بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Surah 53: The Stars (Al-Najm)
النجم
وَالنَّجمِ إِذا هَوىٰ
As the stars fell away.*
*53:1-18 Muhammad was summoned to the highest universe to receive this Quran into his heart. The stars fell away as he traveled through them at millions of times the speed of light. Subsequently, the Quran was gradually released to his memory. Please see Appendix 28.
ما ضَلَّ صاحِبُكُم وَما غَوىٰ
Your friend (Muhammad) was not astray, nor was he deceived.
وَما يَنطِقُ عَنِ الهَوىٰ
Nor was he speaking out of a personal desire.
إِن هُوَ إِلّا وَحىٌ يوحىٰ
It was divine inspiration.
عَلَّمَهُ شَديدُ القُوىٰ
Dictated by the Most Powerful.
ذو مِرَّةٍ فَاستَوىٰ
Possessor of all authority. From His highest height.
وَهُوَ بِالأُفُقِ الأَعلىٰ
At the highest horizon.
ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلّىٰ
He drew nearer by moving down.
فَكانَ قابَ قَوسَينِ أَو أَدنىٰ
Until He became as close as possible.
فَأَوحىٰ إِلىٰ عَبدِهِ ما أَوحىٰ
He then revealed to His servant what was to be revealed.
ما كَذَبَ الفُؤادُ ما رَأىٰ
The mind never made up what it saw.
أَفَتُمٰرونَهُ عَلىٰ ما يَرىٰ
Are you doubting what he saw?
وَلَقَد رَءاهُ نَزلَةً أُخرىٰ
He saw him in another descent.
عِندَ سِدرَةِ المُنتَهىٰ
At the ultimate point.
عِندَها جَنَّةُ المَأوىٰ
Where the eternal Paradise is located.
إِذ يَغشَى السِّدرَةَ ما يَغشىٰ
The whole place was overwhelmed.
ما زاغَ البَصَرُ وَما طَغىٰ
The eyes did not waver, nor go blind.
لَقَد رَأىٰ مِن ءايٰتِ رَبِّهِ الكُبرىٰ
He saw great signs of his Lord.
أَفَرَءَيتُمُ اللّٰتَ وَالعُزّىٰ
Compare this with the female idols Allaat and Al-`Uzzah.
وَمَنوٰةَ الثّالِثَةَ الأُخرىٰ
And Manaat, the third one.
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الأُنثىٰ
Do you have sons, while He has these as daughters?
تِلكَ إِذًا قِسمَةٌ ضيزىٰ
What a disgraceful distribution!
إِن هِىَ إِلّا أَسماءٌ سَمَّيتُموها أَنتُم وَءاباؤُكُم ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِها مِن سُلطٰنٍ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَما تَهوَى الأَنفُسُ وَلَقَد جاءَهُم مِن رَبِّهِمُ الهُدىٰ
These are but names that you made up, you and your forefathers. God never authorized such a blasphemy. They follow conjecture, and personal desire, when the true guidance has come to them herein from their Lord.
أَم لِلإِنسٰنِ ما تَمَنّىٰ
What is it that the human being desires?
فَلِلَّهِ الـٔاخِرَةُ وَالأولىٰ
To God belongs both the Hereafter, and this world.
وَكَم مِن مَلَكٍ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ لا تُغنى شَفٰعَتُهُم شَيـًٔا إِلّا مِن بَعدِ أَن يَأذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشاءُ وَيَرضىٰ
Not even the angels in heaven possess authority to intercede. The only ones permitted by God are those who act in accordance with His will and His approval.
إِنَّ الَّذينَ لا يُؤمِنونَ بِالـٔاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمّونَ المَلٰئِكَةَ تَسمِيَةَ الأُنثىٰ
Those who disbelieve in the Hereafter have given the angels feminine names.
وَما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لا يُغنى مِنَ الحَقِّ شَيـًٔا
They had no knowledge about this; they only conjectured. Conjecture is no substitute for the truth.
فَأَعرِض عَن مَن تَوَلّىٰ عَن ذِكرِنا وَلَم يُرِد إِلَّا الحَيوٰةَ الدُّنيا
You shall disregard those who turn away from our message, and become preoccupied with this worldly life.
