Surah 70

المعارج

Al-Ma'arij

The Ascending Stairways

Meccan44 Ayahs
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah

Which was revealed in Makkah A Request to hasten the Day of Judgement (A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall) This Ayah contains an assumed meaning that is alluded to by the letter "Ba".

Classical references: Ibn Kathir (Abridged).

Source: Ibn Kathir (Abridged) (70:1).

Last reviewed: 2026-04-10.

This is a short orientation note and does not replace full tafsir.

70:1
١

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen1

70:2
٢

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

70:3
٣

[It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.

70:4
٤

The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

70:5
٥

So be patient with gracious patience.

70:6
٦

Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

70:7
٧

But We see it [as] near.

70:8
٨

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,1

70:9
٩

And the mountains will be like wool,1

70:10
١٠

And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,

70:11
١١

They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children.

70:12
١٢

And his wife and his brother

70:13
١٣

And his nearest kindred who shelter him.

70:14
١٤

And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.

70:15
١٥

No!1 Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],

70:16
١٦

A remover of exteriors.1

70:17
١٧

It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]

70:18
١٨

And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

70:19
١٩

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

70:20
٢٠

When evil touches him, impatient,

70:21
٢١

And when good touches him, withholding [of it],

70:22
٢٢

Except the observers of prayer -

70:23
٢٣

Those who are constant in their prayer

70:24
٢٤

And those within whose wealth is a known right1

70:25
٢٥

For the petitioner and the deprived -

70:26
٢٦

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

70:27
٢٧

And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -

70:28
٢٨

Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -

70:29
٢٩

And those who guard their private parts

70:30
٣٠

Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,1 for indeed, they are not to be blamed -

70:31
٣١

But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -

70:32
٣٢

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive.

70:33
٣٣

And those who are in their testimonies upright

70:34
٣٤

And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

70:35
٣٥

They will be in gardens,1 honored.

70:36
٣٦

So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],

70:37
٣٧

[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?1

70:38
٣٨

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?

70:39
٣٩

No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.1

70:40
٤٠

So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings1 that indeed We are able

70:41
٤١

To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.

70:42
٤٢

So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -

70:43
٤٣

The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.1

70:44
٤٤

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.