The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Someone has (needlessly) demanded to experience the torment (of God), 1 Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert, 2 From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways 3 To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. 4 So be patient with gracious patience. 5 They surely take it to be far away, 6 but We see it near at hand. 7 The day the sky becomes like molten brass, 8 and the mountains will become like dyed tufts of wool, 9 no loyal friend shall question loyal friend, 10 as they are given sight of them. The sinner will wish that he might ransom himself from the chastisement of that day even by his sons, 11 His wife and his brother, 12 And the family in which he was. 13 And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. 14 Never! That is indeed a blazing fire. 15 tearing away his skin! 16 Calling: "[O Kafir (O disbeliever in Allah, His angels, His Book, His Messengers, Day of Resurrection and in Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments), O Mushrik (O polytheist, disbeliever in the Oneness of Allah)] (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind (on the Day of Resurrection) just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up] [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, Vol. 18, Page 289] 17 And accumulated wealth and hoarded it. 18 ۞ Human beings are created greedy. 19 [As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity; 20 And refraining, when good reaches him. 21 Except those devoted to Salat (prayers) 22 Those who are constant in their prayer 23 and those in whose wealth there is a known right 24 For the petitioner and the deprived - 25 who confirm the Day of Reckoning 26 and fear the chastisement of their Lord – 27 for, behold, of their Sustainer's chastisement none may ever feel [wholly] secure; 28 And those who guard their sex except from their wives and women slaves of old 29 [not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock]: for then, behold, they are free of all blame, 30 whereas such as seek to go beyond that [limit] are truly transgressors; 31 who honor their trust and promises, 32 And those who stand firm in their testimonies; 33 And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer: 34 Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss). 35