سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ
A questioner questioned the imminent torment.
لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ
For the disbelievers; none can repel it.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ
Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
On the Day when the sky will be like molten brass.
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
And the mountains will be like tufted wool.
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
They will be shown each other. The criminal wishes he would be redeemed from the punishment of that Day by his children.
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
And everyone on earth, in order to save him.
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
It invites him who once turned his back and fled.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
Those who are constant at their prayers.
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ
And those in whose wealth is a rightful share.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And those who affirm the Day of Judgment.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
And those who fear the punishment of their Lord.
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ
Their Lord’s punishment is not to be taken for granted.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ
And those who guard their chastity.
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Except from their spouses or those living under their control, for then they are free of blame.
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
But whoever seeks to go beyond that—these are the transgressors.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
And those who honor their trusts and their pledges.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
And those who stand by their testimonies.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And those who are dedicated to their prayers.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ
These will be honored in Gardens.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
What is with those who disbelieve, stretching their necks towards you.
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
From the right, and from the left, banding together?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ
Is every one of them aspiring to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
No indeed! We created them from what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We are Able.
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
To replace them with better than they, and We are not to be outdone.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to blunder and play, until they meet their Day which they are promised.
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ
The Day when they will emerge from the tombs in a rush, as though they were hurrying towards a target.
Summarized notes on Surah Al-Ma'aarij
Disbelievers ask for the inevitable doom, which will come from God - Lord of the Ascending stairways that angels and the Spirit use to ascend to God in a day - span of 50,000 days. Be patient. No ransom possible for the sinner on Last Day. Surely man has faint heart, except those constant in prayers, paying alms, believing in Last Day, preserving chastity, keeping their promises, firm in testimony and attentive to prayer. Such get Paradise. Others get Hell. Leave them in vain talk and amusements.
Notes from website author
Quran text and . Mr. Talal Itani version of English Translation from Tanzil.net
Quran Audio from alquran.cloud. Recitation by Sheikh Mishary bin Rashid Alafasy
The Quran is clearly revelation from the One God, Who created all. The word Quran means recitation. Read about its compilation here - Islamweb.net. ExploreQuran.org displays Quran chapters in both, the actual compilation order (in printed copies), as well as a revelation order which might provide a different approach for exploring the Holy Quran.