Surah 70. Al-Ma'arij

A challenger¹ has demanded a punishment bound to come

  - Mustafa Khattab

 According to 8:32, An-Naḍr ibn Al-Ḥârith challenged Allah, saying, “If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or overcome us with a painful punishment.”

A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall ⁵⁶⁷⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Any one might ask. When will Judgment come? That question usually implies doubt. The answer is: the knowledge of Time is beyond man's comprehension. But there is something which touches him closely and concerns his conduct and his future welfare; and that is explained in four propositions. (1) Judgment is sure to come, and none can ward it off; (2) it will exact a dreadful Penalty from Unbelievers, but the righteous have nothing to fear; (3) it will be a Penalty from Allah, the Lord of both Justice and Mercy; it will not be merely a blind calamity of fate; and (4) further we are reminded of another title of Allah, "Lord of the Ways of Ascent"; which means that though He sits high on Ms Throne of Glory, He is not inaccessible, but in His infinite Mercy has provided ways of ascent to Him; see next note.

for the disbelievers- to be averted by none-

  - Mustafa Khattab

The Unbelievers the which there is none to ward off

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

from Allah, Lord of pathways of 'heavenly' ascent,

  - Mustafa Khattab

(A Penalty) from Allah Lord of the Ways of Ascent. ⁵⁶⁷⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ma'arij: stair-ways, ways of ascent. In xliii. 33, the word is used in its literal sense: "silver stair-ways on which to go up". Here there is a profound spiritual meaning. Can we reach up to Allah Most High? In His infinite grace He gives that privilege to angels. But the way is not easy, nor can it be travelled in a day. See the next two notes.

'through which' the angels and the 'holy' spirit¹ will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.²

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The holy spirit is the angel Gabriel.

 Judgment Day will seem like 50 000 years for a disbeliever, but it will seem like a very short period for a believer. The Prophet (ﷺ) is reported in a ḥadîth collected by Imâm Aḥmed to have said that, for the believer, this long period will be like the time they took to perform a single prayer in the world.

The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years: ^{5677 5678}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ruh: "The Spirit". Cf. lxxviii. 38, "the Spirit and the angels"; and xcvii. 4, "the angels and the Spirit". In xvi. 2, we have translated Ruh by "inspiration". Some Commentators understand the angel Gabriel by "the Spirit". But I think a more general meaning is possible, and fits the context better.

Cf. xxxii. 4-5, and notes 3632 and 3634

So endure 'this denial, O Prophet,' with beautiful patience.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Therefore do thou hold Patience a Patience of beautiful (contentment). ⁵⁶⁷⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The prophet of Allah, persecuted and in trouble with the world, should yet hold Patience-not the sort of patience which goes with complaints expressed or suppressed, but the sort of patience that is content with the ordering of Allah's world, for he believes and knows it to be good, as did the holy Prophet Muhammad. Such a patience is akin to Good pleasure, for it arises from the purest faith and trust in Allah.

They truly see this 'Day' as impossible,

  - Mustafa Khattab

They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

but We see it as inevitable.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But We see it (quite) near. ⁵⁶⁸⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The men of evil may see the just retribution for their sins so far off that they doubt whether it would ever come. But in Allah's sight, and on the scale of the Universal Plan, it is quite near; for time as we know it hardly exists in the next world. It may come in this life; but it is bound to come eventually.

On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

  - Mustafa Khattab

The Day that the sky will be like molten brass ⁵⁶⁸¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xviii. 29 (where the wrong-doer will have a drink like melted brass in Hell); and xliv. 45, (where his food will be like molten brass). Here the appearance of the sky is compared to molten brass, or, as some understand it, like the dregs of oil. What is conveyed by the metaphor is that the beautiful blue sky will melt away.

and the mountains like 'tufts of' wool.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And the mountains will be like wool ⁵⁶⁸²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ci. 5. where the metaphor of carded wool is used. The mountains which seem so solid will be like flakes of wool driven by the carder's hand.

And no close friend will ask 'about' their friends,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And no friend will ask after a friend ⁵⁶⁸³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The world as we know it win have so completely passed away that the landmarks in the heavens and on earth will also have vanished. Not only that, but the human relationships of mind and heart will have been transformed by sin into something ugly and dreadful. The sinners will be so overcome with terror at the realisation of their personal responsibility that they will desert their most intimate friends, and indeed their very sight of each other will add to their agony.