CHAPTER 70: AL-MA'ARIJ (THE WAYS OF ASCENT)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of 44 verses. It takes its name from the word "ma'arij" mentioned in the third verse. Ma'arij is the plural of "ma'rij" and means "the ways of ascent" or "degrees of elevation." (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/567)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

70/1-7 THEY SEE THAT PUNISHMENT AS DISTANT

Translation

1- A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

2- To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

3- [It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.

4- The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

5- So be patient with gracious patience.

6- Indeed, they see it as distant,

7- But We see it as near.

Commentary

(1, 2) ‘A requester asked for the punishment that will descend.’ Someone requested the swift descent of the punishment that will certainly occur for the disbelievers. ‘It is for the disbelievers, and there is none to prevent it.’ That punishment is prepared for the disbelievers, and when Allah wills it to happen, there is no one who can obstruct it. (S. HAWWA, 15/324)

The pagans, who did not believe in the invitation of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and met his warning—that a great punishment would befall them if they did not believe—with mockery and fun, wanted that promised punishment to come as soon as possible. According to the narration, Nadr b. Harith said: "O Allah! If this Quran is the truth from Your presence, do not wait; immediately rain stones upon us from the sky or send us a painful punishment." (Anfal 8/32). Upon this, these verses were revealed. (From Razi; O. CELIK, 5/232, 233)

(3) ‘(That punishment) will come from Allah, the Owner of the ways of ascent.’ While answering the person who asked when the punishment would come, Almighty Allah used the expression "dhu’l-ma'arij" (Owner of the ways of ascent) to state that it will surely be sent by the Creator of the vast universe. Accordingly, with the expression "dhu’l-ma'arij," Allah meant the paths of the heavens. This metaphorically expresses the greatness of Allah. The fourth verse of the same surah, which follows the third verse where the phrase "dhu’l-ma'arij" is mentioned, also supports this approach. (M. DEMIRCI, 3/422)

(4) Following the expression "He to whose presence there are many ways of ascending" in the previous verse, it is stated here: "The angels ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years." As can be seen, this expression is not related to the Resurrection and the otherworldly accounting, nor to the duration of the world and the hereafter; it only speaks of the angels' ascent to Allah. As stated in a commentary quoted by Shawkani, the number fifty thousand in this verse is an allegorical narrative aimed at visualizing in minds how lofty these levels are. (Cf. Hajj 22/47; QUR’AN WAY, 5/454)

(5) ‘(O Messenger!) So endure with gracious patience.’ The fact that the command to be patient comes immediately after the disbelievers' hasty request for Allah's punishment is to express that an Islamic inviter must be adorned with the habit of patience in the face of such attitudes. Ibn Kathir says: "O Muhammad! Be patient against your people's denial of you and their requesting the divine punishment immediately because they see its occurrence as impossible." (S. HAWWA, 15/328)

The command "be patient" is directed to all believers in the person of the Prophet. Therefore, being patient is an obligatory duty. (...) Almighty Allah requested the glad tidings for those who are patient in the 155th verse of Surah al-Baqarah, and reported in the 10th verse of Surah az-Zumar that He will give the patient a reward beyond measure. In order to reach this reward, patience must be practiced for Allah, as commanded in the verse "Be patient for your Lord" (74/7). (I. KARAGOZ,8/211)

(6, 7) ‘Indeed, the disbelievers see the punishment as distant.’ That is, the disbelievers see the realization of the punishment as impossible. ‘But We see it as near.’ That is, We see it as an event that will definitely occur. (S. HAWWA, 15/328)

70/8-18 THAT DAY THE SKY WILL BE LIKE MOLTEN METAL

Translation

8- The Day the sky will be like molten copper,

9- And the mountains will be like wool,

10- And no friend will ask of a friend,

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

12- And his wife and his brother

13- And his nearest kindred who sheltered him

14- And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it might save him.

15- No! Indeed, it is the Flame (of Hell),

16- A remover of the skin of the head (and limbs),

17- It calls he who turned his back and turned away [from faith]

18- And collected [wealth] and hoarded [it].

