The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

b
47and none of you could have defended
him.
48This [Quran] is a reminder for those who are aware of God.
49We know that some of you consider it to be lies–– 50this will be a
source of bitter regret for the disbelievers –
–
51but it is in fact the
certain Truth. 
52So [Prophet] glorify the name of your Lord, the
Almighty.
a
A dhira
  is an arm’s-length.
b
Literally ‘artery’.
The Qur
an
69: 26
388

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70. THE WAYS OF ASCENT
A Meccan sura that describes the Day of Judgement (verses 
8–18). One of the
opponents of the Prophet challenged him to hasten the punishment they had
been threatened with (verse 
1), so the foolishness of the disbelievers in denying
the Resurrection (verse 
6) is exposed (verses 36–44). The people who will be
granted the Garden are described (verses 
22–35). The title is a reference to the
paths through which angels ascend to God, mentioned in verses 
3–4.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1A man [mockingly] demanded the punishment. 2It will fall on the
disbelievers –– none can de
flect it––3from God, the Lord of the Ways
of Ascent, 
4by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him, on a
Day whose length is 
fifty thousand years. 5So be patient, [Prophet],
as be
fits you. 6The disbelievers think it is distant, 7but We know it to
be close. 
8On a Day when the heavens will be like molten brass 9and
the mountains like tufts of wool, 
10when no friend will ask about his
friend,
11even when they are within sight of one another. The guilty
person will wish he could save himself from the su
ffering of that Day
by sacri
ficing his sons, 12his spouse, his brother, 13the kinsfolk who
gave him shelter, 
14and everyone on earth, if it could save him. 15But
no! There is a raging 
flame 16that strips away the skin, 17and it will
claim everyone who rejects the truth, turns away, 
18amasses wealth
and hoards it.
19Man was truly created anxious: 20he is fretful when misfortune
touches him, 
21but tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way.
22Not so those who pray 23and are constant in their prayers; 24who
give a due share of their wealth 
25to beggars and the deprived;
26who believe in the Day of Judgement 27and fear the punishment of
their Lord ––
28none may feel wholly secure from it––29who guard
their chastity 
30from all but their spouses or their slave-girls––there
is no blame attached to [relations with] these, 
31but those whose
desires exceed this limit are truly transgressors ––
32who are faithful
to their trusts and their pledges; 
33who give honest testimony 34and
are steadfast in their prayers. 
35They will be honoured in Gardens of
bliss.

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36What is wrong with the disbelievers? Why do they rush to peer
at you [Prophet], 
37from right and left, in crowds? 38Does every one
of them expect to enter a Garden of bliss? 
39No! We created them
from the substance they know,
a
40and, by the Lord of every sunrise
and sunset, We have the power 
41to substitute for them others better
than they are –
– nothing can prevent Us from doing this. 
42So leave
them to wallow in idle talk, until they come face to face with their
promised Day, 
43the Day they will rush out of their graves as if
rallying to a 
flag, 44eyes downcast and covered in shame: that is the
Day of which they were warned.
a
They deny the Resurrection, and this points out to them that God has the power to
create them from such a small beginning and that He can bring about the Resurrection.
Cf. 
56: 56–62.