Surah 53. An-Najm

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Verses [Section]: 1-25[1], 26-32 [2], 33-62 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 26-32وَ كَمْAnd how manyمِّنْofمَّلَكٍ(the) Angelsفِیinالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensلَاnotتُغْنِیْwill availشَفَاعَتُهُمْtheir intercessionشَیْـًٔاanythingاِلَّاexceptمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterاَنْ[that]یَّاْذَنَAllah has given permissionاللّٰهُAllah has given permissionلِمَنْfor whomیَّشَآءُHe willsوَ یَرْضٰی and approves 53. An-Najm Page 527اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَbelieveبِالْاٰخِرَةِin the Hereafterلَیُسَمُّوْنَsurely they nameالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsتَسْمِیَةَname(s)الْاُنْثٰی (of) female وَ مَاAnd notلَهُمْfor themبِهٖabout itمِنْanyعِلْمٍ ؕknowledgeاِنْNotیَّتَّبِعُوْنَthey followاِلَّاbutالظَّنَّ ۚassumptionوَ اِنَّAnd indeedالظَّنَّthe assumptionلَا(does) notیُغْنِیْavailمِنَagainstالْحَقِّthe truthشَیْـًٔاۚanything فَاَعْرِضْSo turn awayعَنْfromمَّنْ(him) whoتَوَلّٰی ۙ۬turns awayعَنْfromذِكْرِنَاOur Reminderوَ لَمْand notیُرِدْhe desiresاِلَّاexceptالْحَیٰوةَthe lifeالدُّنْیَاؕ(of) the world ذٰلِكَThatمَبْلَغُهُمْ(is) their sumمِّنَofالْعِلْمِ ؕknowledgeاِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordهُوَ(is) He (Who)اَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَنْ(he) whoضَلَّstraysعَنْfromسَبِیْلِهٖ ۙHis Pathوَ هُوَand Heاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَنِ(he) whoاهْتَدٰی is guided وَ لِلّٰهِAnd for Allahمَا(is) whateverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ مَاand whateverفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِ ۙthe earthلِیَجْزِیَthat He may recompenseالَّذِیْنَthose whoاَسَآءُوْاdo evilبِمَاwith whatعَمِلُوْاthey have doneوَ یَجْزِیَand recompenseالَّذِیْنَthose whoاَحْسَنُوْاdo goodبِالْحُسْنٰیۚwith the best اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoیَجْتَنِبُوْنَavoidكَبٰٓىِٕرَgreatالْاِثْمِsinsوَ الْفَوَاحِشَand the immoralitiesاِلَّاexceptاللَّمَمَ ؕthe small faultsاِنَّindeedرَبَّكَyour Lordوَاسِعُ(is) vastالْمَغْفِرَةِ ؕ(in) forgivenessهُوَHeاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowing about youبِكُمْ(is) most knowing about youاِذْwhenاَنْشَاَكُمْHe produced youمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ اِذْand whenاَنْتُمْyou (were)اَجِنَّةٌfetusesفِیْinبُطُوْنِ(the) wombsاُمَّهٰتِكُمْ ۚ(of) your mothersفَلَاSo (do) notتُزَكُّوْۤاascribe purityاَنْفُسَكُمْ ؕ(to) yourselvesهُوَHeاَعْلَمُknows bestبِمَنِ(he) whoاتَّقٰی۠fears

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Translation of Verse 26-32

26. How many so ever are angels in the heavens whose intercession can avail nothing but only after Allah has given leave to whom HE wishes and in whose favour HE pleases?²⁷

27. Those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels with the names of females?²⁸

28. Though they have no knowledge of it.²⁹ They are only following conjectures and conjecture avails nothing in the palace of truth.³⁰

29. So withdraw your attention from those who have turned away from our remembrance ³¹ and whose only aim is the life of this world.

30. This is the limit of their knowledge.³² Your Lord knows very well who has gone astray from His path and only HE knows better who is on the right path.

31. And whatever is in the Heavens and in the earth belongs to Allah (and HE has created it so that) HE may give requite to the evil-does for their deeds and may give good reward to those who did good deeds.³³

32. Who refrain from great sins³⁴ and open indecencies³⁵ save some misdeeds which they may commit ³⁶ verily your Lord is of vast forgiveness of minor misdeeds.³⁷ HE is well aware of you when HE created you from the earth³⁸ and when you were embroyos (child) in your mothers’ wombs³⁹ so do not claim to be pure. HE knows best who is God fearing.⁴⁰

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Commentary

27. That is: There are innumerable angels in the heavens. But their recommendation in any one’s favour cannot avail anything unless Almighty Allah grants leave to anyone of them to make recommendation in favour of someone of HIS choice.

