Surah 70. Al-Ma'arij

though they may be in one another's sight: [for,] everyone who was lost in sin will on that Day but desire to ransom himself from suffering at the price of his own children,

  - Mohammad Asad

though they will see each other. To save himself from the punishment of that Day, the culprit (disbeliever) will wish to give his children,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'although' they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Though they will be put in sight of each other the sinner's desire will be: would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children ⁵⁶⁸⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The sinner will offer his children, his family, his kinsmen, who had sheltered and protected him,-in fact everything on earth that he could-as a ransom for himself. Such would be his selfishness and his agony.

and of his spouse, and of his brother,

  - Mohammad Asad

his wife, his brother,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

their spouses, their siblings,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And his spouse and his brother

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

His wife and his brother

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and of all the kinsfolk who ever sheltered him,

  - Mohammad Asad

his relatives - who gave him shelter -

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

their clan that sheltered them,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And his kin that harbored him

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

His kindred who sheltered him.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and of whoever [else] lives on earth, all of them - so that he could but save himself.

  - Mohammad Asad

and all that is in the earth, in ransom to save himself.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And all all that is on earth so it could deliver him: ⁵⁶⁸⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

What would not the sinner give for his own deliverance! But nothing could save him. The Fire of Hell would be roaring for him!

But nay! Verily, all [that awaits him] is a raging flame,

  - Mohammad Asad

By no means! It will be the fire of hell,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

  - Mustafa Khattab

But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

By no means! For it would be the Fire of Hell!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

tearing away his skin!

  - Mohammad Asad

eager to pluck out his skull,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

ripping off scalps.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Eager to roast;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Plucking out (his being) right to the skull! ⁵⁶⁸⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It would be a Fire not only burning his body, but reaching right up to his brains and his understanding and-as is said in civ. 7-his heart and affections also. In other words the Fire will burn into his inmost being.

It will claim all such as turn their backs [on what is right], and turn away [from the truth],

  - Mohammad Asad

it will be calling all those who try to escape and turn their back,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It will summon whoever turned their backs 'on Allah' and turned away 'from the truth',

  - Mustafa Khattab

It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right) ⁵⁶⁸⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The analysis of sin is given in four master-strokes, of which the first two refer to the will or psychology of the sinner, and the last two to the use he makes of the good things of this life. (1) Sin begins with turning your back to the Right, refusing to face it squarely, running away from it whether from cowardice or indifference. (2) But Conscience and the sense of Right will try to prevent the flight; the Grace of Allah will meet the sinner at all corners and try to reclaim him; the hardened sinner will deliberately turn away his face from it, insult it, and reject it. (3) The result of this psychology will be that he will abandon himself to greed, to the correction of riches, and the acquisition of material advantages to which he is not entitied; this may involve hypocrisy, fraud, and crime. (4) Having acquired the material advantages, the next step will be to keep others out of them, to prevent hoarded wealth from fructifying by circulation, to conceal it from envy or spite. This is the spiritual Rake's Progress.

and amass [wealth] and thereupon withhold [it from their fellow-men].

  - Mohammad Asad

who collected wealth and withheld it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and gathered and hoarded 'wealth'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

VERILY, man is born with a restless disposition.⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "man has been created restless (halu'an)" - that is, endowed with an inner restlessness which may equally well drive him to fruitful achievement or to chronic discontent and frustration. In other words, it is the manner in which man utilizes this God-willed endowment that determines whether it shall have a positive or a negative character. The subsequent two verses ({20} and {21}) allude to the latter, while verses {22-25} show that only true spiritual and moral consciousness can mould that inborn restlessness into a positive force, and thus bring about inner stability and abiding contentment.

Indeed, man has been created impatient,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! man was created anxious,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Truly man was created very impatient ⁵⁶⁸⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man, according to the Plan of Allah, was to be in the best of moulds (xcv. 4). But in order to fulfil his high destiny he was given free-will to a limited extent. The wrong use of this free-will makes his nature weak (iv. 28), or hasty (xvii. 11), or unpatient, as here. That becomes his nature by his own act, but he is spoken of as so created because of the capacities given to him in his creation.

[As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity;⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

The participle jazu' - derived from the verb jazi'a - combines the concepts of "lacking patience" and "lamenting over one's misfortune", and is therefore the contrary of sabr (Jawhari).

when evil befalls him, he becomes despondent;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

distressed when touched with evil,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Fretful when evil befalleth him

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Fretful when evil touches him;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others].

  - Mohammad Asad

but when blessed with good fortune, he becomes stingy;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and withholding when touched with good-

  - Mustafa Khattab

And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And niggardly when good reaches him ⁵⁶⁸⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In adversity he complains and gets into despair. In prosperity he becomes arrogant and forgets other people's rights and his own shortcomings. Cf. xli. 49-50.

Not so, however, those who consciously turn towards God in prayer,⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

This, I believe, is the meaning of the expression al-musallin (lit., "the praying ones"), which evidently does not relate here to the mere ritual of prayer but, rather, as the next verse shows, to the attitude of mind and the spiritual need underlying it. In this sense it connects with the statement in verse {19} that "man is born with a restless disposition" which, when rightly used, leads him towards conscious spiritual growth, as well as to freedom from all self-pity and selfishness.

with the exception of those who offer the Salah (prayer),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

except those who pray,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Save worshippers

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Not so those devoted to Prayer ⁵⁶⁹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The description of those devoted to Prayer is given in a number of clauses that follow, introduced by the words "Those who..." "Devoted to Prayer" is here but another aspect of what is described elsewhere as the Faithful and the Righteous. Devotion to prayer does not mean merely a certain number of formal rites or prostrations. It means a complete surrender of one's being to Allah. This means an earnest approach to and realisation of Allah's Presence ("steadfastness in Prayer"); acts of practical and real charity; and attempt to read this life in terms of the Hereafter; the seeking of the Peace of Allah and avoidance of His displeasure; chastity; probity true and firm witness; and guarding the prayer. (verse 34).

[and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer;

  - Mohammad Asad

remain steadfast in their Salah (prayer),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

consistently performing their prayers;

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who are constant at their worship

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them],

  - Mohammad Asad

set aside a due share in their wealth

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and who give the rightful share of their wealth

  - Mustafa Khattab

And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And those in whose wealth is a recognized right

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

for such as ask [for help] and such as are deprived [of what is good in life];¹⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "but do not or cannot beg": see Razi's comments on a similar phrase in 51:19 , quoted in my corresponding note [12].

for the beggars and the deprived,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

to the beggar and the poor;

  - Mustafa Khattab

For the beggar and the destitute;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking); ⁵⁶⁹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 5001 to li. 19. True charity consists in finding out those in real need, whether they ask or not. Most frequently those who ask are idle men who insolently wish to live upon others. But all cases of those who ask should be duly investigated, in case a little timely help may set the erring on the way. But the man with wealth or talent or opportunity has the further responsibility of searching out those in need of his assistance, in order to show that he holds all gifts in trust for the service of his fellow- creatures.