The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
A beseecher besought the visitation of chastisement, 1 To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer. 2 a chastisement from Allah, the Lord of the ascending steps, 3 On that Day (of Judgment), long as fifty thousand years, the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him. 4 Therefore endure with a goodly patience. 5 Verily they think that the chastisement is far off, 6 but We see it near. 7 It shall befall on a Day whereon the heaven shall become like unto dregs of oil. 8 And the mountains will be like wool, 9 And not a friend shall ask a 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 And his wife and his brother 12 And his kin that sheltered him. 13 and all the people of the earth, if that could deliver him. 14 By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell! 15 A remover of exteriors. 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 who accumulated wealth without spending it for a good purpose. 18 ۞ Surely man is greedy by nature. 19 If evil befalls him he is perturbed; 20 and tight-fisted when good fortune visits him, 21 Except those who closely follow (the Book of God), 22 who are steadfast in prayer; 23 and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them,] 24 For the needy and those dispossessed, 25 who confirm the Day of Reckoning 26 and fear the chastisement of their Lord – 27 Surely no one can be secure from the punishment of his Lord, -- 28 And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts). 29 Except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their right hands possess, for (then) they are not to be blamed, 30 but those who go beyond that limit are transgressors; 31 and who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges: 32 And those who stand by their testimony 33 and who take due care of their Prayer: 34 Those shall be in Gardens, high-honoured. 35