An-Najm
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ1
By the star when it sets
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ2
Your companion has not strayed; he is not deluded
وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ3
he does not speak from his own desire
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ4
The Quran is nothing less than a revelation that is sent to him
عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ5
It was taught to him by [an angel] with mighty powers
ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَىٰ6
and great strength, who stood
وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَىٰ7
on the highest horizon
ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ8
and then approached––coming down
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ9
until he was two bow-lengths away or even closer––
فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ10
and revealed to God’s servant what He revealed
مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ11
[The Prophet’s] own heart did not distort what he saw
أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ12
Are you going to dispute with him what he saw with his own eyes
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ13
A second time he saw him
عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ14
by the lote tree beyond which none may pass
عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ15
near the Garden of Restfulness
إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ16
when the tree was covered in nameless [splendour]
مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ17
His sight never wavered, nor was it too bold
لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ18
and he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord
أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ19
[Disbelievers], consider al-Lat and al-Uzza
وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ20
and the third one, Manat––
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَىٰ21
are you to have the male and He the female
تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ22
That would be a most unjust distribution!––
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ23
these are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. God has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord
أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ24
Is man to have everything he wishes for
فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ25
when the present life and the life to come belong only to God
وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ26
There are many angels in heaven whose intercession will be of no use until God gives permission to those He will, whose words He will accept