70th surah of the Quran

Surah Al-Ma'arij

The Ascending Stairways

Meccan 44 verses Juz 29
Al-Ma'arij

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ ﴿١﴾

A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ ﴿٢﴾

Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ﴿٣﴾

From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ ﴿٤﴾

(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾

But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا ﴿٦﴾

Lo! they behold it afar off

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا ﴿٧﴾

While we behold it nigh:

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ﴿٨﴾

The day when the sky will become as molten copper,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ﴿٩﴾

And the hills become as flakes of wool,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا ﴿١٠﴾

And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ﴿١١﴾

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

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ﴿١٢﴾

And his spouse and his brother

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ﴿١٣﴾

And his kin that harboured him

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ﴿١٤﴾

And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ﴿١٥﴾

But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ﴿١٦﴾

Eager to roast;

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١٧﴾

It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ﴿١٨﴾

And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ﴿١٩﴾

Lo! man was created anxious,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا ﴿٢٠﴾

Fretful when evil befalleth him

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ﴿٢١﴾

And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٢٢﴾

Save worshippers.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾

Who are constant at their worship

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ ﴿٢٤﴾

And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ﴿٢٥﴾

For the beggar and the destitute;

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٢٦﴾

And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾

And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ ﴿٢٨﴾

Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾

And those who preserve their chastity

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾

Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿٣١﴾

But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾

And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

And those who stand by their testimony

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾

And those who are attentive at their worship.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾

These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾

What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾

On the right and on the left, in groups?

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ ﴿٣٨﴾

Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾

Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾

But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ﴿٤١﴾

To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾

So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾

The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾

With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

Al-Ma'arij Verse 1 of 44

Arabic text: Uthmani script. English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall. Audio: everyayah.com.

About Surah Al-Ma'arij

Surah Al-Ma'arij (المعارج) is the 70th surah of the Quran. It has 44 verses and is found in Juz 29. It is classified as a Meccan surah, meaning it was mainly revealed before the Prophet's migration (Hijra) to Medina.

Its name, المعارج, is commonly translated as “The Ascending Stairways”.

Questions about Surah Al-Ma'arij

How many verses are in Surah Al-Ma'arij?

Surah Al-Ma'arij (المعارج) has 44 verses. It is the 70th surah of the Quran, after Surah Al-Haqqah and before Surah Nuh, and it is found in Juz 29.

Is Surah Al-Ma'arij Meccan or Medinan?

It is classified as a Meccan surah, meaning it was mainly revealed before the Hijra. In the traditional order of revelation it is number 79 out of 114. Scholars sometimes differ about the place of revelation of some verses.

What does the name of Surah Al-Ma'arij mean?

المعارج is commonly translated as “The Ascending Stairways”. The surahs are named after a word or a theme that appears in them, and the name is a label rather than a summary of the whole surah.

Which Juz is Surah Al-Ma'arij in?

Surah Al-Ma'arij is in Juz' 29.

Where can I listen to Surah Al-Ma'arij?

Press Play on this page to hear the whole surah without breaks, or press the play button on a verse to hear it verse by verse. Choose among 19 reciters: Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais, Mishary Alafasy, Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary, Abdul Basit Abdus-Samad, Maher Al-Muaiqly, Saad Al-Ghamdi, Ahmad Al-Ajmi, Abu Bakr Ash-Shatri, Hani Ar-Rifai, Mohamed Siddiq Al-Minshawi, Ali Al-Hudhaify, Muhammad Ayyub, Abdullah Basfar, Yasser Ad-Dosari, Nasser Al-Qatami, Salah Al-Budair, Saud Ash-Shuraim, Abdullah Awad Al-Juhany, Muhammad Jibreel.

Can I read Surah Al-Ma'arij with a translation and tafsir?

Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of Surah Al-Ma'arij in the Uthmani script with a translation under each verse. You can switch between verse by verse, the whole surah, and mushaf pages, and save the surah as a PDF.