The Heights (Al-Ma'aarej)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
A questioner asked of a chastisement about to fall 1 Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel, 2 from punishing them. He is the Lord of the Ascending Stairways, 3 To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years. 4 So persevere with becoming patience. 5 Indeed, they see it [as] distant, 6 but We see it near. 7 The day the sky becomes like molten brass, 8 And the mountains will be like wool, 9 even intimate friends will not inquire about their friends, 10 They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children 11 and his spouse and his brother, 12 And his nearest kindred who shelter him 13 and all persons of the earth, if only he could thus save himself. 14 But never. It is pure white flame 15 snatching away the scalp, 16 and drag into it anyone who has turned away (from obeying God), 17 And masseth and then hoardeth. 18 ۞ Surely man is greedy by nature. 19 If evil befalls him he is perturbed; 20 and tight-fisted when good fortune visits him, 21 Except those who establish prayer. 22 and continue at their prayers, 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 torment 27 the punishment of their Lord is not something for them to feel secure of, 28 And those who guard their chastity, 29 except in regard to their spouses and those whom their right hands possess, for in regard to them they are not reproachable, 30 but any who seeks to go beyond that, it is indeed they who are the transgressors, 31 and those who fulfil their trusts and their covenants, 32 and standby their witnessing, 33 And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship;- 34 such people will receive due honor in Paradise. 35