The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
AN INQUIRER ASKED for the affliction that is to come 1 which will inevitably seize the disbelievers. 2 from punishing them. He is the Lord of the Ascending Stairways, 3 Whereby the angels ascend unto Him and also the spirit, On a Day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. 4 Therefore, [O believers] behave with seemly patience. 5 They surely take it to be far away, 6 but We see it near at hand. 7 On that Day the heavens shall become like molten brass, 8 and the mountains shall be like puffs of wool. 9 And friend shall not ask of friend 10 though they are in sight of each other. To ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, the sinner will wish that he might even ransom himself by his sons, 11 And his wife and his brother 12 And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter, 13 And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him. 14 By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!- 15 Dragging by the head, 16 and drag into it anyone who has turned away (from obeying God), 17 and amassed wealth and covetously hoarded it. 18 ۞ Indeed, man is born impatient: 19 when evil visits him, impatient, 20 And, when good befalleth him, grudging; 21 Except those who closely follow (the Book of God), 22 and are constant in their Prayer; 23 And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged 24 for the impoverished nonrequester and the requester, 25 And those who believe in the Day of Judgment, 26 And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom - 27 Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of-- 28 And those who preserve their chastity 29 except from their spouses and those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock], for which they incur no blame -- 30 But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors; 31 And those who keep their trusts and covenants; 32 And those who are firm upon their testimonies. 33 and are steadfast in their prayers. 34 such people will receive due honor in Paradise. 35