Al-Ma'arij Verse 4

˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit[[ The holy spirit is the angel Gabriel. ]] will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.[[ Judgment Day will seem like 50 000 years for a disbeliever, but it will seem like a very short period for a believer. The Prophet (ﷺ) is reported in a ḥadîth collected by Imâm Aḥmed to have said that, for the believer, this long period will be like the time they took to perform a single prayer in the world.]]

by which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him on a Day the length of which is fifty thousand years.

To Him the angels and the Spirit mount up, in a day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years.

by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him, on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years.

Whereby the angels ascend Unto Him and also the spirit, On a Day whereof the measure is fifty thousand years.

The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years;

by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in one Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years.

To whom the angels and the soul take a day to ascend, whose length is fifty thousand years.

The angels and Jibreel, ascend towards Him – the punishment will befall on a day which spans fifty thousand years.

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose span is fifty thousand years.

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him (thereby), in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years (of your normal worldly years).

The angels and the Spirit (of the faithful) ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is (equal to) fifty thousand years (a day of spiritual advancement of the faithful is equivalent to fifty thousand years of material advancement, thus the development and progress of the human soul knows no end).

The angels and the Soul/Spirit ascend/climb to Him in a day/time its value/estimation/ measure was/is fifty thousand years.

The angels and Jibreel, ascend towards Him – the punishment will befall on a day which spans fifty thousand years.

To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

The angels and the Ruh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years,

Surely they see it far off,

To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

On that Day (of Judgment), long as fifty thousand years, the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him.

To Him the angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) ascend in a day, the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

The angels and the Ruh ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.

by which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in one Day which will last for fifty thousand years.

Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years.

To Him, to the place in the heaven to which His command descends, ascend (read [feminine person] ta`ruju or [masculine person] ya`ruju) the angels and the Spirit, Gabriel, in a day (f yawmin is semantically connected to an omitted clause, that is to say, `[in a day] in which the chastisement befalls them', on the Day of Resurrection) whose span is fifty thousand years, from the perspective of the disbeliever, on account of the calamities he will encounter in it -- but as for the believer, it [the mentioned day] will be easier for him than an obligatory prayer which he performs in this world, as stated in hadth.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَيِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ

the angels and the Ruh Ta`ruju to Him,

Abdur-Razzaq reported from Ma`mar from Qatadah,
Ta`ruju means to ascend.

In reference to the Ruh, Abu Salih said,

"They are creatures from the creation of Allah that resemble humans but they are not humans."

- It could be that here it means Jibril, and this is a way of connecting the specific to the general (other angels).

- It could also be referring to the name of the souls (Arwah) of the Children of Adam (humans).

For verily, when they (the human souls) are taken at death, they are lifted up to the heavens just as the Hadith of Al-Bara' proves.
The Meaning of "a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years "

Concerning Allah's statement,

فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ




in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.

This refers to the Day of Judgement.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said concerning the Ayah,
فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
(in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years).

"It is the Day of Judgement."

The chain of narration of this report (to Ibn `Abbas) is authentic.

Ath-Thawri reported from Simak bin Harb from `Ikrimah that he said concerning this verse,

"It is the Day of Judgement."

Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd both said the same.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas concerning the Ayah,
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَيِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
(The angels and the Ruh ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years).

"It is the Day of Judgement that Allah has made to be the measure of fifty thousand years for the disbelievers."

Many Hadiths have been reported with this same meaning.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu `Umar Al-Ghudani that he said,

"I was with Abu Hurayrah when a man from Bani `Amir bin Sa`sa`ah passed and it was said;`This man is the wealthiest man of Bani `Amir.' So Abu Hurayrah said, `Bring him back to me.' So they brought the man back to Abu Hurayrah.

Then Abu Hurayrah said, `I have been informed that you are a man of great wealth.'

The man from Bani `Amir replied, `Yes, by Allah. I have one hundred red-colored camels, one hundred brown-colored camels...' and so on, he counted numerous colored camels, the races of the slaves and the types of fetters for his horses that he owned.

So Abu Hurayrah said, `Beware of the hooves of the camels and the cloven hooves of the cattle.' He continued repeating that to him until the color of the man began to change.

Then the man said, `O Abu Hurayrah what is this?'

Abu Hurayrah replied, `I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ إِبِلٌ لَا يُعْطِي حَقَّهَا فِي نَجْدَتِهَا وَرِسْلِهَا

Whoever has camels and does not give their due (Zakah) in their Najdah and their Risl...)

We interrupted saying, `O Messenger of Allah! What is their Najdah and Risl'

He said,

فِي عُسْرِهَا وَيُسْرِهَا

فَإِنَّهَا تَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَأَغَذِّ مَا كَانَتْ وَأَكْثَرِهِ وَأَسْمَنِهِ وَاشَرِهِ ثُمَّ يُبْطَحُ لَهَا بِقَاعٍ قَرْقَرٍ فَتَطَوُهُ بِأَخْفَافِهَا فَإِذَا جَاوَزَتْهُ أُخْرَاهَا أُعِيدَتْ عَلَيْهِ أُولَاإهَا فِي يَوْم كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

