The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall 1 Upon the infidels -- which none would be able to repel -- 2 From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent. 3 To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. 4 Therefore, [O believer,] endure all adversity with goodly patience: 5 Surely they think it to be far off, 6 but We see it is nigh. 7 On the Day the sky will be like murky oil, 8 and the mountains will be like tufts of wool, 9 And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend, 10 Though within sight of one another. The sinner would like to ransom himself from the torment of that Day by offering his sons, 11 his wife, his brother, 12 his kinsmen who gave him refuge (from hardship) 13 And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. 14 By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!- 15 Taking away (burning completely) the head 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 masseth and then hoardeth. 18 ۞ Human beings are created greedy. 19 Fretful when evil touches him; 20 when good visits him, grudging, 21 Except those who pray, 22 Who persevere in devotion, 23 and those in whose wealth there is a known right 24 For the petitioner and the deprived - 25 And those who believe in the Day of Judgement, 26 And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom - 27 for, behold, of their Sustainer's chastisement none may ever feel [wholly] secure; 28 And those who guard their private parts 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 But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;- 31 and those who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges; 32 And those who stand firm in their testimonies; 33 And those who keep a guard on their prayer, 34 Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss). 35