An-Najm

وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ ١

By the stars when they fade away

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ ٢

Your fellow man is neither misguided nor astray

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ ٣

Nor does he speak of his own whims

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ ٤

It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلْقُوَىٰ ٥

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

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ ٦

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

وَهُوَ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ ٧

while on the highest point above the horizon

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ ٨

then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ ٩

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

فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ ١٠

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

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ ١١

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

أَفَتُمَـٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ ١٢

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

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ ١٣

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

عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ ١٤

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

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ ١٥

near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—

إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ ١٦

while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours

مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ ١٧

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

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ ١٨

He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ ١٩

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

وَمَنَوٲةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ ٢٠

and the third one, Manât, as well

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ ٢١

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

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰٓ ٢٢

Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution

إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ‌ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ‌ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ٢٣

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 ٢٤

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

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَخِرَةُ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ ٢٥

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

۞ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَـٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْــًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ ٢٦

˹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 بِٱلْأَخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ ٢٧

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

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ‌ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ‌ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْــًٔا ٢٨

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 ٱلْحَيَوٲةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ٢٩

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

ذَٲلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ‌ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ ٣٠

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 ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَـٰٓـــُٔواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِٱلْحُسْنَى ٣١

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 وَٱلْفَوَٲحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ‌ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٲسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ‌ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ‌ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمْ‌ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ ٣٢

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 ٣٣

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

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلاً وَأَكْدَىٰٓ ٣٤

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

أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ ٣٥

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

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ٣٦

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

وَإِبْرَٲهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ ٣٧

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

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ٣٨

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

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩

and that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠

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

ثُمَّ يُجْزَٮٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ ٤١

then they will be fully rewarded

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ ٤٢

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

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ ٤٣

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

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا ٤٤

And He is the One Who gives life and causes death

وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ٤٥

And He created the pairs—males and females—

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ ٤٦

from a sperm-drop when it is emitted

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ ٤٧

And it is upon Him to bring about re-creation

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ ٤٨

And He is the One Who enriches and impoverishes

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعْرَىٰ ٤٩

And He alone is the Lord of Sirius

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ ٥٠

And He destroyed the first ˹people of˺ ’Ȃd

وَثَمُودَاْ فَمَآ أَبْقَىٰ ٥١

and ˹then˺ Thamûd, sparing no one

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ‌ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ ٥٢

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

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ ٥٣

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

فَغَشَّـٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ ٥٤

How overwhelming was what covered ˹them˺

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ ٥٥

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

هَـٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ ٥٦

This ˹Prophet˺ is a warner like earlier ones

أَزِفَتِ ٱلْأَزِفَةُ ٥٧

The approaching ˹Hour˺ has drawn near

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ ٥٨

None but Allah can disclose it

أَفَمِنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ ٥٩

Do you find this revelation astonishing

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ ٦٠

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

وَأَنتُمْ سَـٰمِدُونَ ٦١

while persisting in heedlessness

فَٱسْجُدُواْ لِلَّهِ وَٱعْبُدُواْ ۩ ٦٢

Instead, prostrate to Allah and worship ˹Him alone˺