An-Najm

وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

By the stars when they fade away!

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

Your fellow man is neither misguided nor astray.

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ

Nor does he speak of his own whims.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ

It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺.

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلْقُوَىٰ

He has been taught by one ˹angel˺ of mighty power

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ

and great perfection, who once rose to ˹his˺ true form

وَهُوَ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

while on the highest point above the horizon

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

that he was only two arms-lengths away or even less.

فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ

Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed ˹through Gabriel˺.

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ

The ˹Prophet’s˺ heart did not doubt what he saw.

أَفَتُمَـٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

How can you ˹O pagans˺ then dispute with him regarding what he saw?

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

And he certainly saw that ˹angel descend˺ a second time

عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit ˹in the seventh heaven˺—

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ

near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—

إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours!

مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

The ˹Prophet’s˺ sight never wandered, nor did it overreach.

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ

He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs.

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ

Now, have you considered ˹the idols of˺ Lât and ’Uzza

وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ

and the third one, Manât, as well?

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Do you ˹prefer to˺ have sons while ˹you attribute˺ to Him daughters?

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰٓ

Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution!

إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ

These ˹idols˺ are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up—a practice Allah has never authorized. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions and whatever ˹their˺ souls desire, although ˹true˺ guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

أَمْ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Or should every person ˹simply˺ have whatever ˹intercessors˺ they desire?

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ

In fact, to Allah ˹alone˺ belongs this world and the next.

۞ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَـٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ

˹Imagine˺ how many ˹noble˺ angels are in the heavens! ˹Even˺ their intercession would be of no benefit whatsoever, until Allah gives permission to whoever He wills and ˹only for the people He˺ approves.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter label angels as female

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا

although they have no knowledge ˹in support˺ of this. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions. And surely assumptions can in no way replace the truth.

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

So turn away ˹O Prophet˺ from whoever has shunned Our Reminder, only seeking the ˹fleeting˺ life of this world.

ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ

This is the extent of their knowledge. Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided.

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَـٰٓـُٔوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ بِٱلْحُسْنَى

To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth so that He may reward the evildoers according to what they did, and reward the good-doers with the finest reward—

ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ

those who avoid major sins and shameful deeds, despite ˹stumbling on˺ minor sins. Surely your Lord is infinite in forgiveness. He knew well what would become of you as He created you from the earth and while you were ˹still˺ fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not ˹falsely˺ elevate yourselves. He knows best who is ˹truly˺ righteous.

أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ

Have you seen the one who turned away ˹from Islam,˺

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ

and ˹initially˺ paid a little ˹for his salvation˺, and then stopped?

أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ

Does he have the knowledge of the unseen so that he sees ˹the Hereafter˺?

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

Or has he not been informed of what is in the Scripture of Moses

وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ

and ˹that of˺ Abraham, who ˹perfectly˺ fulfilled ˹his covenant˺?

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

˹They state˺ that no soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

and that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ

and that ˹the outcome of˺ their endeavours will be seen ˹in their record˺

ثُمَّ يُجْزَىٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ

then they will be fully rewarded

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

and that to your Lord ˹alone˺ is the ultimate return ˹of all things˺.

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ

Moreover, He is the One Who brings about joy and sadness.

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

And He is the One Who gives life and causes death.

وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ

And He created the pairs—males and females—

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ

from a sperm-drop when it is emitted.

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ

And it is upon Him to bring about re-creation.

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ

And He is the One Who enriches and impoverishes.

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعْرَىٰ

And He alone is the Lord of Sirius.

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ

And He destroyed the first ˹people of˺ ’Ȃd

وَثَمُودَا۟ فَمَآ أَبْقَىٰ

and ˹then˺ Thamûd, sparing no one.

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ

And before ˹that He destroyed˺ the people of Noah, who were truly far worse in wrongdoing and transgression.

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

And ˹it was˺ He ˹Who˺ turned the cities ˹of Sodom and Gomorrah˺ upside down.

فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

How overwhelming was what covered ˹them˺!

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

Now, which of your Lord’s favours will you dispute?

هَـٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

This ˹Prophet˺ is a warner like earlier ones.

أَزِفَتِ ٱلْـَٔازِفَةُ

The approaching ˹Hour˺ has drawn near.

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

None but Allah can disclose it.

أَفَمِنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

Do you find this revelation astonishing

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ

laughing ˹at it˺ and not weeping ˹in awe˺

وَأَنتُمْ سَـٰمِدُونَ

while persisting in heedlessness?

فَٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ۩

Instead, prostrate to Allah and worship ˹Him alone˺!