حَتْى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَيَرَى سَبِيلَهُ

وَإِذَا كَانَتْ لَهُ بَقَرٌ لَاإ يُعْطِي حَقَّهَا فِي نَجْدَتِهَا وَرِسْلِهَا فَإِنَّهَا تَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَأَغَذِّ مَا كَانَتْ وَأَكْثَرِهِ وَأَسْمَنِهِ وَاشَرِهِ ثُمَّ يُبْطَحُ لَهَا بِقَاعٍ قَرْقَرٍ فَتَطَوُهُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ ظِلْفٍ بِظِلْفِهَا وَتَنْطَحُهُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ قَرْنٍ بِقَرْنِهَا لَيْسَ فِيهَا عَقْصَاءُ وَلَاإ عَضْبَاءُ إِذَا جَاوَزَتْهُ أُخْرَاهَا أُعِيدَتْ عَلَيْهِ أُولَاإهَا فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

حَتْى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَيَرَى سَبِيلَهُ

وَإِذَا كَانَتْ لَهُ غَنَمٌ لَاإ يُعْطِي حَقَّهَا فِي نَجْدَتِهَا وَرِسْلِهَا فَإِنَّهَا تَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَأَغَذِّ مَا كَانَتْ وَأَسْمَنِهِ وَاشَرِهِ حَتْى يُبْطَحَ لَهَا بِقَاعٍ قَرْقَرٍ فَتَطَوُهُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ ظِلْفٍ بِظِلْفِهَا وَتَنْطَحُهُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ قَرْنٍ بِقَرْنِهَا لَيْسَ فِيهَا عَقْصَاءُ وَلَاإ عَضْبَاءُ إِذَا جَاوَزَتْهُ أُخْرَاهَا أُعِيدَتْ عَلَيْهِ أُولَاإهَا فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

حَتْى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَيَرَى سَبِيلَه

It is their difficulty and their ease,

for verily, they will come on the Day of Resurrection healthier than before. They will be more in number, fatter and more lively and unruly. Then a soft, level plain will be spread out for them and they will trample him with their hooves. When the last of them has passed over him, the first of them will return to trample him again during a day whose measure will be fifty thousand years.

This will continue until the case of all the people is decided between them.

Then he (the withholder of Zakah) will see his path (i.e., either to Paradise or Hell). If he had cows that he did not pay the Zakah in their ease and their difficult times, then they will come on the Day of Judgement healthier than they were before. They will be more in number, fatter and more lively and unruly. Then a soft, level plain will be spread out for them and they will trample him. Every one of them that has cloven hooves will trample him with its hooves, and every one of them that has a horn will butt him with its horn. There will not be any hornless or bent horned animals among them. When the last of them has passed over him, the first of them will return to trample him again during a day whose measure will be fifty thousand years.

This will continue until the case of all the people is decided between them.

Then he (the withholder of Zakah) will see his path (i.e., either to Paradise or Hell). If he has any sheep that he does not pay the due Zakah in their difficulty and their ease, then they will come on the Day of Judgement healthier than they were before. They will be more (in number) fatter and more lively and unruly. Then a soft, level plain will be spread out for them and they will trample him. Every one of them that has a cloven hoof will trample him with its hooves, and every one of them that has a horn will butt him with its horn. There will not be any hornless or bent horned animals among them. When the last of them has passed over him, the first of them will return to trample him again during a day whose measure will be fifty thousand years.

This will continue until the case of all the people is decided between them.

Then he (the withholder of Zakah) will see his path (i.e., either to Paradise or Hell).)

Then, the man from Bani `Amir said, `What is the due of the camel, O Abu Hurayrah'

Abu Hurayrah said, `It is that you give (in your Zakah payment) from your most valuable camels, that you lend a milking she-camel, that you lend your mount for riding, that you give the milk (to the people) for drinking, and you lend the male camel for breeding."'

This Hadith was also recorded by Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.
A Different Version of this Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَا مِنْ صَاحِبِ كَنْزٍ لَاا يُوَدِّي حَقَّهُ إِلاَّ جُعِلَ صَفَايِحَ يُحْمَى عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ

فَتُكْوَى بِهَا جَبْهَتُهُ وَجَنْبُهُ وَظَهْرُهُ حَتْى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِهِ فِي يَوْم كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ثُمَّ يَرَى سَبِيلَهُ إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّار

There is not any owner of treasure who does not pay its due except that it will be made into heated metal plates and branded upon him in the fire of Hell.

His forehead, side and back will be scorched with these metal plates. This will continue until Allah judges between His servants on a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years of what you count. Then he will see his path, either to Paradise or to the Fire.

Then he (Abu Hurayrah) mentions the rest of the Hadith about the sheep and camels just as mentioned before.

In this narration (of Ahmad) the Prophet also added,

الْخَيْلُ لِثَلَثَةٍ

لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ وَلِرَجُلٍ سِتْرٌ وَعَلَى رَجُلٍ وِزْر

The horse is for three (on the Day of Judgement);

- for one man it is a reward,

- for another man it is a shield (protection),

- and upon another man it is a burden.

And the Hadith continues.

Muslim also recorded this Hadith in its entirety even though Al-Bukhari did not mention it.

The intent behind mentioning this here is the Prophet's statement,

حَتْى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَة

Until Allah judges between His servants on a day whose measurement is fifty thousand years.
Instructing the Prophet to have Patience Then

Allah says,

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا