53. An-Najm

وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

By the star when it sets

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

your companion has neither strayed nor is he deluded

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ

nor does he speak out of his desire

إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيࣱ يُوحَىٰ

This is nothing but a revelation that is conveyed to him

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡقُوَىٰ

something that a very powerful one has imparted to him

ذُو مِرَّةࣲ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ

one endowed with immense wisdom. He came forth and stood poised

وَهُوَ بِٱلۡأُفُقِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ

being on the higher horizon

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

Then he drew near and hung above suspended

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوۡسَيۡنِ أَوۡ أَدۡنَىٰ

until he was two bows' length away, or nearer

فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ مَآ أَوۡحَىٰ

Then he revealed to Allah's servant whatever he had to reveal

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ

His heart added no untruth to what he saw

أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

Are you, then, going to contend with him regarding what he sees with his eyes

وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ

Indeed he saw him a second time

عِندَ سِدۡرَةِ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ

by the lote-tree at the farthest boundary

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ

near which is the Garden of Abode

إِذۡ يَغۡشَى ٱلسِّدۡرَةَ مَا يَغۡشَىٰ

(This was) when the lote-tree was covered with that which covered it

مَا زَاغَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

His eye did not waver, nor did it stray

لَقَدۡ رَأَىٰ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰٓ

and he certainly saw some of the greatest Signs of His Lord

أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱللَّٰتَ وَٱلۡعُزَّىٰ

Have you ever thought about al-Lat and al-Uzza

وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ

and about the third deity, al-Manat

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ

Shall you have the male issues, and He the female issues

تِلۡكَ إِذࣰ ا قِسۡمَةࣱ ضِيزَىٰٓ

That is indeed an unfair division

إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّآ أَسۡمَآءࣱ سَمَّيۡتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمۡ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلۡطَٰنٍۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ

These are nothing but names that you and your forefathers have invented, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They are merely following their conjectures and their carnal desires although guidance has come to them from their Lord

أَمۡ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Does man imagine that whatever he wishes for is right for him

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ

To Allah belong both the Next World and the present

۞وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكࣲ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغۡنِي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ

Numerous are the angels in the heavens; yet their intercession shall be of no avail, except in regard to those whom He grants the leave of intercession and whose plea He is pleased to accept

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ

Those who do not believe in the Hereafter give angels the names of females

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـࣰٔ ا

although they have no knowledge regarding that. They only follow their conjecture and conjecture can never take the place of the Truth

فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا

So leave alone those who turn away from the remembrance of Us and who seek nothing but the life of the world –

ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ

that being the utmost of their knowledge. Surely your Lord fully knows those who have strayed away from His Path and He also fully knows those who are rightly guided

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَى

To Allah alone belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. He will requite the evil-doers for their deeds and bestow a goodly reward on those who have done good

ٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِذۡ أَنتُمۡ أَجِنَّةࣱ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ

on those who avoid grave sins and shameful deeds, even if they may sometimes stumble into lesser offences. Surely your Lord is abounding in His Forgiveness. Very well is He aware of you since He produced you from the earth, and while you were still in your mothers' wombs and not yet born. So do not boastfully claim yourselves to be purified. He fully knows those that are truly Godfearing

أَفَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ

(O Prophet), did you see him who turned away (from the Path of Allah)

وَأَعۡطَىٰ قَلِيلࣰ ا وَأَكۡدَىٰٓ

who gave a little, and then stopped

أَعِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ

Does he have any knowledge of the world beyond the ken of sense-perception, and therefore, clearly sees (the Truth)

أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

Has he not been informed of what is in the Scrolls of Moses

وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِي وَفَّىٰٓ

and of Abraham, who lived up to the trust

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةࣱ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ

“That no bearer of a burden shall bear the burden of another

وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

and that man shall have nothing but what he has striven for

وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ

and that (the result of) his striving shall soon be seen

ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ

and that he shall then be fully recompensed

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ

and that the final end is with your Lord

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضۡحَكَ وَأَبۡكَىٰ

and that He it is Who causes people to laugh and to cry

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحۡيَا

and that He it is Who causes death and grants life

وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوۡجَيۡنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ

and He it is Who created the two kinds, the male and the female

مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ إِذَا تُمۡنَىٰ

from a drop of sperm when it was emitted

وَأَنَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰ

and that it is for Him to grant the second life

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغۡنَىٰ وَأَقۡنَىٰ

that He it is Who bestowed wealth and riches

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعۡرَىٰ

that He is the Lord of Sirius

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهۡلَكَ عَادًا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ

that He it is Who destroyed the ancient 'Ad

وَثَمُودَاْ فَمَآ أَبۡقَىٰ

and Thamud, leaving no trace of them

وَقَوۡمَ نُوحࣲ مِّن قَبۡلُۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ هُمۡ أَظۡلَمَ وَأَطۡغَىٰ

and that He it is Who destroyed the people of Noah before for they were much given to iniquity and transgression

وَٱلۡمُؤۡتَفِكَةَ أَهۡوَىٰ

And He brought perdition upon the subverted cities

فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

and caused them to be covered with that which He covered them with

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

So, which of your Lord's bounties will you doubt?”

هَٰذَا نَذِيرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ

This is a warning among the warnings of yore

أَزِفَتِ ٱلۡأٓزِفَةُ

The imminent Hour has drawn near

لَيۡسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

and none but Allah can avert it

أَفَمِنۡ هَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ تَعۡجَبُونَ

Will you, then, wonder at this

وَتَضۡحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبۡكُونَ

Will you laugh at it rather than weep

وَأَنتُمۡ سَٰمِدُونَ

Will you occupy yourselves simply in merriment

فَٱسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِۤ وَٱعۡبُدُواْ۩

Prostrate yourselves before Allah, and serve Him