📗 Surah Al-Ma’arij – Overview

🪶 Arabic Name: سورة المعارج

📝 Meaning: “The Ascending Stairways”

📍 Classification: Makki (Meccan)

🔢 Total Verses: 44

⏳ Chronological Order of Revelation: 79th Surah revealed (a Mid- to Late-Makkan Surah)

📖 Key Themes: The certainty of the Day of Judgment, The impatient nature of humanity, The characteristics of the true believers who are saved, and The ultimate powerlessness of the disbelievers before God.

🗣️ Verses 70:1-3 — The Impatient Questioner: Someone Dared to Ask for God’s Punishment

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan (c. 615-619 CE) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah opens abruptly with a dramatic scene: “A questioner asked about a punishment bound to happen.” This was a direct reference to the behavior of the Makkan polytheists. In their arrogance and complete disbelief in the Hereafter, they would mock the Prophet’s (ﷺ) warnings. They would taunt him, saying things like, “O Allah, if this is the truth from You, then rain down on us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment!” (Qur’an 8:32). This opening verse captures the essence of that challenge. The “questioner” is not a sincere seeker of knowledge but a sarcastic mocker, daring God to bring on the doom the Prophet (ﷺ) was warning them about. The verses immediately answer this challenge: the punishment is indeed “bound to happen” for the disbelievers, there is “no defender” against it, and it is “from Allah, the Lord of the ascending stairways.”

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Makkah. The verse describes a real and recurring type of interaction between the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Quraysh.

“A questioner asked about a punishment bound to happen – For the disbelievers; there is no defender against it.” (Qur’an 70:1-2)

• Primary evidence: The theme of disbelievers mockingly asking for their punishment to be hastened is a staple of Makkan Surahs, reflecting a primary argument of the Quraysh. The powerful, poetic, and eschatological nature of the Surah are all hallmarks of this period.
• Classical tafsir: While some minority reports link this to a specific post-Ghadir incident, the overwhelming consensus of classical Sunni commentators like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari is that the verse refers to the general mockery of the Quraysh in Makkah, such as An-Nadr ibn Al-Harith, who was known for this kind of taunt. This interpretation aligns perfectly with the Surah’s Makkan classification.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: An archetypal Makkan mocker (representing the Quraysh).
• Function in Narrative: To set the stage for the Surah by presenting the disbelievers’ arrogant challenge, which the rest of the Surah will answer.
• Evidence Level: High. This is based on the strong thematic and stylistic evidence of a Makkan origin and the consensus of major classical tafsirs that it refers to the Quraysh’s mockery.

⏳ Verse 70:4 — The 50,000-Year Day: A Glimpse into God’s Timescale

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): After mentioning the “Lord of the Ascending Stairways,” this verse gives a stunning and mind-bending glimpse into the nature of celestial time and space. It describes the “stairways” by which “the angels and the Spirit [Jibril] ascend to Him in a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.” This was a direct response to the mockers’ impatience. They demanded immediate punishment because their frame of reference was the short, fleeting human lifespan. This verse shatters that perspective. It reveals that the timescale on which God and His celestial messengers operate is unimaginably vast. What seems “slow” to a human is but a moment in the divine decree. The number “fifty thousand years” is not meant to be a literal calculation for a human stopwatch, but a rhetorical device to convey immense, almost incomprehensible length and grandeur, silencing the petty impatience of man.

Referenced Timeline: A Metaphysical/Celestial Reality. This describes the nature of time and space in the realm of the angels.

• Primary evidence: The verse’s function is to explain the nature of the “Ma’arij” (Ascending Stairways) mentioned in the previous verse and to counter the disbelievers’ demand to “hasten” the punishment. This is a core part of the theological argument of the Surah.
• Classical tafsir: There is discussion among commentators about what this “Day” refers to. Some, like Ibn Abbas (RA), say it is the Day of Judgment itself. Others say it refers to the distance from the lowest earth to the highest point of God’s throne, which would take an angel 50,000 years to traverse by human standards. In either interpretation, the purpose is the same: to illustrate a scale of time and space that is beyond human comprehension, thereby emphasizing God’s transcendence.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The angels and the Spirit (Jibril).
• Function in Narrative: To explain the meaning of “Lord of the Ascending Stairways” and to teach a lesson in cosmic perspective, countering the disbelievers’ impatience.
• Evidence Level: High. This verse is a direct and necessary elaboration of the unique divine name used in verse 3, making it an integral part of the Surah’s opening argument.