Commentary

(8-10) ‘The sky that day will be like molten metal, and the mountains like tufts of wool.’ In color, the sky will be like oil dregs or molten silver, and the mountains will be like wool that has been carded and dyed in various colors. Because the structure of mountains is of different colors, when they are scattered and dispersed in the air, they resemble tufted wool blown by the wind. (S. HAWWA, 15/328)

‘No close friend will ask about another close friend.’ Since everyone will be occupied with their own trouble, no relative will ask about the state of another relative. (S. HAWWA, 15/328)

(11-18) ‘They are only shown to each other.’ Actually, they will see each other, but because everyone is looking for their own way out, they will not be in a state to ask about one another. (MAWDUDI, 6/421)

‘His spouse and his brother,’ ‘his entire family who sheltered him and in whom he was raised,’ the people, tribe, clan, fellow citizens, and community who embraced and sheltered him when he was in trouble (ELMALILI, 8/338) ‘and he wishes to sacrifice everyone on earth.’ The disbeliever wants to save his own soul from Allah's punishment by sacrificing all of these. (S. HAWWA, 15/329)

‘But how is it possible?’ Even if he could bring all of these, no ransom would be accepted from him. Moreover, how could he possibly bring them? (S. HAWWA, 15/329) ‘Because it is pure fire.’ One of the names of Hell is "Laza." Laza means a fire burning in flames. ‘It is a remover and scorcher of the skin.’ So much so that it attacks those thrown into it, burns and scorches them; it separates limbs such as hands, feet, head, and ears from the bodies and leaves their skin peeled. However, for the renewal of the punishment, their skins are turned back to their former states. (cf. Nisa 4/56, O. CELIK, 5/234)

‘It calls the one who turned his back and moved away.’ ‘And the one who collected and hoarded his wealth.’ Here, attention is drawn to two important reasons why people are thrown into hell: First, turning one's back on the true religion brought by the Prophet, on the belief in Tawhid, and turning away from servitude to Allah. Second, accumulating wealth without distinguishing between halal and haram, hoarding it; not paying the rights of the needy in those goods, and not letting the poor benefit from his wealth. (O. CELIK, 5/234, 235)

While the disbelievers have no friends, Allah, the prophet, and the angels are the friends of the believers. (3/68). "(O my Lord,) You are my protector and friend in the world and the hereafter" (12/101). Angels will also be the protectors and friends of the believers. (41/30-32). The righteous (muttaqi) are friends of each other: "On that day (in the hereafter) friends are enemies of each other, except for the righteous who are friends of each other." (43/67; I. KARAGOZ,8/214)

70/19-35 MAN IS CREATED VERY IMPATIENT (AND GREEDY)

Translation

19- Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

20- When evil touches him, impatient;

21- And when good touches him, withholding [of charity],

22- Except the observers of prayer—

23- Those who are constant in their prayer

24- And those within whose wealth is a known right

25- For the petitioner and the deprived—

26- And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

27- And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord—

28- Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe—

29- And those who guard their private parts

30- Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed—

31- But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors—

32- And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

33- And those who are upright in their testimonies

34- And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

35- They will be in gardens, honored.

Commentary

(19-23) ‘Indeed, mankind was created anxious.’ In many places where the Quran speaks of human moral weakness, those who believe and follow the right path are excepted. (...) It is understood here that this innate weakness at birth is not unchangeable. However, if a person accepts the guidance sent by Allah and exerts effort to reform their own soul, they can treat this weakness. If they leave their soul slack, these weaknesses take root and develop within them. (MAWDUDI, 6/421)

‘When evil touches him, he is full of outcry.’ When a pain such as ache, distress, poverty, or illness touches him, he writhes, whines, cries out, cannot endure, and expects help from others. (ELMALILI, 8/339)

‘And when good touches him, he is very stingy.’ When he attains blessings and opportunities like wealth, health, and security, he becomes selfish and stingy; he evaluates the blessings he has reached not as a grace from Allah, but as an existence obtained by his own power and effort; he neither spends in the way of Allah nor helps people. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/458)

However, those who possess the following beautiful qualities are purified from these bad attributes and protect themselves from hell: (O. CELIK, 5/235)

(1) First: ‘Except the observers of prayer... those who are constant in their prayer.’ They do not stop at just saying "I believed it is obligatory," but they have made it a habit to perform their known prayers continuously without abandoning them, in the way Allah commanded and the Prophet taught. They do not forget Allah and His commands. (ELMALILI, 8/339)

(24) (2) Second: ‘Within whose wealth is a known right; for the one who asks, and the deprived who is ashamed to ask.’ They also set aside a portion for the deprived. Here, the "deprived" refers to the one who does not ask either out of shame or trust in Allah, and whom others think is wealthy and thus remains deprived. (I. H. BURSEVI, 22/275)

(...) The phrase "haqqun ma’lum" (known right) in the verse refers to a charity that the first Muslims were aware of and gave to the poor. In other words, the word "known" here does not mean a fixed amount, but the "custom" known by the first addressees at the time the verse was revealed. Because the verses revealed in the Meccan period regarding this subject placed zakat into the consciousness of Muslims in the first years of Islam, while the Medinan period institutionalized it by determining the amount, threshold (nisab), and places of distribution. (...) Verse 9/60 of Surah At-Tawbah expresses both that zakat was made obligatory in Medina and that it became institutionalized. (M. DEMIRCI from ELMALILI, 3/426)

