The Ascending Stairways
A question about punishment opens a passage that later instructs the Prophet in patience. Read the movement between these ideas. Ask what makes patience beautiful, while distinguishing a discussion prompt from the text’s explicit wording.
Based on Quran 70:1–5. Original study prompt, not a complete tafsir. Compare the passage ↗English Translation - Noor International Center · QuranEnc.com · v1.1.2 ↗
Issued by Noor International Center. Publisher footnotes appear with their verses.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ
(1) A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen[1748]
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ
(2) To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
(3) [It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ
(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 صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا
(5) So be patient with gracious patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا
(6) Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا
(7) But We see it [as] near.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
(8) On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,[1749]
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
(9) And the mountains will be like wool,[1750]
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا
(10) And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
(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
(12) And his wife and his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
(13) And his nearest kindred who shelter him
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
(14) And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
(15) No![1751] Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
(16) A remover of exteriors.[1752]
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
(17) It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
(18) And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
(19) Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا
(20) When evil touches him, impatient,
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
(21) And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
(22) Except the observers of prayer -
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
(23) Those who are constant in their prayer
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ
(24) And those within whose wealth is a known right[1753]
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
(25) For the petitioner and the deprived -
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
(26) And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
(27) And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ
(28) Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ
(29) And those who guard their private parts
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
(30) Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,[1754] for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
(31) But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
(32) And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
(33) And those who are in their testimonies upright
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
(34) And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ
(35) They will be in gardens,[1755] honored.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
(36) So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
(37) [To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?[1756]
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ
(38) Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
(39) No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.[1757]
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
(40) So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings[1758] that indeed We are able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
(41) To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
(42) So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ
(43) The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.[1759]
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ
(44) Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.