The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen 1 to those who deny the truth. No power can hinder God 2 From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways 3 by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in one Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years. 4 Wherefore be thou patient with a becoming patience. 5 Surely they think it to be far off, 6 While we behold it nigh: 7 The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead, etc.). 8 and the mountains will be like tufts of wool, 9 And no friend will ask of a friend, 10 They will be seeing them; the guilty will wish if only he could redeem himself from the punishment of that day, by offering his sons. 11 And his wife and his brother 12 the kinsmen who gave him shelter, 13 and whosoever is in the earth, altogether, so that it might save him. 14 By no means! Verily it is a Flame. 15 tearing away his skin! 16 It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth), 17 And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah). 18 ۞ Verily man is impatient by nature: 19 When evil toucheth him, he is bewailing. 20 and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others]. 21 Except those who closely follow (the Book of God), 22 Who are at their prayer constant. 23 And those in whose wealth exists 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 those who are fearful of their Lord's torment 27 (from their Lord's chastisement none feels secure) 28 And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts). 29 except from their wives and slave girls, in which case they are not to be blamed, 30 But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;- 31 And those who respect their trusts and covenants; 32 And those who stand firm in their testimonies; 33 And those who keep a guard on their prayer, 34 They will be honoured in the Gardens of Bliss. 35