The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall 1 Upon the disbelievers – the punishment that none can avert. 2 (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent. 3 (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years. 4 (Muhammad), exercise patience with no complaints. 5 they see it as being far off; 6 but, We see it as near! 7 The Day that the sky will be like molten brass, 8 And the hills become as flakes of wool, 9 And no friend will ask after a friend, 10 (Though) they shall be made to see each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children, 11 his companion wife, his brother, 12 and his kinsfolk who had stood by him, 13 And all those who are in the earth – then only if the redemption saves him! 14 But never. It is pure white flame 15 that will strip off the scalp. 16 It calls out to him who reverted and turned away. 17 who amassed and hoarded. 18 ۞ Surely man is greedy by nature. 19 If evil befalls him he is perturbed; 20 but when they are fortunate, they become niggardly 21 Except those who pray, 22 Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers); 23 And those in whose wealth there is a known right, 24 For the beggar and the destitute; 25 who acknowledge the Day of Judgment, 26 who are afraid of the torment of their Lord, 27 the punishment of their Lord is not something for them to feel secure of, 28 who guard their carnal desires 29 except from their wives and what their right hands own, for these they are not blameworthy. 30 but any who seeks to go beyond that, it is indeed they who are the transgressors, 31 who honor their trust and promises, 32 who testify to what they have witnessed, 33 and are steadfast in their prayers. 34 They will be honoured in the Gardens of Bliss. 35