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Tafsir of Surah Al-Ma'arij (70) — The Ascending Stairways · المعارج
Meccan surah, 44 ayat. Read the whole surah
Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.
Al-Ma'arij 70:1
سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen
Tafsir 70:1
A caller from the idolaters called for the punishment upon himself and his people if this punishment was to actually come. It was a mockery on his part, but it will happen on the Day of Judgement.
Al-Ma'arij 70:2
لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ
To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer
Tafsir 70:2
It will fall upon the disbelievers in Allah. There will be no one to avert this punishment.
Al-Ma'arij 70:3
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ
[It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent
Tafsir 70:3
From Allah the possessor of highness, ranks, virtues and favours.
Al-Ma'arij 70:4
تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ
The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years
Tafsir 70:4
The angels and Gabriel will ascend in them ranks on the Day of Judgement: it is a day of which the duration is fifty thousand years.
Al-Ma'arij 70:5
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا
So be patient with gracious patience
Tafsir 70:5
O Messenger! So be patient; a patience free of worry and complaint.
Al-Ma'arij 70:6
إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا
Indeed, they see it [as] distant
Tafsir 70:6
Indeed, they think of this punishment to be farfetched and impossible.
Al-Ma'arij 70:7
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا
But We see it [as] near
Tafsir 70:7
But I see it as being near and inevitably occurring.
Al-Ma'arij 70:8
يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ
On the Day the sky will be like murky oil
Tafsir 70:8
On the day when the sky will be like molten copper, gold and other metals.
Al-Ma'arij 70:9
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ
And the mountains will be like wool
Tafsir 70:9
And the mountains will be light, like cotton.
Al-Ma'arij 70:10
وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا
And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend
Tafsir 70:10
No relative will ask another regarding his state, because each person will be preoccupied with his own self.
Al-Ma'arij 70:11
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
Tafsir 70:11
Each human will see their relatives clearly, yet despite that no one will ask another due to the horror of the scenario. The one deserving of the hellfire will wish to present his children to the punishment instead of himself.
Al-Ma'arij 70:12
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
And his wife and his brother
Tafsir 70:12
Or give his wife and brother in ransom.
Al-Ma'arij 70:13
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
Tafsir 70:13
Or his closest relatives who would stand with him in the face of difficulties.
Al-Ma'arij 70:14
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him
Tafsir 70:14
And he will wish to give every human and Jinn on earth in ransom, wishing that it would save him from the punishment of the hellfire.
Al-Ma'arij 70:15
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell]
Tafsir 70:15
It will not be as this criminal will wish for. Indeed, it is the fire of the afterlife which blazes and flares up.
Al-Ma'arij 70:16
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
A remover of exteriors
Tafsir 70:16
Due to its extreme heat and flares, the skin of the head will come clean apart.
Al-Ma'arij 70:17
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
Tafsir 70:17
It will call out to whoever turned away from the truth, distanced himself from it, did not bring faith in it nor acted upon it.
Al-Ma'arij 70:18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ
And collected [wealth] and hoarded
Tafsir 70:18
And whoever amassed wealth, withholding from spending it in the path of Allah.
Al-Ma'arij 70:19
۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, mankind was created anxious
Tafsir 70:19
Indeed, man has been created extremely greedy.
Al-Ma'arij 70:20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا
When evil touches him, impatient
Tafsir 70:20
When a difficulty i.e. illness or poverty befalls him, he shows little patience.
Al-Ma'arij 70:21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا
And when good touches him, withholding [of it]
Tafsir 70:21
And when something that makes him happy comes to him, i.e. fertility and wealth, he is very resistant in spending it in the path of Allah.
Al-Ma'arij 70:22
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
Except the observers of prayer
Tafsir 70:22
Except for those who perform prayer; they are safe from these blameworthy traits.
Al-Ma'arij 70:23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ
Those who are constant in their prayer
Tafsir 70:23
Those who are punctual with their prayers; they are not distracted from them and they perform them at their fixed times.
