The Ascending Stairways, The Ladders — Aisha Bewley Translation – Parallel Quran

1 Certainty of the Punishment

سَأَلَ سَاۤىِٕلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ ۝١

An inquirer asked about an impending punishment.

sa-ala sāilun biʿadhābin wāqiʿi

لِّلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ لَیۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ ۝٢

It is for the kafirun and cannot be averted

lil'kāfirīna laysa lahu dāfiʿu

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِی ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ ۝٣

from Allah — the Lord of the Ascending Steps.

mina l-lahi dhī l-maʿārij

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَیۡهِ فِی یَوۡمࣲ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِینَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةࣲ ۝٤

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand years.

taʿruju l-malāikatu wal-rūḥu ilayhi fī yawmin kāna miq'dāruhu khamsīna alfa sanati

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰا جَمِیلًا ۝٥

Therefore be patient with a patience which is beautiful.

fa-iṣ'bir ṣabran jamīla

إِنَّهُمۡ یَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِیدࣰا ۝٦

They see it as something distant,

innahum yarawnahu baʿīda

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِیبࣰا ۝٧

but We see it as very close.

wanarāhu qarība

یَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ ۝٨

On the Day the sky is like molten brass

yawma takūnu l-samāu kal-muh'l

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ۝٩

and the mountains like tufts of coloured wool.

watakūnu l-jibālu kal-ʿih'n

وَلَا یَسۡءَلُ حَمِیمٌ حَمِیمࣰا ۝١٠

no good friend will ask about his friend

walā yasalu ḥamīmun ḥamīma

یُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ یَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ یَفۡتَدِی مِنۡ عَذَابِ یَوۡمِىِٕذِۭ بِبَنِیهِ ۝١١

even though they can see each other. An evildoer will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, by means of his sons,

yubaṣṣarūnahum yawaddu l-muj'rimu law yaftadī min ʿadhābi yawmi-idhin bibanīh

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِیهِ ۝١٢

or his wife or his brother

waṣāḥibatihi wa-akhīh

وَفَصِیلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِی تُءۡوِیهِ ۝١٣

or his family who sheltered him

wafaṣīlatihi allatī tu'wīh

وَمَن فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا ثُمَّ یُنجِیهِ ۝١٤

or everyone else on earth, if that only meant that he could save himself.

waman fī l-arḍi jamīʿan thumma yunjīh

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ۝١٥

But no! It is a Raging Blaze

kallā innahā laẓ

نَزَّاعَةࣰ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ۝١٦

stripping away the limbs and scalp,

nazzāʿatan lilshaw

تَدۡعُوا۟ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ۝١٧

which calls for all who drew back and turned away,

tadʿū man adbara watawall

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰۤ ۝١٨

and amassed and hoarded up.

wajamaʿa fa-awʿ

۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ۝١٩

Truly man was created headstrong —

inna l-insāna khuliqa halūʿa

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰا ۝٢٠

desperate when bad things happen,

idhā massahu l-sharu jazūʿa

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَیۡرُ مَنُوعًا ۝٢١

begrudging when good things come —

wa-idhā massahu l-khayru manūʿa

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّینَ ۝٢٢

except for those who do salat

illā l-muṣalīn

ٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَاۤىِٕمُونَ ۝٢٣

and are constant in it;

alladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim dāimūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ فِیۤ أَمۡوَ ٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ ۝٢٤

those in whose wealth there is a known share

wa-alladhīna fī amwālihim ḥaqqun maʿlūmu

لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ۝٢٥

for beggars and the destitute;

lilssāili wal-maḥrūm

وَٱلَّذِینَ یُصَدِّقُونَ بِیَوۡمِ ٱلدِّینِ ۝٢٦

those who affirm the Day of Judgement,

wa-alladhīna yuṣaddiqūna biyawmi l-dīn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ۝٢٧

those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord

wa-alladhīna hum min ʿadhābi rabbihim mush'fiqūn

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَیۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ ۝٢٨

(no one is safe from the punishment of his Lord);

inna ʿadhāba rabbihim ghayru mamūni

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَـٰفِظُونَ ۝٢٩

those who guard their private parts

wa-alladhīna hum lifurūjihim ḥāfiẓūn

إِلَّا عَلَىٰۤ أَزۡوَ ٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَیۡرُ مَلُومِینَ ۝٣٠

except from their wives and any slaves they own, in which case they incur no blame,

illā ʿalā azwājihim aw mā malakat aymānuhum fa-innahum ghayru malūmīn

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَاۤءَ ذَ ٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ۝٣١

but if anyone desires any more than that, they have overstepped the limits;

famani ib'taghā warāa dhālika fa-ulāika humu l-ʿādūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَ ٰعُونَ ۝٣٢

those who honour their trusts and contracts;

wa-alladhīna hum li-amānātihim waʿahdihim rāʿūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَ ٰتِهِمۡ قَاۤىِٕمُونَ ۝٣٣

those who stand by their testimony;

wa-alladhīna hum bishahādātihim qāimūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ یُحَافِظُونَ ۝٣٤

those who safeguard their salat;

wa-alladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūn

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ فِی جَنَّـٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ۝٣٥

such people will be in Gardens, highly honoured.

ulāika fī jannātin muk'ramūn

2 A New Nation to be raised

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِینَ ۝٣٦

What is the matter with those who are kafir? They run about in front of you, with outstretched necks and staring eyes,

famāli alladhīna kafarū qibalaka muh'ṭiʿīn

عَنِ ٱلۡیَمِینِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِینَ ۝٣٧

on the right and on the left in scattered groups!

ayaṭmaʿu kullu im'ri-in min'hum an yud'khala jannata naʿīmi

أَیَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِىࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن یُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِیمࣲ ۝٣٨

Does each one of them aspire to be admitted into a Garden of Delight?

AyatmaAAu kullu imri-in minhum an yudkhala jannata naAAeemin

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٩

Certainly not! We created them from what they know full well.

kallā innā khalaqnāhum mimmā yaʿlamūn

فَلَاۤ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ ۝٤٠

No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests that We have the power

falā uq'simu birabbi l-mashāriqi wal-maghāribi innā laqādirūn

عَلَىٰۤ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِینَ ۝٤١

to replace them with something better than them. We will not be outstripped.

fadharhum yakhūḍū wayalʿabū ḥattā yulāqū yawmahumu alladhī yūʿadūn

فَذَرۡهُمۡ یَخُوضُوا۟ وَیَلۡعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یُلَـٰقُوا۟ یَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی یُوعَدُونَ ۝٤٢

So leave them to plunge and play around until they meet their Day which they are promised.

Fatharhum yakhoodoo wayalAAaboo hatta yulaqoo yawmahumu allathee yooAAadoona

یَوۡمَ یَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبࣲ یُوفِضُونَ ۝٤٣

The Day they will emerge swiftly from their graves as if rushing to rally to the flag,

yawma yakhrujūna mina l-ajdāthi sirāʿan ka-annahum ilā nuṣubin yūfiḍūn

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ ٱلۡیَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِی كَانُوا۟ یُوعَدُونَ ۝٤٤

eyes downcast, darkened by debasement, that will be the Day which they were promised.

khāshiʿatan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum dhillatun dhālika l-yawmu alladhī kānū yūʿadūn

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