The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
AN INQUIRER ASKED for the affliction that is to come 1 Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel, 2 From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent. 3 by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in one Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years. 4 Therefore, [O believers] behave with seemly patience. 5 Lo! they behold it afar off 6 but, We see it as near! 7 On that Day the heavens shall become like molten brass, 8 And the mountains will be like flakes of wool, 9 And no familiar friend will ask a question of his 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 And his spouse and his brother 12 And his kindred who sheltered him, 13 And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. 14 By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell! 15 That would skin the scalp. 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 Who amasses and then hoards. 18 ۞ Indeed man is created very impatient, greedy. 19 When evil comes upon him he is impatient; 20 but when good comes upon him, he is grudging 21 Except those who pray, 22 Who are constant at their worship 23 And those in whose wealth is a recognised right. 24 for the impoverished nonrequester and the requester, 25 and who accept as true the [coming of the] Day of Judgment; 26 and are fearful of the punishment of their Lord; 27 Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of-- 28 And those who guard their sex except from their wives and women slaves of old 29 except from their wives and slave girls, in which case they are not to be blamed, 30 but those who go beyond that limit are transgressors; 31 And those who keep their trusts and covenants; 32 and those who are upright in their testimonies; 33 And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well. 34 Those shall be in Gardens, high-honoured. 35