70: The Ways of Ascent (Al-Maarij)
Revealed at Makkah
The title of this chapter is taken from v. 3, where Allah is called the Lord of The Ways of Ascent. While holding out the certainty of the punishment, this chapter points out at first that great ends are achieved in a long period of time. Then we are told that the means of ascent are those by which the faithful attain nearness to God. At the end it prophesies that a new nation will be raised in place of the opponents who will meet with disgrace. This chapter was revealed not later than the close of the early period at Makkah.
Section 1 (Verses 70:1–70:35): The Certainty of the Punishment
No particular questioner is meant. The last chapter speaks in terms of the highest certainty of the final triumph of truth and of the doom of the opponents, and the question, When will it be? was natural. It is repeated very often: “When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful?” (36:48, 67:25, etc.).
This indicates that God grants to the faithful the means of Ascent, or of exaltation. Compare 56:3, where the Event is spoken of as degrading, exalting. The means of exaltation of the believers are pointed out in verses 22–35.
70:4
تَعۡرُجُ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ وَ الرُّوۡحُ اِلَیۡہِ فِیۡ یَوۡمٍ کَانَ مِقۡدَارُہٗ خَمۡسِیۡنَ اَلۡفَ سَنَۃٍ ۚ﴿۴﴾
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the length of which is fifty thousand years.
Al-Rūḥ or the Spirit very often stands for Divine revelation or Gabriel, who brings the revelation to the Prophet. But here it seems to be a collective name for the spirits of the faithful, because it is through Divine revelation that a new spirit is awakened in the faithful; see 78:38. The angels are mentioned along with the faithful because it is through an angel that spiritual life is breathed into man, and he starts life as a spiritual wayfarer. A day of the spiritual advancement of man is spoken of as being equal to fifty thousand years to show the immense vastness of that advancement. Or, the day of fifty thousand years may be the day of the final triumph of Truth in the world, from the time when revelation was first granted to man.
70:11
یُّبَصَّرُوۡنَہُمۡ ؕ یَوَدُّ الۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ یَفۡتَدِیۡ مِنۡ عَذَابِ یَوۡمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِیۡہِ ﴿ۙ۱۱﴾
(though) they are made to see them. The guilty one will wish he could redeem himself from the punishment of that day by his children,
70:14
وَ مَنۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ جَمِیۡعًا ۙ ثُمَّ یُنۡجِیۡہِ ﴿ۙ۱۴﴾
and all that are in the earth — (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him —
70:24
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡۤ اَمۡوَالِہِمۡ حَقٌّ مَّعۡلُوۡمٌ ﴿۪ۙ۲۴﴾
and in whose wealth there is a known right
70:26
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُصَدِّقُوۡنَ بِیَوۡمِ الدِّیۡنِ ﴿۪ۙ۲۶﴾
and those who accept the truth of the day of Judgment,
70:27
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّہِمۡ مُّشۡفِقُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۲۷﴾
and those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord —
70:28
اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّہِمۡ غَیۡرُ مَاۡمُوۡنٍ ﴿۲۸﴾
surely the punishment of their Lord is not to be felt secure from —
70:29
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ لِفُرُوۡجِہِمۡ حٰفِظُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۹﴾
and those who restrain their sexual passions,
70:30
اِلَّا عَلٰۤی اَزۡوَاجِہِمۡ اَوۡ مَا مَلَکَتۡ اَیۡمَانُہُمۡ فَاِنَّہُمۡ غَیۡرُ مَلُوۡمِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۰﴾
except in the presence of their spouses or those whom their right hands possess, for such surely are not to be blamed,
See 23:5–6 and footnotes.
70:31
فَمَنِ ابۡتَغٰی وَرَآءَ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡعٰدُوۡنَ ﴿ۚ۳۱﴾
but whoever seeks to go beyond that, these are the transgressors.
70:32
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ لِاَمٰنٰتِہِمۡ وَ عَہۡدِہِمۡ رٰعُوۡنَ ﴿۪ۙ۳۲﴾
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant,
70:33
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ بِشَہٰدٰتِہِمۡ قَآئِمُوۡنَ ﴿۪ۙ۳۳﴾
and those who are upright in their testimonies,
70:34
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَلٰی صَلَاتِہِمۡ یُحَافِظُوۡنَ ﴿ؕ۳۴﴾
and those who keep a guard on their prayer.
Section 2 (Verses 70:36–70:44): A New Nation to be Raised Up
70:36
فَمَالِ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا قِبَلَکَ مُہۡطِعِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۶﴾
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve, that they hasten on to you,
Nearly the same words — hastening to the Inviter — occur in 54:8. Here and in the verses that follow is a description of the time when these very opponents would be hastening on to the Prophet, accepting the truth. V. 38 makes it further clear: Does every man of them desire to be admitted to the Garden of bliss?
70:37
عَنِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ وَ عَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِیۡنَ ﴿۳۷﴾
on the right hand and on the left, in assorted groups?
70:38
اَیَطۡمَعُ کُلُّ امۡرِیًٔ مِّنۡہُمۡ اَنۡ یُّدۡخَلَ جَنَّۃَ نَعِیۡمٍ ﴿ۙ۳۸﴾
Does every man of them desire to be admitted to the Garden of bliss?
70:39
کَلَّا ؕ اِنَّا خَلَقۡنٰہُمۡ مِّمَّا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۳۹﴾
By no means! Surely We have created them for what they know.
What is negatived here is the fact that the evildoers can enter the Garden of bliss. “For what” signifies the end for which man has been created. It is to rise above sin, to be able to ascend to God, the Lord of the ways of Ascent; see v. 3. The Garden of bliss stands clearly for the Ascension of man to God which is the real object of his life.
70:40
فَلَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ الۡمَشٰرِقِ وَ الۡمَغٰرِبِ اِنَّا لَقٰدِرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۰﴾
But indeed! I swear by the Lord of the Eastern lands and the Western lands! that We are certainly Powerful
70:41
عَلٰۤی اَنۡ نُّبَدِّلَ خَیۡرًا مِّنۡہُمۡ ۙ وَ مَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوۡقِیۡنَ ﴿۴۱﴾
to bring in their place (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
Note the clear prophecy that an evil generation will be brought to naught and another people, the righteous, shall inherit the land. The old order will be changed and a new order established instead of that.
70:42
فَذَرۡہُمۡ یَخُوۡضُوۡا وَ یَلۡعَبُوۡا حَتّٰی یُلٰقُوۡا یَوۡمَہُمُ الَّذِیۡ یُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۲﴾
So leave them alone to plunge in idle talk and to sport, until they come face to face with that day of theirs which they are promised —
70:43
یَوۡمَ یَخۡرُجُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡاَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعًا کَاَنَّہُمۡ اِلٰی نُصُبٍ یُّوۡفِضُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۳﴾
the day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as if racing to a goal,
70:44
خَاشِعَۃً اَبۡصَارُہُمۡ تَرۡہَقُہُمۡ ذِلَّۃٌ ؕ ذٰلِکَ الۡیَوۡمُ الَّذِیۡ کَانُوۡا یُوۡعَدُوۡنَ ﴿٪۴۴﴾
their eyes cast down, disgrace covering them. Such is the day which they are promised.
Verses 43–44 give us a clear statement as to the final triumph of Truth and the overthrow of opposition or the triumph of righteousness over the powers of evil. Being spiritually dead, their very homes were graves in a metaphorical sense. As in almost all chapters of this period, the final triumph of Truth runs along as an undercurrent in the mention of the Resurrection.