😌 Verses 70:5-7 — The Beautiful Patience: They See It as Distant, We See It as Near

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): After establishing the vast divine timescale, these verses provide direct counsel to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Facing the daily mockery and impatience of the disbelievers was emotionally and spiritually draining. This verse commands him to adopt a specific posture in the face of their taunts: “So be patient with a beautiful patience” (sabran jamila). “Beautiful patience” is patience without complaint, without anxiety, and without despair. It is a state of serene and confident endurance. The verses then reveal the core difference in perspective that makes this patience possible. “Indeed, they see it [the punishment] as distant, but We see it as near.” The disbelievers, trapped in their human timescale, see the Day of Judgment as a far-off, theoretical possibility. But Allah, who is outside of time, sees it as an imminent, impending reality. The Prophet (ﷺ) is being told to adopt God’s perspective, not his opponents’.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Makkah.

“So be patient with a beautiful patience. Indeed, they see it as distant, But We see it as near.” (Qur’an 70:5-7)

• Primary evidence: The command to be patient is a recurring theme in Makkan Surahs, directly addressing the difficult circumstances of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) early mission. The contrast between divine and human perspectives on the timing of the Hour is also a classic Makkan argument.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators explain that “beautiful patience” is that which is free from any complaint to creation. One’s only complaint and supplication should be to the Creator. They explain that for Allah, everything that is to come is “near,” because His knowledge encompasses all of time, and His power can bring it about in an instant.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
• Function in Narrative: To provide direct counsel and spiritual support to the Prophet (ﷺ), commanding him to be patient and to adopt the divine perspective on the timing of the Judgment.
• Evidence Level: High. This is a direct and logical piece of guidance for the Prophet within the context of the polemical argument being made, a standard feature of the Qur’an’s structure.

☄️ Verses 70:8-10 — The Cosmic Meltdown: When the Sky Becomes Like Molten Oil

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah now begins to describe the “near” event in horrifying detail. It paints a picture of complete cosmic and social breakdown on the Day of Judgment. The imagery is apocalyptic. “The Day the sky will be like murky oil, and the mountains will be like wool.” The stable, solid foundations of the physical world will dissolve. The sky, a symbol of permanence, will melt. The mountains, symbols of unshakeable firmness, will become as light and fluffy as carded wool, scattering in the wind. This physical chaos is mirrored by a complete breakdown of human society: “And no friend will ask about a friend.” In the face of this overwhelming terror, all social bonds, all tribal loyalties, and all personal relationships will become utterly meaningless.

Referenced Timeline: The Eschatological Future (The Day of Judgment).

• Primary evidence: The graphic and poetic descriptions of apocalyptic events are a signature feature of the Makkan Surahs, designed to make the abstract concept of the Hereafter a visceral and terrifying reality.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators explain that even though the people will see their friends and relatives on that Day (as the next verse clarifies), the horror will be so great that each person will be concerned only with their own soul, having no capacity to even think of asking about another.

• Location/Context: Makkah (revealed in), Day of Judgment (described).
• Primary Actors: All of humanity and the cosmos.
• Function in Narrative: To describe the physical and social chaos of the Day of Judgment, emphasizing the breakdown of all worldly support systems.
• Evidence Level: High. This eschatological description is a core component of the Surah’s answer to the mockers’ challenge.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Verses 70:11-14 — The Impossible Ransom: “I Would Sacrifice My Own Children to Be Saved”

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This section presents one of the most chilling psychological portraits of despair in the entire Qur’an. It continues the scene from the previous verses. Though friends and family will see each other on that Day, they will be powerless to help. The verse then reveals the desperate inner wish of the “criminal” (mujrim)—the disbeliever facing his doom. “The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children, and his wife and his brother, and his nearest kindred who sheltered him, and all that are in the earth entirely, so that then it might save him.” This is the ultimate expression of terror and selfishness. The very people he loved, protected, and lived for in this world, he would now willingly sacrifice—his children, his spouse, his entire tribe, even everyone on earth—just to save his own skin.

