Al-Ma'aarij (The Ascending Stairways)
Verse 1 - 3
Table of Contents
Section (juz’) 29
Number of Verses: 44
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The blessed Chapter has forty-four Verses and is regarded as one of those revealed in Mecca, though some of the Verses were revealed in Medina. The designation of the Chapter, connoting the angels’ places of ascent, derives from the third Verse. Similar to other Meccan Chapters, it mainly treats of Resurrection and warning to the polytheists and opponents.
It also deals with the states of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection and the characteristics of the peoples of Paradise and Hell. The opening Verses of the Chapter concerns sending down torments in this world whereby one of the deniers of Imam ‘Ali’s (as) guardianship (wilaya) was afflicted and lost his life whose detailed account will be mentioned under the first Verse.
The Merit of Reciting the Chapter
It is narrated from the Noble Prophet (S) that whoever recites the Sura Sa’ala Sa’il [namely, the chapter in question], God Almighty will grant him the Rewards of those who keep their covenants as well as those who are attentive toward the establishment of their ritual prayers.1
In this vein, it is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) that whoever recites the Chapter constantly, he shall not be investigated on the Day of Resurrection regarding his sins, but he shall abide in Paradise beside Muhammad (S).2 The bestowal of such Rewards is dependent on fulfilling one’s religious obligations.
Surah al-Ma’arij - Verses 1-3
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذابٍ واقِعٍ (1) لِلْكافِرينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دافِعٌ (2) مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعارِجِ (3)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. A questioner asked for befalling a torment which befell.
2. They are in store for disbelievers and none may avert them
3. They are from Allah, the Lord whose angels ascend to the heavens.
The late ‘Allama Amini (rh), in his invaluable work titled al-Ghadir, enumerates thirty eminent Qur’an exegetes and traditionists flourishing in the third/ninth and fourth/tenth centuries who maintain that the occasion of the Revelation of the blessed Verse 1 concerns a man who addressed the Noble Prophet (S) as saying:
“You ordered us to fulfill our obligations regarding pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), fasting (sawm), and paying the alms tax (zakat) on the day of Ghadir to which we consented, but you are not content yet as you appointed your cousin to rule over us.”
Then, he added:
“O Lord! If such appointment is true, send down rocks from the heaven [such that we be destroyed and do not witness such day].
A rock was sent down and he killed him.
Then the blessed Verse
'A questioner asked for befalling a torment which befell'
was revealed.”3
It would be of significance to make mention of some individual and seemingly insignificant events so that others may take lessons. Likewise, it was an individual disobedience which led to Divine Wrath and his affliction and perdition.
The Qur’anic Verse makes a reference to the incident so that mankind may take lessons and be aware that partial, obdurate, and inappropriate requests may entail afflictions. It would be of interest to mention that the inquirer in question is maintained by some Qur’an exegetes to be Nu‘man ibn Harith or Nadhr ibn Harith.
The blessed Verse 2 is saying that such torment is in store for the disbelievers and non one may impede it. The blessed Verse 3 makes a reference to the Source of such torment, saying that the torment was inflicted by Allah, the Lord of the heavens where angels ascend.
The Arabic word ma‘arij is the plural form of ma‘arij denoting place of ascent which herein connotes the heavens where the angels ascend or descend proceeding toward nearness to God Almighty following a certain hierarchy.
Such angels who are vested with afflicting the disbelievers and sinners with torments were the same angels who descended upon Abraham (as) informing him of their appointment to cause the perdition of the people of Lot (as).
They destroyed the cities of those people who had plunged into sins and disgrace. They are also vested with inflicting torments upon other sinners as well. It is to be noted, however, that some Qur’an exegetes maintain that the word ma‘arij implies Divine Bounties and some others hold that it connotes angels, though the former further befits the lexical meaning of the word.