سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ١
1. A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen1748
Notes
[1748] In the Hereafter. Disbelievers had challenged the Prophet (ﷺ) by invoking Allāh to bring on His punishment. See 8:32.
Memorize Surah Al-Ma’arij
سورة المعارج
Surah Al-Ma’arij has 44 verses on 3 pages of the Madinah mushaf (pages 568 to 570), in juz 29. It splits into 3 portions, one per page: learn one, recite it without help, then move on to the next while linking it to the previous one.
Memorization plan for Surah Al-Ma’arij
3 portions, one per page of the Madinah mushaf. Tap a portion to practise it; its status stays in this browser.
At one page a day, allow 3 days; at half a page a day, 6 days, with reviews in every session.
Tajweed rules
- Hamzat al-wasl (silent)
- Silent letter
- Lam shamsiyyah (assimilated)
- Normal madd (2 counts)
- Permissible madd (2, 4 or 6 counts)
- Obligatory madd (4 or 5 counts)
- Necessary madd (6 counts)
- Ghunnah (nasalisation, 2 counts)
- Qalqalah (echo)
- Ikhfa (concealment)
- Ikhfa shafawi (meem)
- Idgham with ghunnah
- Idgham without ghunnah
- Idgham shafawi (meem)
- Idgham mutajanisayn
- Idgham mutaqaribayn
- Iqlab (noon becomes meem)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ ٢
2. To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ٣
3. [It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ٤
4. The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ٥
5. So be patient with gracious patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا ٦
6. Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا ٧
7. But We see it [as] near.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ٨
8. On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,1749
Notes
[1749] Or "molten metal."
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ٩
9. And the mountains will be like wool,1750
Notes
[1750] i.e., in the process of disintegration.
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ١٠
10. And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
11. They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢
12. And his wife and his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ١٣
13. And his nearest kindred who shelter him
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
14. And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥
15. No!1751 Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
Notes
[1751] An emphatic refusal meaning "It is not to be."
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦
16. A remover of exteriors.1752
Notes
[1752] This refers to the skin of the head or of the body or to the body extremities - which will be burned away.
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧
17. It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ١٨
18. And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩
19. Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ٢٠
20. When evil touches him, impatient,
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١
21. And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ٢٢
22. Except the observers of prayer -
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣
23. Those who are constant in their prayer
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ ٢٤
24. And those within whose wealth is a known right1753
Notes
[1753] i.e., a specified share, meaning the obligatory zakāh.
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ٢٥
25. For the petitioner and the deprived -
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦
26. And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ٢٧
27. And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ ٢٨
28. Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩
29. And those who guard their private parts
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
30. Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,1754 for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
Notes
[1754] i.e., female slaves.
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ٣١
31. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
32. And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣
33. And those who are in their testimonies upright
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
34. And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ ٣٥
35. They will be in gardens,1755 honored.
Notes
[1755] In Paradise.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ٣٦
36. So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧
37. [To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?1756
Notes
[1756] They sat at a distance in order to oppose and mock the Prophet (ﷺ), claiming that they would enter Paradise before the believers.
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ ٣٨
38. Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
كَلَّآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٩
39. No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.1757
Notes
[1757] i.e., a liquid disdained. So how can they expect to enter Paradise except by the will of their Creator?
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠
40. So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings1758 that indeed We are able
Notes
[1758] i.e., Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), who determines the point at which the sun, moon and stars rise and set according to season and every position of observation.
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ٤١
41. To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢
42. So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣
43. The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.1759
Notes
[1759] i.e., just as they used to race, whenever an idol was newly appointed, to be the first of its worshippers.
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤
44. Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.
Verses not to confuse
13 verses of Surah Al-Ma’arij resemble other verses of the Quran: a classic trap when reciting from memory. The closest ones:
-
Al-Ma’arij 70:30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Al-Mu’minun 23:6إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
-
Al-Ma’arij 70:42
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
Az-Zukhruf 43:83فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
-
Al-Ma’arij 70:31
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
Al-Mu’minun 23:7فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
-
Al-Ma’arij 70:32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
Al-Mu’minun 23:8وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
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Read the portion while following a reciter, verse by verse, until you can say it without hesitation.
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Recite from memory: get tested on what follows a random verse, record yourself or recite to someone.
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