Referenced Timeline: The Eschatological Future (The Day of Judgment).

• Location/Context: Makkah (revealed in), Day of Judgment (described).
• Primary Actors: The disbeliever (“the criminal”).
• Function in Narrative: To illustrate the absolute terror and selfishness of the disbeliever on the Day of Judgment through the depiction of their willingness to sacrifice their loved ones.
• Evidence Level: High. This psychological portrait of the *mujrim* is a central part of the Surah’s detailed answer to the question “What is the Inevitable Reality?”.

🔥 Verses 70:15-18 — The Roasting Fire: A Magnet for the Back-Turners and Hoarders

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): After detailing the impossible ransom, the Surah gives a definitive, crushing “No!” to the criminal’s wish. “No! Indeed, it is a Flame (Laza).” The verses then give a terrifying description of this specific fire of Hell. It is a “remover of the scalp” (nazza’atan lish-shawa), a graphic image conveying a fire of such intensity that it strips the very flesh from the bone. The passage then describes the *type* of person this fire actively “calls” or summons to itself: “him who turned his back and averted [his face], and collected [wealth] and hoarded [it].” This identifies the two core sins that lead to this fate: the spiritual sin of rejecting the truth and the social-economic sin of avarice and hoarding wealth.

Referenced Timeline: The Eschatological Future (Hell).

• Location/Context: Makkah (revealed in), Hell (described).
• Primary Actors: The disbelievers.
• Function in Narrative: To describe the nature of the punishment in Hell and to identify the specific characteristics of those who are destined for it.
• Evidence Level: High. The description of the sinner as one who hoards wealth is a direct critique of the materialistic values of the Makkan oligarchy.

😥 Verses 70:19-21 — The Human Condition: Born Anxious, Grasping, and Impatient

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah now makes a profound pivot. After describing the horrors of the Hereafter, it returns to the present world and offers a deep psychological diagnosis of the human condition. It answers the question: why do people behave in a way that leads to such a terrible end? The verse states a general principle: “Indeed, mankind was created anxious (halu’an).” It then defines this anxiety with two reactive behaviors: “When evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding [of it].” This is the human default setting: panicky and despairing in hardship, and stingy and arrogant in prosperity. This innate spiritual weakness is the root cause of both the denial of the Hereafter and the hoarding of wealth mentioned in the previous verses.

Referenced Timeline: The Continuous Present. This is a timeless description of human psychology.

“Indeed, mankind was created anxious. When evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding.” (Qur’an 70:19-21)

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: All of humanity.
• Function in Narrative: To provide a deep psychological diagnosis of the inherent weakness and anxiety in human nature, setting the stage for the description of the cure.
• Evidence Level: High. The diagnosis of the human condition serves as the perfect pivot point between the description of Hell and the description of the people of Paradise, explaining the root of human failure.

✅ Verses 70:22-35 — The Path of the Praying Ones: The Antidote to Anxiety

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): After diagnosing the disease of human anxiety, this long section provides the comprehensive cure. It begins with a single, powerful exception: “Except for the praying ones (al-musallin).” It then lists a series of defining characteristics of this exceptional group, a spiritual checklist for salvation. These are the people who have overcome their base, anxious nature. The qualities are: 1) They are constant in their prayer. 2) They recognize a “known right” for the needy in their wealth. 3) They believe in the Day of Judgment. 4) They are fearful of their Lord’s punishment. 5) They guard their chastity. 6) They are faithful to their trusts and covenants. 7) They are steadfast in their testimonies. 8) They diligently guard their prayers. This detailed profile of the ideal believer was a direct roadmap for the early Muslims in Makkah, showing them the practical qualities they needed to cultivate to be saved from the fate of the disbelievers and from their own innate weaknesses. The section concludes with the reward: “They will be in gardens, honored.”

