Setting
Surah The Star [An-Najm] in English
وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ ﴿١﴾
By the star when it sets:
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ ﴿٢﴾
your companion has neither strayed nor is he deluded;
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ ﴿٣﴾
nor does he speak out of his desire.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌۭ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾
This is nothing but a revelation that is conveyed to him,
عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلْقُوَىٰ ﴿٥﴾
something that a very powerful one has imparted to him,
ذُو مِرَّةٍۢ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ ﴿٦﴾
one endowed with immense wisdom. He came forth and stood poised,
وَهُوَ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ ﴿٧﴾
being on the higher horizon.
ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ ﴿٨﴾
Then he drew near and hung above suspended,
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ ﴿٩﴾
until he was two bows' length away, or nearer.
فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ ﴿١٠﴾
Then he revealed to Allah's servant whatever he had to reveal.
مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ ﴿١١﴾
His heart added no untruth to what he saw.
أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ ﴿١٢﴾
Are you, then, going to contend with him regarding what he sees with his eyes?
وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ ﴿١٣﴾
Indeed he saw him a second time,
عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ ﴿١٤﴾
by the lote-tree at the farthest boundary,
عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ ﴿١٥﴾
near which is the Garden of Abode.
إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ ﴿١٦﴾
(This was) when the lote-tree was covered with that which covered it.
مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ ﴿١٧﴾
His eye did not waver, nor did it stray,
لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ ﴿١٨﴾
and he certainly saw some of the greatest Signs of His Lord.
أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ ﴿١٩﴾
Have you ever thought about al-Lat and al-Uzza,
وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ ﴿٢٠﴾
and about the third deity, al-Manat?
أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ ﴿٢١﴾
Shall you have the male issues, and He the female issues?
تِلْكَ إِذًۭا قِسْمَةٌۭ ضِيزَىٰٓ ﴿٢٢﴾
That is indeed an unfair division!
إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌۭ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ﴿٢٣﴾
These are nothing but names that you and your forefathers have invented, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They are merely following their conjectures and their carnal desires although guidance has come to them from their Lord.
أَمْ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ ﴿٢٤﴾
Does man imagine that whatever he wishes for is right for him?
فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْءَاخِرَةُ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿٢٥﴾
To Allah belong both the Next World and the present.
۞ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍۢ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ ﴿٢٦﴾
Numerous are the angels in the heavens; yet their intercession shall be of no avail, except in regard to those whom He grants the leave of intercession and whose plea He is pleased to accept.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ ﴿٢٧﴾
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter give angels the names of females,
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًۭٔا ﴿٢٨﴾
although they have no knowledge regarding that. They only follow their conjecture and conjecture can never take the place of the Truth.
فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿٢٩﴾
So leave alone those who turn away from the remembrance of Us and who seek nothing but the life of the world –
ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ ﴿٣٠﴾
that being the utmost of their knowledge. Surely your Lord fully knows those who have strayed away from His Path and He also fully knows those who are rightly guided.
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ بِٱلْحُسْنَى ﴿٣١﴾
To Allah alone belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. He will requite the evil-doers for their deeds and bestow a goodly reward on those who have done good,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌۭ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ ﴿٣٢﴾
on those who avoid grave sins and shameful deeds, even if they may sometimes stumble into lesser offences. Surely your Lord is abounding in His Forgiveness. Very well is He aware of you since He produced you from the earth, and while you were still in your mothers' wombs and not yet born. So do not boastfully claim yourselves to be purified. He fully knows those that are truly Godfearing.
أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ ﴿٣٣﴾
(O Prophet), did you see him who turned away (from the Path of Allah),
وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًۭا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ ﴿٣٤﴾
who gave a little, and then stopped?
أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ ﴿٣٥﴾
Does he have any knowledge of the world beyond the ken of sense-perception, and therefore, clearly sees (the Truth)?
أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ﴿٣٦﴾
Has he not been informed of what is in the Scrolls of Moses,
وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ ﴿٣٧﴾
and of Abraham, who lived up to the trust?
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ﴿٣٨﴾
“That no bearer of a burden shall bear the burden of another,
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ﴿٣٩﴾
and that man shall have nothing but what he has striven for,
وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾
and that (the result of) his striving shall soon be seen,
ثُمَّ يُجْزَىٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ ﴿٤١﴾
and that he shall then be fully recompensed,
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ ﴿٤٢﴾
and that the final end is with your Lord,
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ ﴿٤٣﴾
and that He it is Who causes people to laugh and to cry,
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا ﴿٤٤﴾
and that He it is Who causes death and grants life,
وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ﴿٤٥﴾
and He it is Who created the two kinds, the male and the female,
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ ﴿٤٦﴾
from a drop of sperm when it was emitted,
وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ ﴿٤٧﴾
and that it is for Him to grant the second life,
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ ﴿٤٨﴾
that He it is Who bestowed wealth and riches,
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعْرَىٰ ﴿٤٩﴾
that He is the Lord of Sirius,
وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿٥٠﴾
that He it is Who destroyed the ancient 'Ad,
وَثَمُودَا۟ فَمَآ أَبْقَىٰ ﴿٥١﴾
and Thamud, leaving no trace of them,
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍۢ مِّن قَبْلُ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ ﴿٥٢﴾
and that He it is Who destroyed the people of Noah before for they were much given to iniquity and transgression.
وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ ﴿٥٣﴾
And He brought perdition upon the subverted cities
فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ ﴿٥٤﴾
and caused them to be covered with that which He covered them with.
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ ﴿٥٥﴾
So, which of your Lord's bounties will you doubt?”
هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ ﴿٥٦﴾
This is a warning among the warnings of yore.
أَزِفَتِ ٱلْءَازِفَةُ ﴿٥٧﴾
The imminent Hour has drawn near,
لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ ﴿٥٨﴾
and none but Allah can avert it.
أَفَمِنْ هَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾
Will you, then, wonder at this?
وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ ﴿٦٠﴾
Will you laugh at it rather than weep?
وَأَنتُمْ سَٰمِدُونَ ﴿٦١﴾
Will you occupy yourselves simply in merriment?
فَٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ۩ ﴿٦٢﴾
Prostrate yourselves before Allah, and serve Him.