The StarAn-Najmالنجم

وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

By the star when it sets,

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

Your companion [i.e., the Prophet] has neither strayed nor is he deluded.

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ

Nor does he speak out of his own desire.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ

It is but a revelation sent down [to him].

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلْقُوَىٰ

He was taught by [an angel of] mighty power¹,

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ

and of great perfection², who manifested himself [in his true form]³

وَهُوَ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

when he was on the higher horizon⁴.

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

Then he approached [the Prophet] and descended,

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

until he was only two bow-lengths away or even closer.

فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ

Then he revealed to His slave⁵ what he had to reveal.

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ

The [Prophet’s] heart⁶ did not deny what he saw.

أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

Do you dispute with him concerning what he saw?

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

He certainly saw him a second time⁷

عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary [in the seventh heaven]

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ

near which is the Garden of Abode,

إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

when the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with [divine] splendors.

مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

His gaze did not wander, nor did it look beyond the limit.

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ

He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ

Have you [O disbelievers] thought about [the idols of] Lāt and ‘Uzzā,

وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ

and Manāt, the third one as well⁸?

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Do you choose for yourselves males and for Him females?

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰٓ

That is then an unfair division!

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

These [idols] are no more than names you and your forefathers have made up⁹, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their souls desire, although there has come to them guidance from their Lord.

أَمْ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Is it that man can get whatever he wishes for¹⁰?

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ

Rather, to Allah belongs the Hereafter and this world.

وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ

How many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will be of no avail except after Allah’s permission to whom He wills and pleases.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter give the angels female names.

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا

They have no knowledge about it. They only follow conjecture, but conjecture is of no avail against the truth.

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

So pay no heed to those who turn away from Our message¹¹ and who only seek the life of this world.

ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ

That is the limit of their knowledge. Indeed, your Lord knows best who has strayed from His Way, and He knows best who is guided.

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ بِٱلْحُسْنَى

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, so that He may recompense the evildoers for what they did, and reward those who do good with the best reward¹²,

ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ

those who avoid major sins and shameful acts, except for minor lapses. Indeed, your Lord is ample in forgiveness. He knows you best, as He created you from the earth¹³ and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers¹⁴. So do not claim purity for yourselves, for He knows best who is truly righteous.

أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ

Have you seen the one who turned away [from Islam],

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ

who gave a little, and then stopped?

أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ

Does he have knowledge of the unseen, so he has insight¹⁵?

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

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

وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ

and of Abraham, who fulfilled his duty?

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

That no bearer of burden will bear the burden of another,

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

and that man will not receive except what he strives for,

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ

and that his efforts will be examined,

ثُمَّ يُجْزَىٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ

then he will be recompensed in full,

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

and that to your Lord is the final return,

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ

and that He is the One Who makes people laugh and weep¹⁶,

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

and that He is the One Who causes death and gives life,

وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ

and that He created the pairs, male and female,

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ

from a drop of sperm when it is emitted,

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ

and it is upon Him to bring about the second creation.

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ

And He is the One Who enriches and bestows wealth,

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعْرَىٰ

and that He is the Lord of Sirius¹⁷.

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ

And that He destroyed the earlier ‘Ād¹⁸,

وَثَمُودَا۟ فَمَآ أَبْقَىٰ

and Thamūd¹⁹, sparing none,

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ

and [He destroyed] the people of Noah before them; they were indeed more wicked and more rebellious.

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

And He toppled the cities²⁰ upside down,

فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

and they were utterly covered [by stones]²¹.

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

Then which of the favors of your Lord do you doubt?

هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

This [Prophet] is a warner like the earlier warners.

أَزِفَتِ ٱلْـَٔازِفَةُ

The imminent Hour has drawn near,

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

none but Allah can disclose it.

أَفَمِنْ هَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

Do you find this discourse astonishing,

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ

and you laugh [at it] and not weep,

وَأَنتُمْ سَٰمِدُونَ

while heedlessly lost in amusement?