(26) (3) Third: ‘Believers (those observers of prayer) testify to the Day of Recompense.’ The person who confirms the day of punishment (the reckoning in the hereafter) acts by observing the scales of heaven rather than earth, and the reckoning of the hereafter rather than the world. He meets every event, good or bad, with a sense of submission; he knows that the results of these events will be received in the other world. Therefore, while evaluating events, he also takes into account their expected results. (S. KUTUB, 10/183, 184)

(28) (4) Fourth: ‘Believers are fearful of the punishment of their Lord... Indeed, they are not safe from the punishment of their Lord.’ No matter how far one goes in obedience and effort, this informs that one should not feel secure from the punishment of Allah but should live between fear and hope. For no one can know what their ultimate end will be. (I. H. BURSEVI, 22/277)

Our Prophet, who had an elite place in the sight of Allah and knew that Allah chose and watched over him, was constantly wary of Allah's punishment and always carried the concern of being struck by it. He knew for certain that his deeds could not protect him or cause him to enter Paradise unless there was Allah's grace and mercy. He used to say to his companions: "No one's deeds will make them enter Paradise." When asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" he replied: "Yes, not even me. Only by my Lord enveloping me with His mercy can I enter Paradise." (From Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai; S. KUTUB, 10/184)

(29, 30) (5) Fifth: ‘Believers are those who guard their private parts except from their wives or those their hands possess (concubines). Indeed, they are not to be blamed (for that).’ Thus, Islam approves the pure relationship established with spouses and concubines under one's hand. Concubines are women possessed for a legal reason. The only legal reason accepted by Islam is being taken captive in a war fought in the way of Allah. For the only war approved by Islam is the one in the way of Allah. The main ruling regarding prisoners of war is emphasized in this verse of Surah Muhammad: "When you meet the disbelievers in battle, strike their necks. At length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, take them as captives. Thereafter is either generosity or ransom until the war lays down its burdens." (Muhammad 47/4). However, sometimes due to the conditions of the day, captives might be released neither for free nor for ransom. Because if the opposing side enslaves Muslim captives—even under another name—the captives in the hands of Muslims are also enslaved. In this case, Islam only allows owners to establish a relationship with concubines. As for their freedom, Islam refers it to many ways it envisages for this source to dry up. By determining its clear and clean principles on this matter, Islam prevents these female captives from causing a disgusting sexual chaos. (S. KUTUB, 10/185)

‘But whoever seeks beyond that,’ the person who seeks pleasure beyond their wedded spouses and the concubines under their possession, does not protect their chastity, opens up to the forbidden (haram), engages in illegitimate relationships, and commits fornication; whether male or female, ‘those are the transgressors, the lawless ones.’ They deserve all kinds of condemnation, blame, prohibition, and obstruction. (ELMALILI, 8/340)

(32) (6) Sixth: ‘Believers observe their trusts and their promises.’ They keep and avoid breaking the words, states, actions, goods, rights of Allah, and rights of servants entrusted to them; the covenants and promises they have given to Allah and His servants, their families, their children, those under their possession, neighbors, strangers, and relatives. Just as all the rights of the Sharia are a trust, all the organs, wealth, children, and other blessings given by Almighty Allah to His servants are also trusts. Those who use them outside where they should be used have betrayed the trust. (ELMALILI, 8/341)

Hadith: Whoever has one of these four traits has a trait and a sign of hypocrisy: "When he is entrusted, he betrays; when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his word; and when he enters into a dispute, he behaves immorally," meaning he deviates into immorality with lies and slander. (From Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi; ELMALILI, 8/341)

(33) (7) Seventh: ‘Believers are those who are upright in their testimonies.’ Because Almighty Allah has linked the restoration of many rights to their owners to the fulfillment of the duty of testimony. In this regard, it is forbidden in the verses to avoid giving testimony (Baqarah 2/282) and to hide testimony during trial (Baqarah 2/283); specifically, it is commanded to testify so that the truth finds its place without showing inclination to one side and without distorting the truth. (cf. Nisa 4/135, O. CELIK, 5/238)

To happen to witness something is fard al-kifayah (communal obligation). If there is no one else, fulfilling that testimony is fard al-ayn (individual obligation). Taking a fee from the plaintiff because of testimony is unanimously not permissible. (...) According to Abu Hanifa (ra), it is sufficient for a Muslim to be seen as outwardly just in the matter of testimony, meaning he does not commit major sins, does not persist in minor ones, and his good deeds exceed his sins; however, this much is not sufficient in hadd and qisas (retaliatory punishments). Additionally, the witness must be investigated secretly. (I. H. BURSEVI, 22/282)

(34) (8) Eighth: ‘Believers are those who maintain their prayers.’ The expression "maintaining the prayer" appears in the 34th verse. It is possible to understand this expression as: "They perform prayers on time, observing the obligatory (fard) and sunnah, and remaining faithful to its form and spirit. They do not miss their prayers by neglecting them or showing laziness. They pay attention to it being in the most perfect way by taking care of the tasks to be done before, during, and after the prayer." (O. CELIK, 5/239)

It is seen that here, the beginning and end of these eight characteristics are framed with prayer, and all of them are summarized as the quality of the person who performs prayer, thus explaining that prayer is the pillar of religion. (ELMALILI, 8/342)

(35) ‘They will be honored in gardens.’ This means that these eight habits are like the eight gates of Paradise. (ELMALILI, 8/342)

70/36-44 THAT DAY THEY WILL COME OUT OF THEIR GRAVES BOLTING

Translation

36- So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, that they hasten toward you, [O Muhammad],

37- From the right and from the left, in separate groups?

38- Does every person among them hope to enter a Garden of Pleasure?

39- No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.

40- So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able

41- To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outrun.

42- So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised—

43- The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.

44- Their eyes humbled, humiliation covering them. That is the Day which they had been promised.

Commentary

(36, 37) ‘What is the matter with those who disbelieve, that they hasten toward you from the right and from the left, in separate groups?’ The pagans were gathering around the Prophet (pbuh) in circles and groups, mocking what he said and saying, "If these people enter paradise as Muhammad says, we will enter before them." It is narrated that these verses were revealed upon this. (ELMALILI, 8/344)

The two verses above indicate that the disbelievers are serious and ambitious in worldly affairs, that they do not want to learn the path of guidance from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), and that the etiquette of a Muslim is to stand by the Messenger of Allah and gather around him. (S. HAWWA, 15/333)

(38, 39) ‘Does every person among them hope to be admitted into a Garden of Pleasure (Naim)?’ Do they hope to enter the Garden of Naim while they flee from the Noble Messenger (pbuh) and distance themselves from the truth? Never. On the contrary, their refuge is hell. (From Ibn Kathir; S. HAWWA, 15/333)

The expression ‘Indeed, We have created them from that which they know’ points out that man is created from sperm, which seems insignificant to him; this shows that he is not a being to be arrogant, and therefore it is meaningless for the pagans to see themselves as superior and belittle the poor believers. (From Qurtubi; QUR’AN WAY, 5/460)

Despite this, people did not think that they would gain value only through their faith and proximity to Allah. [cf. 77/20] (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/568)

(40, 41) ‘No! I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that We are indeed able to replace them with better than them.’ The expression "easts and wests" covers the points where the sun, moon, and stars rise and set, as well as the different points on the horizon where the sun rises and sets throughout the year. Almighty Allah's swearing by the places where the stars rise and set in this way shows His dominance over all orbital movements in the universe and His infinite power. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/460)

‘And no one can outrun Us.’ We are not incapable of doing what We say. Then why do they not believe in Allah, the hereafter, and the Prophet by obeying Allah and fearing Him? (S. HAWWA, 15/333)

(42-44) ‘Leave them...’ O Muhammad! Leave these disbelievers alone. Let them "plunge" into their falsehoods and "play," benefiting from their world. Ibn Kathir says: "Leave them alone with their denials, disbelief, and stubbornness." ‘Until they meet their Day which they are promised.’ Then they will learn about this day and other things, and they will taste the punishment for what they have done. (S. HAWWA, 15/334)

‘The Day the Resurrection occurs, they will emerge rapidly from the graves as if they were hastening toward erected (idols).’ Their hastening toward the place of gathering in the hereafter is similar to their hastening toward their idols while in the world. For when they were in the world, they used to run toward the idols they had erected to see which of them would greet first. Ibn Kathir says: "When Almighty Allah calls them to the place of reckoning, they will rise quickly from their graves as if they were running toward idols." (S. HAWWA, 15/334)

‘Their eyes humbled,’ with their eyes turned downwards; Nesefi says: "They cannot lift their eyes up because they are humiliated." ‘With humiliation covering them.’ Ibn Kathir says: "A humiliation envelops them in return for their abandoning obedience in the world." ‘That is the Day which they were promised (in the world).’ However, they used to deny this. (S. HAWWA, 15/334)