The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
A doubter once demanded that punishment be immediately meted out, 1 The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,- 2 From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent. 3 Whereby the angels ascend unto Him and also the spirit, On a Day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. 4 So be patient with gracious patience. 5 Verily they think that the chastisement is far off, 6 While we behold it nigh: 7 [It will take place] on a Day when the sky will be like molten lead, 8 The mountains like the tufts of (carded) wool, 9 And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend, 10 though they may see each other. A sinner will wish that he could save himself from the torment of that day by sacrificing his children, 11 his companion wife, his brother, 12 his kinsmen who gave him refuge (from hardship) 13 and of whoever [else] lives on earth, all of them - so that he could but save himself. 14 No! Indeed, it is the Flame [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 And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it. 18 ۞ Human beings are created greedy. 19 when evil visits him, impatient, 20 and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others]. 21 Except those who pray, 22 Those who are constant at their prayer 23 They are those who assign a certain share of their property 24 for the impoverished nonrequester and the requester, 25 And those who testify to the Day of Requital. 26 and who stand in dread of their Sustainer's chastisement 27 the punishment of their Lord is not something for them to feel secure of, 28 who guard their privates 29 Are free of blame, 30 So those who desire more than this – it is they who are the transgressors. 31 And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant 32 And those who stand by their testimony 33 and (finally) those who do not miss their ritual - prayers at the prescribed times; 34 Those shall be in gardens, honored. 35