Surah Al-Maarij – Muhammad Ayyub

Al-Maarij ("The Ascending Stairways") is the 70th surah of the Quran, in the 29th juz. It is a Meccan surah of 44 verses, 79th in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Haaqqa. It answers those who mockingly demanded the punishment they were warned of, describes the Day of Judgment, and portrays the qualities of those who truly pray.

Its name comes from verse 3, which calls God the Lord of the ascending stairways (dhi al-ma'arij), by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose measure is fifty thousand years (70:3-4). It is also known by its opening words, Sa'ala sa'il: a questioner asked for a punishment bound to fall (70:1). According to Ibn Abbas, the questioner was an-Nadr ibn al-Harith, a leader of Quraysh (reported by an-Nasa'i).

The Prophet ﷺ is told to show beautiful patience (70:5); on the Day of Judgment the sky will be like molten metal and the mountains like tufts of wool; no friend will ask after a friend, and the guilty would give up his children, spouse, brother and clan to ransom himself (70:8-14).

The central passage describes human nature: man was created anxious, fretful when evil touches him and grudging when good comes to him (70:19-21), except those who pray. They are constant in their prayer, recognize in their wealth a known right for the beggar and the deprived, believe in the Day of Judgment, fear their Lord's punishment, guard their chastity, honor their trusts, promises and testimony, and watch over their prayers; they will be honored in gardens (70:22-35). A similar portrait opens Al-Mu'minun.

The surah ends by warning the deniers who crowded around the Prophet ﷺ: by the Lord of the easts and the wests, God can replace them with better people, and on the Day they will rush out of their graves as if racing toward a goal (70:36-44).