Al-Ma'arij 70:24
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
And those within whose wealth is a known right
Tafsir 70:24
And those who have a set, determined amount of their wealth.
Al-Ma'arij 70:25
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ
For the petitioner and the deprived
Tafsir 70:25
Which they give to whoever asks them or doesn’t, but are deprived of sustenance for whatever reason.
Al-Ma'arij 70:26
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
Tafsir 70:26
And those who believe in the Day of Judgement: the day Allah will requite everyone with whatever they deserve.
Al-Ma'arij 70:27
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord
Tafsir 70:27
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord, despite having sent forth good deeds.
Al-Ma'arij 70:28
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe
Tafsir 70:28
Indeed, no intelligent person feels safe from the punishment of his Lord.
Al-Ma'arij 70:29
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ
And those who guard their private parts
Tafsir 70:29
And those who safeguard their private parts by concealing them and keeping them away from shameful acts.
Al-Ma'arij 70:30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed
Tafsir 70:30
Except from their wives or the servant girls they possess, because they are not blameworthy in enjoying them through sexual intercourse or anything less.
Al-Ma'arij 70:31
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors
Tafsir 70:31
Whoever seeks pleasure in other than whatever has been mentioned i.e. wives and servant girls, they are the ones who have transgressed the limits of Allah.
Al-Ma'arij 70:32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
Tafsir 70:32
And those who, when entrusted with wealth, secrets etc., or with agreements they enter into, they uphold them: neither betraying their trusts nor breaking their agreements.
Al-Ma'arij 70:33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ
And those who are in their testimonies upright
Tafsir 70:33
And those who give their testimonies in the manner sought from them, without being affected by relationships or enmity.
Al-Ma'arij 70:34
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer
Tafsir 70:34
And those who are punctual in their prayers by performing them at their appropriate times, with due purity and composure, whilst not being distracted from them by anything.
Al-Ma'arij 70:35
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ
They will be in gardens, honored
Tafsir 70:35
Those possessing the aforementioned qualities will be honoured in gardens, attaining everlasting favours and being able to see the blessed Face of Allah.
Al-Ma'arij 70:36
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ
So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muhammad]
Tafsir 70:36
O Messenger! What is it that has led these idolaters around you to reject you so quickly?
Al-Ma'arij 70:37
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups
Tafsir 70:37
Surrounding you from your right and left, in groups upon groups.
Al-Ma'arij 70:38
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure
Tafsir 70:38
Do each of them hope that Allah will enter them into the garden of favours, wherein they shall live in luxury among the everlasting bounties, while they remain on their disbelief?
Al-Ma'arij 70:39
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know
Tafsir 70:39
It is not as they imagine. Indeed, I created them from what they know: I created them from a contemptible fluid, and they are weak: they are incapable of bringing benefit or harm for themselves, so how could they be arrogant?
Al-Ma'arij 70:40
فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able
Tafsir 70:40
Allah takes an oath on the Lord of the rising places of the sun and the moon. Indeed, Allah is the Capable.
Al-Ma'arij 70:41
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ
To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone
Tafsir 70:41
He is capable of destroying them and replacing them with others who obey Him; He is not incapable of doing so. Nor can He be overpowered when He intends to destroy them and replace them.
Al-Ma'arij 70:42
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised
Tafsir 70:42
O Messenger! So leave them to dive into the falsehood and deviance they are already in, and to amuse themselves in their worldly lives, until they encounter the Day of Judgement that they have been promised in the Qur’ān.
Al-Ma'arij 70:43
يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ
The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening
Tafsir 70:43
On the day when they shall leave their graves in a hurry, as if they are racing towards a banner.
Al-Ma'arij 70:44
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised
Tafsir 70:44
Their eyes will be humiliated, and humiliation will envelop them. That is the day they were promised in the world, but they did not care about it.
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Arabic: Uthmani text, Tanzil Project (tanzil.net) · English: Saheeh International · Bosnian: Besim Korkut