English - Chapter 53 - An-Najm

By the stars when they fade away

Nor does he speak of his own whims

It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺

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

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

while on the highest point above the horizon

then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close

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

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

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

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

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

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

near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—

while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours

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

He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs

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

and the third one, Manât, as well

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

Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution

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

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

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

˹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

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

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

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

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

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—

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

and that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards

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

then they will be fully rewarded

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

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

And He is the One Who gives life and causes death

And He created the pairs—males and females—

from a sperm-drop when it is emitted

And it is upon Him to bring about re-creation

And He is the One Who enriches and impoverishes

And He alone is the Lord of Sirius

And He destroyed the first ˹people of˺ ’Ȃd

and ˹then˺ Thamûd, sparing no one

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

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

How overwhelming was what covered ˹them˺

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

This ˹Prophet˺ is a warner like earlier ones

The approaching ˹Hour˺ has drawn near

None but Allah can disclose it

Do you find this revelation astonishing

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

while persisting in heedlessness

Instead, prostrate to Allah and worship ˹Him alone˺