سُورَةُ المَعَارِجِ
Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ascending Stairways) – Arabic, Translation & Audio
Surah Al-Ma'arij is the 70th surah (chapter) of the Quran. Its name means “The Ascending Stairways”. It has 44 ayahs (verses), is a Meccan surah (revealed in Makkah) and is found in Juz 29 of the Quran. Below you can read the full Arabic text with English translation and transliteration, and listen to each ayah.
| Surah number | 70 of 114 |
|---|---|
| Arabic name | المعارج |
| English meaning | The Ascending Stairways |
| Number of ayahs | 44 |
| Revelation | Meccan (Makkah) |
| Order of revelation | 79 (traditional chronology) |
| Juz (part) | 29 |
| Mushaf pages | 568–570 (604-page Madinah mushaf) |
| Verses of prostration | None |
| Begins with Bismillah | Yes – recited before ayah 1 (not numbered) |
Read Surah Al-Ma'arij in Arabic with English translation
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ ﴿١﴾
Sa ala saaa'ilum bi'azaa binw-waaqi'
A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ ﴿٢﴾
Lilkaafireen laisa lahoo daafi'
Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ﴿٣﴾
Minal laahi zil ma'aarij
From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ ﴿٤﴾
Ta'rujul malaaa'ikatu war Roohu ilaihi fee yawmin kaana miqdaaruhoo khamseena alfa sanah
(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾
Fasbir ssabran jameelaa
But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا ﴿٦﴾
Inaahum yarawnahoo ba'eedaa
Lo! they behold it afar off
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا ﴿٧﴾
Wa naraahu qareebaa
While we behold it nigh:
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ﴿٨﴾
Yawma takoonus samaaa'u kalmuhl
The day when the sky will become as molten copper,
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ﴿٩﴾
Wa takoonul jibaalu kal'ihn
And the hills become as flakes of wool,
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا ﴿١٠﴾
Wa laa yas'alu hameemun hameemaa
And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ﴿١١﴾
Yubassaroonahum; ya waddul mujrimu law yaftadee min 'azaabi yawma'izim bibaneeh
Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ﴿١٢﴾
Wa saahibatihee wa akheeh
And his spouse and his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ﴿١٣﴾
Wa faseelathil latee tu'weeh
And his kin that harboured him
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ﴿١٤﴾
Wa man fil ardi jamee'an summa yunjeeh
And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ﴿١٥﴾
Kallaa innahaa lazaa
But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell
نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ﴿١٦﴾
Nazzaa'atal lishshawaa
Eager to roast;
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١٧﴾
Tad'oo man adbara wa tawallaa
It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ﴿١٨﴾
W jama'a fa aw'aa
And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ﴿١٩﴾
Innal insaana khuliqa haloo'aa
Lo! man was created anxious,
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا ﴿٢٠﴾
Izaa massahush sharru jazoo'aa
Fretful when evil befalleth him
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ﴿٢١﴾
Wa izaa massahul khairu manoo'aa
And, when good befalleth him, grudging;
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٢٢﴾
Illal musalleen
Save worshippers.
Surah Al-Ma'arij, continued from ayah 23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
Allazeena hum 'alaa Salaatihim daaa'imoon
Who are constant at their worship
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ ﴿٢٤﴾
Wallazeena feee amwaalihim haqqum ma'loom
And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ﴿٢٥﴾
Lissaaa 'ili walmahroom
For the beggar and the destitute;
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٢٦﴾
Wallazeena yusaddiqoona bi yawmid Deen
And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
Wallazeena hum min 'azaabi Rabbihim mushfiqoon
And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ ﴿٢٨﴾
Inna 'azaaba Rabbihim ghairu maamoon
Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾
Wallazeena hum lifuroo jihim haafizoon
And those who preserve their chastity
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾
Illaa 'alaaa azwaajihim aw maa malakat aymaanuhum fainnahum ghairu maloomeen
Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
Famanib taghaa waraaa'a zaalika fa ulaaa'ika humul 'aadoon
But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾
Wallazeena hum li amaa naatihim wa 'ahdihim raa'oon
And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾
Wallazeena hum bishahaadaatihim qaaa'imoon
And those who stand by their testimony
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾
Wallazeena hum 'alaa salaatihim yuhaafizoon
And those who are attentive at their worship.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
Ulaaa'ika fee jannaatim mukramoon
These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾
Famaa lil lazeena kafaroo qibalaka muhti'een
What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾
'Anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali 'izeen
On the right and on the left, in groups?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ ﴿٣٨﴾
Ayatma'u kullum ri'im minhum anyyudkhala jannata Na'eem
Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾
Kallaaa innaa khalaq nahum mimmaa ya'lamoon
Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾
Falaaa uqsimu bi Rabbil mashaariqi wal maghaaribi innaa laqaadiroon
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ﴿٤١﴾
'Alaaa an nubaddila khairam minhum wa maa Nahnu bimasbooqeen
To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
Fazarhum yakhoodoo wa yal'aboo hattaa yulaaqoo yaw mahumul lazee yoo'adoon
So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
Yawma yakhrujoona minal ajdaasi siraa'an ka anna hum ilaa nusubiny yoofidoon
The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillah; zaalikal yawmul lazee kaanoo yoo'adoon
With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.
Arabic text: Uthmani script (Tanzil). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930, public domain). Transliteration: English transliteration from the Al Quran Cloud API, in a simple English spelling (it writes the Arabic letter dhal as “z”, while the duas on this site write it as “dh”). Audio: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. A translation conveys the meaning of the Quran; it is not the Quran itself.
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