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 1-2553. An-Najm Page 52653. An-Najmبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِوَ النَّجْمِBy the starاِذَاwhenهَوٰیۙit goes down مَاNotضَلَّhas strayedصَاحِبُكُمْyour companionوَ مَاand notغَوٰیۚhas he erred وَ مَاAnd notیَنْطِقُhe speaksعَنِfromالْهَوٰیؕthe desire اِنْNotهُوَitاِلَّا(is) exceptوَحْیٌa revelationیُّوْحٰیۙrevealed عَلَّمَهٗHas taught himشَدِیْدُthe (one) mightyالْقُوٰیۙ(in) power ذُوْPossessor of soundnessمِرَّةٍ ؕPossessor of soundnessفَاسْتَوٰیۙAnd he rose وَ هُوَWhile heبِالْاُفُقِ(was) in the horizonالْاَعْلٰیؕthe highest ثُمَّThenدَنَاhe approachedفَتَدَلّٰیۙand came down فَكَانَAnd wasقَابَ(at) a distanceقَوْسَیْنِ(of) two bow-(lengths)اَوْorاَدْنٰیۚnearer فَاَوْحٰۤیSo he revealedاِلٰیtoعَبْدِهٖHis slaveمَاۤwhatاَوْحٰیؕhe revealed مَاNotكَذَبَliedالْفُؤَادُthe heartمَاwhatرَاٰی it saw اَفَتُمٰرُوْنَهٗThen will you dispute with himعَلٰیaboutمَاwhatیَرٰی he saw وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyرَاٰهُhe saw himنَزْلَةً(in) descentاُخْرٰیۙanother عِنْدَNearسِدْرَةِ(the) Lote Treeالْمُنْتَهٰی (of) the utmost boundary عِنْدَهَاNear itجَنَّةُ(is the) Gardenالْمَاْوٰیؕ(of) Abode اِذْWhenیَغْشَیcoveredالسِّدْرَةَthe Lote Treeمَاwhatیَغْشٰیۙcovers مَاNotزَاغَswervedالْبَصَرُthe sightوَ مَاand notطَغٰی it transgressed لَقَدْCertainlyرَاٰیhe sawمِنْofاٰیٰتِ(the) Signsرَبِّهِ(of) his Lordالْكُبْرٰی the Greatest اَفَرَءَیْتُمُSo have you seenاللّٰتَthe Latوَ الْعُزّٰیۙand the Uzza وَ مَنٰوةَAnd Manatالثَّالِثَةَthe thirdالْاُخْرٰی the other اَلَكُمُIs for youالذَّكَرُthe maleوَ لَهُand for Himالْاُنْثٰی the female تِلْكَThisاِذًاthenقِسْمَةٌ(is) a divisionضِیْزٰی unfair اِنْNotهِیَtheyاِلَّاۤ(are) exceptاَسْمَآءٌnamesسَمَّیْتُمُوْهَاۤyou have named themاَنْتُمْyouوَ اٰبَآؤُكُمْand your forefathersمَّاۤnotاَنْزَلَhas Allah sent downاللّٰهُhas Allah sent downبِهَاfor itمِنْanyسُلْطٰنٍ ؕauthorityاِنْNotیَّتَّبِعُوْنَthey followاِلَّاexceptالظَّنَّassumptionوَ مَاand whatتَهْوَیdesireالْاَنْفُسُ ۚthe(ir) soulsوَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyجَآءَهُمْhas come to themمِّنْfromرَّبِّهِمُtheir Lordالْهُدٰیؕthe guidance اَمْOrلِلْاِنْسَانِ(is) for manمَاwhatتَمَنّٰیؗۖhe wishes فَلِلّٰهِBut for Allahالْاٰخِرَةُ(is) the lastوَ الْاُوْلٰی۠and the first

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Surah Introduction

This Meccan sûrah takes its name from the reference to the fading of the stars in the first verse (as well as the last verse of the previous sûrah). The divine source of the Prophet's message is emphasized, followed by reference to his ascension to heaven during the Night Journey (see the introduction to Sûrah 17). The pagans are condemned for associating idols with Allah in worship and for claiming that the angels are Allah's daughters. Manifestations of Allah's infinite power are cited to prove His ability to resurrect. Both the end of this sûrah and the beginning of the next stress the imminence of the Hour.

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Translation of Verse 1-251. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. By the stars when they fade away!

2. Your fellow man ¹¹¹⁷ is neither misguided nor astray.

3. Nor does he speak of his own whims.

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

5. He has been taught by one ˹angel˺ of mighty power ¹¹¹⁸

6. and great perfection, who once rose to ˹his˺ true form ¹¹¹⁹

7. while on the highest point above the horizon,

8. then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close

9. that he was only two arms-lengths away or even less. ¹¹²⁰

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

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

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

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

14. at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit ˹in the seventh heaven˺-

15. near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence-

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

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

18. He certainly saw some of his Lord's greatest signs. ¹¹²¹

19. Now, have you considered ˹the idols of˺ Lât and ' Uzza ,

20. and the third one, Manât , as well?

21. Do you ˹prefer to˺ have sons while ˹you attribute˺ to Him daughters? ¹¹²²

22. Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution!

23. These ˹idols˺ are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up ¹¹²³ -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.

24. Or should every person ˹simply˺ have whatever ˹intercessors˺ they desire? ¹¹²⁴

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

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Commentary

1117. Muḥammad ( ﷺ ) .

1118. The angel Gabriel.

1119. Gabriel used to come to the Prophet in a human form. But he appeared to him ( ﷺ ) twice in his angelic form: once at the beginning of the Prophet's mission (when the angel manifested himself, filling the horizon, the Prophet ( ﷺ ) lost his consciousness), and another time during the Prophet's Night Journey to the seventh heaven to receive the order to pray directly from Allah ( see 17:1).

1120. lit., he was only two bow-draws away.

1121. The Prophet was taken to heaven to see some of Allah's magnificent signs. He only saw what he was told to see.

1122. See footnote for 52:39.

1123. Meaning, "You call them gods while in fact they are not gods."

1124. Arab pagans took these idols as intermediaries to intercede for them on the Day of Judgment ( see 39:3)