ذٰلِكَ مَبلَغُهُم مِنَ العِلمِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَنِ اهتَدىٰ
This is the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed away from His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.
وَلِلَّهِ ما فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَما فِى الأَرضِ لِيَجزِىَ الَّذينَ أَسٰـٔوا بِما عَمِلوا وَيَجزِىَ الَّذينَ أَحسَنوا بِالحُسنَى
To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. He will requite those who commit evil for their works, and will reward the righteous for their righteousness.
الَّذينَ يَجتَنِبونَ كَبٰئِرَ الإِثمِ وَالفَوٰحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وٰسِعُ المَغفِرَةِ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِكُم إِذ أَنشَأَكُم مِنَ الأَرضِ وَإِذ أَنتُم أَجِنَّةٌ فى بُطونِ أُمَّهٰتِكُم فَلا تُزَكّوا أَنفُسَكُم هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقىٰ
They avoid gross sins and transgressions, except for minor offenses. Your Lord's forgiveness is immense. He has been fully aware of you since He initiated you from the earth, and while you were embryos in your mothers' bellies. Therefore, do not exalt yourselves; He is fully aware of the righteous.
أَفَرَءَيتَ الَّذى تَوَلّىٰ
Have you noted the one who turned away?
وَأَعطىٰ قَليلًا وَأَكدىٰ
Rarely did he give to charity, and then very little.
أَعِندَهُ عِلمُ الغَيبِ فَهُوَ يَرىٰ
Did he possess knowledge of the future? Could he see it?
أَم لَم يُنَبَّأ بِما فى صُحُفِ موسىٰ
Was he not informed of the teachings in the scripture of Moses?
وَإِبرٰهيمَ الَّذى وَفّىٰ
And Abraham who fulfilled?
أَلّا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزرَ أُخرىٰ
No soul bears the sins of another soul.
وَأَن لَيسَ لِلإِنسٰنِ إِلّا ما سَعىٰ
Every human being is responsible for his own works.
وَأَنَّ سَعيَهُ سَوفَ يُرىٰ
And everyone's works will be shown.
ثُمَّ يُجزىٰهُ الجَزاءَ الأَوفىٰ
Then they will be paid fully for such works.
وَأَنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ المُنتَهىٰ
To your Lord is the final destiny.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضحَكَ وَأَبكىٰ
He is the One who makes you laugh or cry.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَماتَ وَأَحيا
He is the One who controls death and life.
وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوجَينِ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنثىٰ
He is the One who created the two kinds, male and female -
مِن نُطفَةٍ إِذا تُمنىٰ
from a tiny drop of semen.
وَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ النَّشأَةَ الأُخرىٰ
He will effect the recreation.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغنىٰ وَأَقنىٰ
He is the One who makes you rich or poor.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعرىٰ
He is the Lord of the galaxies.
وَأَنَّهُ أَهلَكَ عادًا الأولىٰ
He is the One who annihilated ancient `Ãd.
وَثَمودَا۟ فَما أَبقىٰ
And wiped out Thamoud.
وَقَومَ نوحٍ مِن قَبلُ إِنَّهُم كانوا هُم أَظلَمَ وَأَطغىٰ
Also the people of Noah before that; they were evil transgressors.
وَالمُؤتَفِكَةَ أَهوىٰ
The evil communities (of Sodom and Gomorrah) were the lowliest.
فَغَشّىٰها ما غَشّىٰ
Consequently, they utterly vanished.
فَبِأَىِّ ءالاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمارىٰ
Which of your Lord's marvels can you deny?
هٰذا نَذيرٌ مِنَ النُّذُرِ الأولىٰ
This is a warning like the older ones.
أَزِفَتِ الـٔازِفَةُ
The inevitable is imminent.
لَيسَ لَها مِن دونِ اللَّهِ كاشِفَةٌ
None besides God can relieve it.
أَفَمِن هٰذَا الحَديثِ تَعجَبونَ
Are you questioning this matter?
وَتَضحَكونَ وَلا تَبكونَ
Are you laughing, instead of crying?
وَأَنتُم سٰمِدونَ
Are you insisting on your ways?
فَاسجُدوا لِلَّهِ وَاعبُدوا
You shall fall prostrate before God, and worship.