NAME: المعارج, Al-Ma’arij.
Name taken from Verse 3 where there is a mention of the word ”Al Maarij”.
٣ مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ
3 [It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: The Ascending Ways/Ways of Ascent.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 70
SURAH MAARIJ TOTAL VERSES: 44
SURAH MAARIJ TOTAL WORDS: 217
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 177
TOTAL LETTERS: 971
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 614 – 617 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, A Questioner, Angels, Believers And Righteous, Disbelievers.
SURAH MAARIJ MAIN TOPICS:
Scene of The Last Day and Its Description, Angels Ascend To God In A Day Equal To Fifty Thousand Years, Last Day Situation of The Wrongdoers, Traits of Righteous, Last Day Disbelievers Will Emerge From Graves In Humiliation.
SURAH MAARIJ KEY VERSES:
٤ تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
4 The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
٦ إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا
6 Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
٧ وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا
7 But We see it [as] near.
١١ يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ 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
٤٣ يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
43 The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.
٤٤ خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ
44 Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-9(A Questioner Asked For A Punishment Bound To Happen, Angels And The Spirit Ascend To God In A Day Equal To Fifty Thousand Years, Scene of The Last Day and Its Description), 10-21(The Wrongdoers Will Wish To Save Themselves At The Expense Of Their Wealth And Relatives, But It Will Not Happen), 21-35(Traits Of Righteous; Prayer, Share In Wealth, Belief In Hereafter, Guard Chastity, Except What They Possess Rightly), 36-44( Mention Of Disbelievers And God Swear That He Is Able To Replace Them With Better Ones, Last Day They Will Emerge From Graves In Humiliation)
SURAH MAARIJ BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 44 verses divided into 2 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: “مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ,” ([It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.) where the word “الْمَعَارِجِ” meaning “The Ascending Ways/Ways of Ascent” appears This Surah was revealed in Mecca most probably during the early days of Muhammad’s proclamation of his prophethood.
Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn Abbas, “Owner of the ways of ascent means loftiness and abundance.” Mujahid narrated, “Lord of the ways of ascent means the ways of ascension into the heavens.”
Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet of God PBUH said,
مَا مِنْ صَاحِبِ كَنْزٍ لَا يُؤَدِّي حَقَّهُ إِلَّا جُعِلَ صَفَائِحَ، يُحْمَى عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، فَتُكْوَى بِهَا جَبْهَتُهُ وَجَنْبُهُ وَظَهْرُهُ، حَتْى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِهِ فِي يَوْم كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ، ثُمَّ يَرَى سَبِيلَهُ إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّار
There is not a single owner of a treasure who had not paid its due except that it would be made into heated metal plates and branded upon him in the Fire of Hell. With these, his forehead, side, and back will be scorched. This will last until God judges between His servants on a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years of what you count. Then he would see his way, either to Paradise or to the Fire.
Although Quran is a universal book and so is its message but many commentators and traditions of Nasa’i and others have related a narration from Ibn Abbas, and Hakim holds it as authentic, “That the questioner in verse 1 here was Al Nudar Ibn al Harith, who said, ‘O God, if what Muhammad preaches be the truth from you, rain down upon us a shower of stones, or send some dreadful judgment to punish us.’ Others, however, think it was Abu Jahl, who challenged Muhammad to cause a fragment of heaven to fall on them.
Just like Surah Haqqah this Surah mainly deals with the Last Day and the Judgement.
