Near-synonyms: to ascend and to descend

To climb, to ascend

عرَج ــُـ / طلَع ــُـ / صعِد ــَـ

These three words share a first identical sense of « to climb » (a mountain, for example). One may add the prepositions في or على, which adds the nuance of evoking the means of the ascent or its « point of support ». One says, for example, صعد في السُلَّم « to climb the ladder », or صعد على الجبل « to climb up the mountain ».

طلع also takes the sense of « to rise », for the sun or heavenly bodies in general. It is also often used figuratively (to appear, to rise in social rank, etc.).

As for عرج, it also takes the sense of « to ascend » into the sky. It is initially used for birds. In the Qur’an, it is used for the angels and the Spirit.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose measure is fifty thousand years. (70:4)

حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهَا سِتْرًا
And when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising upon a people for whom We had appointed no shelter from it. (18:90)

إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ
To Him ascends the good word. (35:10)

To descend

هبَط ــِـ

According to some linguists, this verb is used for descending a slope, or from any elevated place to a lower one, but always supported on the ground. Indeed, in several passages of the Qur’an, this verb is used in this sense. But it is also used for Adam’s descent from Paradise. Those who consider that the Paradise in question was earthly rely on this primary sense; those who consider it a heavenly Paradise understand the verb in a broader sense.

وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ
And indeed, among them [stones] are some that come down for fear of God. (2:74)

اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَا سَأَلْتُمْ
Go down to Egypt, there you will find what you ask for! (2:61) — Another translation: Go down into a town.

قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَامٍ مِنَّا
It was said: « O Noah! Descend with peace from Us. » (11:48)

وَقالَ اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ
He said: « Go down! You will be enemies one of another, and on the earth you will have a dwelling-place and enjoyment for a time. » (7:24)

نزَل ــِـ

This root is used more broadly for any form of descent. The Qur’an uses especially the derived verbs II and IV. It always concerns descent from the sky: rain, the [revealed] books, the angels; and figuratively: knowledge, tranquillity, authority, truth, chastisement…

يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا وَهُوَ الرَّحِيمُ الْغَفُورُ
He knows what penetrates the earth and what comes out of it, what descends from the sky and what ascends therein. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving. (34:2)

وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ
And with the Truth We sent it down, and with the Truth it descended. (17:105)

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ
Has the time not come for the loyal (and believing) that their hearts be moved at the remembrance of God and what has descended of the Truth? (57:16)

أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَاءَ صَبَاحُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ
Do they seek to hasten Our chastisement? When it descends upon their courtyard, evil will be the morning of those who were warned! (37:176-177)