The idolater polytheists had a belief that the angels are recommendatories in the Court of Allah and were thinking that if they worship them they will make recommendation to God in their favour so that HE may not punish them by hurling them in the hellfire. Therefore, in case the Hereafter’s requital occurs, these angels whom they worship will definitely deliver them from the Divine torment. This corrupt doctrine of theirs is hereby being refuted and it has been clarified that no angel has the power to stand up before Allah to do what he (the angel) wants. On the Day of Resurrection those angels will be able to open their mouth who will be given leave to speak and they too will recommend only in favour of those whom Allah likes. This will be an exceptional case which will never benefit the polytheists and the infidels because polytheism is an unpardonable sin.

For further clarification of intercession please see Surah Maryam, note: 111.

28. Like Laat, Uzza and Manaat. All of them bore female names. As can be seen from the context they were the idols (statues) of angels.

29. Meaning this belief of theirs that the angels are females and they are Devis (goddesses) is based not on reasoning or knowledge but on ignorance. After all how did they know that it is so?

30. The word ‘Zann’ has several meanings in the Arabic languages. Here it means superstition. The gods of polytheists are the products of imagination. The doctrine of ONLY ONE GOD presented by the Quran is an irrefutable Truth. The way they prefer superstitious imagination over the Real Truth is both senseless and of no avail.

Thus it is clear that the matter of belief is of prime importance and a fundamental one., which must be based on True Knowledge not on imagination, superstition or conjecture. The source of True Knowledge is the Divine Revelation (Quran). But different groups of Muslims have, even in the matter of beliefs, took support of weak and fabricated (mauzu) hadiths, They interpret Quran accordingly. Thus Shirk has penetrated into Muslims in the form of Qabr-parasti (grave worship) and Awliya-Parasti (saint worship). Had they depended on Quran in the matter of Aqidah (creed) which clarifies everything explicitly, and had they rejected all the weak hadiths which come into conflict with Quran, they would have not become polluted by shirk, because Quran presents basic beliefs in the most clear way and it itself terms them ‘Baiyyinaat’.

31. That is: the Quran.

32. They do not know that there is Hereafter which will follow this world. They have imprisoned themselves so tightly in the cell of this world that they are unable even to imagine the Hereafter where the fruits of deeds will come up. Many people having a narrow eye-sight are unable to see the glimpse of the Hereafter which the holy Quran presents. That is why even today many great scientists of modem knowledge have nil information of the Hereafter.

33. He has created this universe which is the sole property of His and His alone just to make his attribute of justice and mercy manifest. Therefore, it is essential that a day should arrive when man may get the fruit of his deeds.

34. For the explanation of ‘Kabaair’ (great sins) please see Surah Nisa, Note: 79.

35. For the explanation of ‘Fawaahish’ (open indecencies) please see Surah An’aam, Note:277.

36. The word used is ‘Lamam’ which means to go near a sin. According to’ Lisanul Arab’:

(Lamam means to be near a sin). (Lisanul Arab, Vol. 12. P. 549).

It means those little faults which may occur due to unmindfulness or overwhelming sentiments. The meaning of the ayah is that those righteous people whom Allah will reward nicely are those who do not indulge in big sins and affairs of shamelessness. They protect themselves from such sins. It is possible that sometime, due to a little carelessness they may slip near a dirty pit but it can never be so that they may drown themselves in the pond of dirt.

37. Allah will not deal harshly with those people who protected themselves from great sins and open indecencies, and HE will not punish them for little mistakes. HE will cover them with His vast sheet of Divine Mercy . This is a very great tidings for the God-fearing people.

It should also be kept in mind here that it is not stated either in the Quran or in the Hadith that such and such sins are little (sageerah) save there may be some hint. And, indeed, strategy demanded that they should not be specifically mentioned. Otherwise people would have indulged in them considering them small sins. Hence it is no wisdom to go in discussion and make lists of little sins.

38. Means created from earth. Tauraat too mentions it:

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” (Genesis,2:7)

39.That is: When you were in the initial stage of life in the womb of your mothers, you had no senses and you were closed in a cell. Only Allah knew your condition at that time.

40. This is a warning that nobody should sing songs of his piety. Rather, considering himself a defaulter, he should have faith that only Allah is fully aware of his condition; that it was only HE Who knew of his position even when he was being created from earth and thereafter when he was in his mother’s womb as embryo he was not aware of his state. Then, how can he claim to be faultless. It is only Allah Who knows the ins and outs and thoughts and deeds of everybody. Hence HE alone knows who is pious and to what extent.