Al-Ma'arij 70:31
The Ascending Stairways · Juz 29 · Page 569
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٣١
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 70:31
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ (but the one who seeks [ sexual gratification ] beyond that, then such people are the transgressors...70:31). The preceding verse permitted to have sex with their wives and with slave-girls who are lawfully in their possession. The current verse prohibits sexual gratification beyond this limit. This verse also excludes women who, according to Shari'ah, fall within the prohibited degree. Similarly, Mut'ah (hiring a woman for a temporary period for the purpose of enjoying sex with her) is not a marriage according to Shari'ah, therefore, it is also included in the meaning of this verse.
Masturbation is Forbidden
According to most jurists, masturbation falls under the generality of verse [ 31], hence forbidden. Ibn Juraij says that he asked Sayyidna ` Ata' ؓ about it and the latter replied that it is makruh (reprehensible), adding that he heard that on the Plain of Hashr some people will come whose hands will be pregnant. He feels these will be the people who used to satisfy their sexual lust with their hands. Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair ؓ says that Allah punished a nation who used to fondle with their private parts with their hands. A Hadith reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said:
مَلعون من نکح یدہ
"Cursed is he who marries his hand."
The chain of authorities of this Hadith is weak. [ Mazhari ].
Page 569
70:11
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
70:12
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢
And his wife and his brother
70:13
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ ١٣
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
70:14
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
70:15
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥
No!1 Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
1 translator’s note
- An emphatic refusal meaning "It is not to be." ↩
70:16
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦
A remover of exteriors.1
1 translator’s note
- This refers to the skin of the head or of the body or to the body extremities - which will be burned away. ↩
70:17
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
70:18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ ١٨
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
70:19
۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
70:20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا ٢٠
When evil touches him, impatient,
70:21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
70:22
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٢٢
Except the observers of prayer -
70:23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣
Those who are constant in their prayer
70:24
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٢٤
And those within whose wealth is a known right1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a specified share, meaning the obligatory zakāh. ↩
70:25
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ٢٥
For the petitioner and the deprived -
70:26
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
70:27
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٢٧
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
70:28
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ ٢٨
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
70:29
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩
And those who guard their private parts
70:30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,1 for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
1 translator’s note
- i.e., female slaves. ↩
70:31
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٣١
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
70:32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
70:33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣
And those who are in their testimonies upright
70:34
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
70:35
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٣٥
They will be in gardens,1 honored.
1 translator’s note
- In Paradise. ↩
70:36
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ ٣٦
So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],
70:37
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?1
1 translator’s note
- They sat at a distance in order to oppose and mock the Prophet (ﷺ), claiming that they would enter Paradise before the believers. ↩
70:38
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ ٣٨
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
70:39
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a liquid disdained. So how can they expect to enter Paradise except by the will of their Creator? ↩