Referenced Timeline: The Continuous Present. This is a timeless description of the qualities of the successful believer.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The ideal believers (“the praying ones”).
• Function in Narrative: To provide the “cure” for the human condition of anxiety by detailing the specific, observable qualities of those who achieve salvation.
• Evidence Level: High. This detailed moral code is the necessary positive counterpart to the Surah’s diagnosis of human weakness and its description of Hell, forming the complete path to success.

🏃‍♂️ Verses 70:36-39 — The Mad Rush: What’s Wrong With These People?

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah now snaps back to the contemporary scene in Makkah, painting a vivid picture of the disbelievers’ behavior towards the Prophet (ﷺ). It asks, “So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, rushing before you [in haste], from the right and from the left in separate groups?” This describes a scene where, when the Prophet (ﷺ) would recite the Qur’an or preach, the disbelievers would gather around him, not to listen sincerely, but to mock, ridicule, and point at him. They would sit in scattered, hostile groups, whispering and plotting. The verses then expose their absurd and arrogant inner hope: “Does every person among them aspire to enter a Garden of Pleasure? No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.” This final statement is a blunt and humbling reminder of their lowly origin—a drop of sperm—a direct refutation of their baseless arrogance.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Makkah.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The Makkan disbelievers and the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
• Function in Narrative: To describe and condemn the mocking behavior of the disbelievers and to refute their arrogant and baseless hope of entering Paradise.
• Evidence Level: High. The verse describes a specific social dynamic of the early preaching in Makkah and confronts a core tenet of the Quraysh’s arrogant self-perception.

🌌 Verses 70:40-41 — The Lord of All Horizons: An Oath on the Power to Replace Them

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah now delivers its final, powerful warning, backed by a majestic divine oath. To counter the arrogance of the Quraysh, who thought they were indispensable, Allah swears an oath: “So I swear by the Lord of the sunrises and the sunsets…” This refers to God’s power over the entire cosmos, over every point on the horizon where the sun rises and sets throughout the year. The subject of the oath is a direct threat: “…that We are able to replace them with those better than them, and We are not to be outrun.” This was a divine declaration that the Quraysh were utterly expendable. If they continued in their rejection, Allah could easily wipe them out and bring forth a new people who would be more worthy of carrying His message.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Makkah & The Hypothetical Future.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The Makkan polytheists.
• Function in Narrative: To issue a final, powerful threat to the disbelievers, reminding them of their expendability and God’s power to replace them.
• Evidence Level: High. The threat of replacement is a recurring theme in the Qur’an’s address to the obstinate Quraysh, directly attacking their tribal arrogance.

⌛ Verses 70:42-44 — The Final Humiliation: From a Mad Rush to a Sad Rush

Estimated placement in timeline: Mid- to Late-Makkan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah concludes by bringing all its themes to a crashing finale. It begins with a command to the Prophet (ﷺ) that is full of divine weariness and contempt for the disbelievers: “So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised.” This is a divine signal to disengage from fruitless debate. Their fate is sealed, so let them play. The final verses then paint a picture of that promised Day, in a stunning parallel to their behavior in this life. Just as they used to “rush” (muhti’in) towards the Prophet (ﷺ) to mock him, on that Day they will “come forth from the graves rapidly as if they were rushing to a goal post.” But this time, their rush will be one of terror, not mockery. Their eyes will be “humbled,” and they will be “overcome by humiliation.” The Surah ends by declaring: “That is the Day which they were promised.”

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Makkah & The Eschatological Future.

• Location/Context: Makkah.
• Primary Actors: The Makkan disbelievers.
• Function in Narrative: To provide a final, damning portrait of the disbelievers’ fate, using ironic parallels to their worldly behavior to illustrate the perfection of divine justice.
• Evidence Level: High. The verses create a perfect thematic bookend, directly answering the challenge posed in the opening verses and bringing the Surah to a powerful and conclusive end.