The Ascending Stairways, The Ladders — Al Muntakhab Translation – Parallel Quran

1 Certainty of the Punishment

سَأَلَ سَاۤىِٕلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ ۝١

Some Pagan once asked: "When do we expect our turn to suffer that punitive punishment and the encounter with the promised Day of Judgement?"

sa-ala sāilun biʿadhābin wāqiʿi

لِّلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ لَیۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ ۝٢

A retributive punishment stored for the infidels and there is just not any expedient nor anyone in the heaven's realm or on earth that can avert it

lil'kāfirīna laysa lahu dāfiʿu

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِی ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ ۝٣

A retributive punishment which cannot be averted once it has been decided by Allah Who is the object of effort, ambition and destination; Allah the Provider of the various rates of motion suitable to the various objects

mina l-lahi dhī l-maʿārij

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

To Him ascend the angels and the souls or the Spirit fast as they press their rate of motion to attain their purpose in a day of Allah's calendar that equals fifty thousand years of the earthly calendar

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

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰا جَمِیلًا ۝٥

Therefore endure O Muhammad their attitude with composure, and quietly await the course of events

fa-iṣ'bir ṣabran jamīla

إِنَّهُمۡ یَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِیدࣰا ۝٦

They -the infidels- see it (that is) that day of the Eventful Event far and away, remote in time

innahum yarawnahu baʿīda

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِیبࣰا ۝٧

While We, and the believers, see it close at hand and near fulfilment

wanarāhu qarība

یَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ ۝٨

That is the Day when the heavens shall look like a metallic substance melted in oil

yawma takūnu l-samāu kal-muh'l

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ۝٩

and the mountains shall be like carded wool

watakūnu l-jibālu kal-ʿih'n

وَلَا یَسۡءَلُ حَمِیمٌ حَمِیمࣰا ۝١٠

and no friend puts a question to a friend or asks about him. This is an endless moment of anxiety and fear to concern oneself even with the closest whom he or she had rendered dear

walā yasalu ḥamīmun ḥamīma

یُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ یَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ یَفۡتَدِی مِنۡ عَذَابِ یَوۡمِىِٕذِۭ بِبَنِیهِ ۝١١

All of them -the infidels- will see each other but they are dumbfounded, then and there shall the wicked wish he could be redeemed from that endless and severe punishment with the lives of his own children

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

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِیهِ ۝١٢

With the lives of his own wife and brother

waṣāḥibatihi wa-akhīh

وَفَصِیلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِی تُءۡوِیهِ ۝١٣

With the lives of his kindred who in life afforded him protection

wafaṣīlatihi allatī tu'wīh

وَمَن فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا ثُمَّ یُنجِیهِ ۝١٤

And with the lives of all those on earth, just to escape the horror which doubles all his torment and his woe

waman fī l-arḍi jamīʿan thumma yunjīh

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ۝١٥

But never will he succeed in avoiding the tormenting Hell Fire

kallā innahā laẓ

نَزَّاعَةࣰ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ۝١٦

The Fire which, with its infernal hiss and crackle, shall burn into his inmost being, but reserves both his physical and mental feeling for the realization of pain and distress which will not abate nor expire

nazzāʿatan lilshaw

تَدۡعُوا۟ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ۝١٧

A fire with a magnet influence; it shall irresistibly draw to itself the feet of those who had denied Allah and rejected the truth

tadʿū man adbara watawall

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰۤ ۝١٨

Who hoarded wealth and denied it those who deserved alms, for alms are but the vehicles of prayer

wajamaʿa fa-awʿ

۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ۝١٩

Man is wanting in moral strength for endurance, lacking courage and strength of purpose and will, and unduly swayed by grief. He is selfish and he is only concerned with his own advantage to the exclusion of regard for others

inna l-insāna khuliqa halūʿa

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰا ۝٢٠

If he meets with a misfortune, or he is wedded to a calamity he becomes so full of misery nursing despair with additional notion of querulous utterances

idhā massahu l-sharu jazūʿa

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَیۡرُ مَنُوعًا ۝٢١

But if he has the luck and heaven prospers him, then he is niggardly, unwilling to give or spend in divine service and he says to his money "my god art thou"

wa-idhā massahu l-khayru manūʿa

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّینَ ۝٢٢

But benevolent are those who a. engage in the act of worship with a pious attitude of mind, being well disposed toward Alla

illā l-muṣalīn

ٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَاۤىِٕمُونَ ۝٢٣

They constantly surrender their very being to Allah and regularly observe their prayers

alladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim dāimūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ فِیۤ أَمۡوَ ٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ ۝٢٤

b. Who apportion a determinate share of their wealth for charitable contributions

wa-alladhīna fī amwālihim ḥaqqun maʿlūmu

لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ۝٢٥

To distribute among those who are needy, who make request for aid, and among those without the means for bare subsistence and among those who are indigent faint souls past corporal toil

lilssāili wal-maḥrūm

وَٱلَّذِینَ یُصَدِّقُونَ بِیَوۡمِ ٱلدِّینِ ۝٢٦

c. Who recognize the Day of Judgment and hold it as true

wa-alladhīna yuṣaddiqūna biyawmi l-dīn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ۝٢٧

d. Who are moved by fear of their Creator’s punitive punishment, here and Hereafter where the flames and the sparks strike like a spear clean through

wa-alladhīna hum min ʿadhābi rabbihim mush'fiqūn

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَیۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ ۝٢٨

Which punishment may hit suddenly and be difficult to appease

inna ʿadhāba rabbihim ghayru mamūni

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَـٰفِظُونَ ۝٢٩

e. Who guard their purity and refrain from unlawful congress

wa-alladhīna hum lifurūjihim ḥāfiẓūn

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

Except with their wives and with those of the captives in their hands; an act being then holy and incurs no blame

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

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَاۤءَ ذَ ٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ۝٣١

And who so goes beyond, then such persons are fornicators who have transgressed the commandment of Allah

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَ ٰعُونَ ۝٣٢

f. Who honour their trusts, and their promises they keep

wa-alladhīna hum li-amānātihim waʿahdihim rāʿūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَ ٰتِهِمۡ قَاۤىِٕمُونَ ۝٣٣

Whose testimonies are credited and their attestation is a witness of their honour

wa-alladhīna hum bishahādātihim qāimūn

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ یُحَافِظُونَ ۝٣٤

g. who perform their prayers at the authoritatively determined time and- observe the prayer's sacred rites and solemnities

wa-alladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūn

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ فِی جَنَّـٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ۝٣٥

These and such persons shall be honoured in Gardens of surpassing beauty featuring a state of supreme bliss and supreme felicity

ulāika fī jannātin muk'ramūn

2 A New Nation to be raised

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِینَ ۝٣٦

What an incorrect notion and an unfavourable judgement these Pagans have, that without concern they rush to hear you O Muhammad and refuse to acknowledge the Divine truth and they ignore the voice from heaven;, unwilling to comprehend

famāli alladhīna kafarū qibalaka muh'ṭiʿīn

عَنِ ٱلۡیَمِینِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِینَ ۝٣٧

They disperse right and left in inordinate self-esteem

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

أَیَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِىࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن یُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِیمࣲ ۝٣٨

Do they really expect to take their abode in the Gardens of bliss, and enter into the joy of their Creator! Then they are staking their very lives on some dark hope

AyatmaAAu kullu imri-in minhum an yudkhala jannata naAAeemin

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٩

Never, but Hell shall be the place where they make abode, and their permanent residency shall be in abodes of pain. We created them from an insignificant fluid and raised them from dust which they very well know

kallā innā khalaqnāhum mimmā yaʿlamūn

فَلَاۤ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ ۝٤٠

I swear by the Creator of all eastern cardinal points near which the sun rises in its apparent passage through the signs of the Zodiac and the Creator of all the western cardinal points lying opposite those in the east and near which the sun sets, that We are able to effect any changes at will

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

عَلَىٰۤ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِینَ ۝٤١

We are able to replace them -these infidels- by better people and never are We incompetent

fadharhum yakhūḍū wayalʿabū ḥattā yulāqū yawmahumu alladhī yūʿadūn

فَذَرۡهُمۡ یَخُوضُوا۟ وَیَلۡعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یُلَـٰقُوا۟ یَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی یُوعَدُونَ ۝٤٢

so let them O Muhammad keep denying the truth and continue to adhere to their own vain course, and be held by their own opinions and drown themselves in the nonsensical until they resolutely face the Day which they have been promised

Fatharhum yakhoodoo wayalAAaboo hatta yulaqoo yawmahumu allathee yooAAadoona

یَوۡمَ یَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبࣲ یُوفِضُونَ ۝٤٣

the Day when they shall rush out of their graves as if contesting a race toward a specific goal

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

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

Drooping their heads in disgrace, gazing in humility and covered with ignominy in requital of their past behaviour and their ignominious role. This is the Day which they have been promised

khāshiʿatan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum dhillatun dhālika l-yawmu alladhī kānū yūʿadūn

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