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا And niggardly when good reaches him;. And niggardly when good befalls him And, when good befalleth him, grudging.
22 إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ Not so those devoted to Prayer;. Except those who pray. Save worshippers.
23 الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ Those who remain steadfast to their prayer. Those who are constant at their prayer Who are constant at their worship
24 وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ And those in whose wealth is a recognised right. And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion. And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
25 لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking). For him who begs and for him who is denied (good) For the beggar and the destitute.
26 وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment. And those who accept the truth of the judgment day And those who believe in the Day of Judgment.
27 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord. And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord-. And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom.
28 إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity;. Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of-. Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure.
29 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ And those who guard their chastity. And those who guard their private parts. And those who preserve their chastity
30 إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed. Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess-- for these surely are not to be blamed. Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy.
31 فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;. But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits-. But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors.
32 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ And those who respect their trusts and covenants. And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant And those who keep their pledges and their covenant.
33 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ And those who stand firm in their testimonies. And those who are upright in their testimonies. And those who stand by their testimony
34 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship;. And those who keep a guard on their prayer. And those who are attentive at their worship.
35 أُولَئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss). Those shall be in gardens, honored. These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.
36 فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee. But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you. What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed.
37 عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ From the right and from the left, in crowds? On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties? On the right and on the left, in groups?
38 أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss? Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss? Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?
39 كَلَّا إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know! By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know. Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
40 فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly. But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
41 عَلَى أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan). To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome. To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
42 فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّى يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised!. Therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened. So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised.
43 يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَى نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal-post (fixed for them). The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal. The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal.
44 خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ Their eyes lowered in dejection,- ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised! Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with. With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

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