53An-Najm

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

By the star when it sets:

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

your companion has neither strayed nor is he deluded;

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

nor does he speak out of his desire.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

This is nothing but a revelation that is conveyed to him,

عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ

something that a very powerful one has imparted to him,

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَىٰ

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

وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَىٰ

being on the higher horizon.

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

Then he drew near and hung above suspended,

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

until he was two bows' length away, or nearer.

فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ

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

مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ

His heart added no untruth to what he saw.

أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

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

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

Indeed he saw him a second time,

عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

by the lote-tree at the farthest boundary,

عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ

near which is the Garden of Abode.

إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

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

مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

His eye did not waver, nor did it stray,

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ

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

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ

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

وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ

and about the third deity, al-Manat?

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَىٰ

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

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ

That is indeed an unfair division!

إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

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.

أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

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

فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ

To Allah belong both the Next World and the present.

۞ وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ

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 الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنْثَىٰ

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

وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

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

فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

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

ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ

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 السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى

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,

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنْتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

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.

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ

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

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًا وَأَكْدَىٰ

who gave a little, and then stopped?

أَعِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰ

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

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

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

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ

and of Abraham, who lived up to the trust?

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

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

وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

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

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ

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

ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَاءَ الْأَوْفَىٰ

and that he shall then be fully recompensed,

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

and that the final end is with your Lord,

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ

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

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

and that He it is Who causes death and grants life,

وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ

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

مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ

from a drop of sperm when it was emitted,

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّشْأَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ

and that it is for Him to grant the second life,

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ

that He it is Who bestowed wealth and riches,

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ

that He is the Lord of Sirius,

وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ

that He it is Who destroyed the ancient 'Ad,

وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَىٰ

and Thamud, leaving no trace of them,

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ

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

وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

And He brought perdition upon the subverted cities

فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

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

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

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

هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ

This is a warning among the warnings of yore.

أَزِفَتِ الْآزِفَةُ

The imminent Hour has drawn near,

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

and none but Allah can avert it.

أَفَمِنْ هَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

Will you, then, wonder at this?

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ

Will you laugh at it rather than weep?

وَأَنْتُمْ سَامِدُونَ

Will you occupy yourselves simply in merriment?

فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا ۩

Prostrate yourselves before Allah, and serve Him.