Tafsir Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ways of Ascent)
part 1
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ(70:1)
70:1
A questioner asked concerning a torment about to happen
لِّلْكَافِرينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ(70:2)
70:2
Those who deny the truth. [Know, then, that] nothing can ward it off.
مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ(70:3)
70:3
[It is] from Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.
Instant torment
The Sura of Ma’arij starts from here and said: a claimer demanded the torment which occurred.
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
70:1
This claimer was No’man bin Haris or Nazar bin Haris at the moment when Hazrat Ali alaihis salam was appointed at the status of the successor of prophet peace be upon him and the guardianship of Muslims at Gadeer Khum and by the spread of this news in the cities, he got infuriated and came to the prophet peace be upon him and said: Is it from the Almighty or issued by you. At this the prophetpeace be upon him clearly stated: This is from Mighty God. He became more furious and said: O God if this is true and from you then throw upon me a stone from the sky. At this moment a stone descended upon him and hit his head which killed him.
Before this interpretation there is another explanation which is more general according to that description is that the one who asked the prophet peace be upon him: the punishment which you mentioned upon whom it is going to happen? And the next ayat replies: It will be for the infidels and atheists.
According to the third interpretation this claimer is the prophet peace be upon him who claimed a punishment for the infidels. But the first interpretation coordinates with the ayaat.
In the next ayat it adds: This punishment is specific for the infidels and nobody can prevent it.
لِّلْكَافِرينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ(70:2
And the next ayat indicates the one who send the punishment and said: This chastisement is from the Powerful God who is the lord of the heavens where the angels ascend.
مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ(70:3)
معارج is the plural of معرج it is the staircase or the place where one go upwards. The Majestic God established the various stages for the angels according to their closeness with the Benevolent God. He is defined as The Lord of Ascensions.
Yea these are the angels who have the duty to punish the infidels and the criminals. They were those who descended upon the hazrat Ibrahim alaihis salam The friend of Merciful Allah and informed him that they are appointed to destroy the people of the prophet Lut alaihis salam and in the early hours of morning uprooted their dirty and shameful cities. They treated the other criminals in the same manner.
Some translated the معارج as the divine virtues and favours and some express it as the angels of but the first meaning is adequate and it is agreeable with the concept of the accurate meaning of sentence.
The imaginary critics of those who bring excuses
Generally about the ayaat of Quran or its narratives which defines the specific virtues of the commander of the faithful Ali alaihis salam They emphasise to avoid the matter as much they can or deviate the justification and pursue the matter with much accuracy and minuteness. Whereas if the virtues are for some another person they easily overlook it.
By: Nasir Makarim Shirazi in Tafsir Namuneh
Translated from Farsi into English by: Fatima Zabeth Beenesh
to be continued ...
Other Links:
Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 10
Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 11
Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 12
Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 9
Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 8
