بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

CONSIDER this unfolding [of God’s message], as it comes down from on high!

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

This fellow-man of yours has not gone astray, nor is he deluded,

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ

and neither does he speak out of his own desire:

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌۭ يُوحَىٰ

that [which he conveys to you] is but [a divine] inspiration with which he is being inspired –

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلْقُوَىٰ

something that a very mighty one has imparted to him:

ذُو مِرَّةٍۢ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ

[an angel] endowed with sur­passing power, who in time manifested himself in his true shape and nature,

وَهُوَ بِٱلْأُفُقِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

appearing in the horizon’s loftiest part,

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

and then drew near, and came close,

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

until he was but two bow-lengths away, or even nearer.

فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ

And thus did [God] reveal unto His servant whatever He deemed right to reveal.

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ

The [servant’s] heart did not give the lie to what he saw:

أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

will you, then, contend with him as to what he saw?

وَلَقَدْ رَءَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

And, indeed, he saw him a second time

عِندَ سِدْرَةِ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

by the lote-tree of the farthest limit,

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ

near unto the garden of promise.

إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

with the lote-tree veiled in a veil of nameless splendour….

مَا زَاغَ ٱلْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

[And withal,] the eye did not waver, nor yet did it stray:

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ

truly did he see some of the most profound of his Sustainer’s symbols.

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ

HAVE YOU, then, ever considered [what you are worshipping in] Al-Lat and Al-Uzza,

وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ

as well as [in] Manat, the third and last [of this triad]?

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Why - for yourselves [you would choose only] male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] female:

تِلْكَ إِذًۭا قِسْمَةٌۭ ضِيزَىٰٓ

that, lo and behold, is 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

These [allegedly divine beings] are nothing but empty names which you have invented - you and your forefathers - [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high. They [who worship them] follow nothing but surmise and their own wishful thinking - although right guidance has now indeed come unto them from their Sustainer.

أَمْ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Does man imagine that it is his due to have all that he might wish for,

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْءَاخِرَةُ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ

despite the fact that [both] the life to come and this present [one] belong to God [alone]?

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

For, however many angels there be in the heavens, their intercession can be of no least avail [to anyone] - except after God has given leave [to inter­cede] for whomever He wills and with whom He is well-pleased.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ ٱلْأُنثَىٰ

Behold, it is [only] such as do not [really] believe in the life to come that regard the angels as female beings;

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

and [since] they have no knowledge whatever thereof, they follow nothing but surmise: yet, behold, never can surmise take the place of truth.

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

Avoid thou, therefore, those who turn away from all remembrance of Us and care for no more than the life of this world,

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

which, to them, is the only thing worth knowing. Behold, thy Sustainer is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, and fully aware is He as to who follows His guidance.

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

Indeed, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth: and so He will reward those who do evil in accordance with what they did, and will reward those who do good with ultimate 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

As for those who avoid the [truly] grave sins and shameful deeds - even though they may some­times stumble behold, thy Sustainer is abounding in forgiveness. He is fully aware of you when He brings you into being out of dust, and when you are still hidden in your mothers’ wombs: do not, then, consider your­selves pure - [for] He knows best as to who is conscious of Him.

أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ

HAST THOU, then, ever considered him who turns away [from remembering Us, and cares for no more than the life of this world],

وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًۭا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ

and gives so little [of himself for the good of his soul], and so grudgingly?

أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ

Does he [claim to] have knowledge of some­thing that is beyond the reach of human perception, so that he can see [it clearly]?

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ

Or has he never yet been told of what was [said] in the revelations of Moses,

وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ

and of Abra­ham, who to his trust was true:

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

that no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden;

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

and that nought shall be accounted unto man but what he is striving for;

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ

and that in time [the nature of] all his striving will be shown [to him in its true light],

ثُمَّ يُجْزَىٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ

where­upon he shall be requited for it with the fullest requital;

وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

and that with thy Sustainer is the beginning and the end [of all that exists];

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ

and that it is He alone who causes [you] to laugh and to weep;

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

and that it is He alone who deals death and grants life;

وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ

and that it is He who creates the two kinds - the male and the female –

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ

out of a [mere] drop of sperm as it is poured forth,

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ

and that [therefore] it is within His power to bring about a second life;

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ

and that it is He alone who frees from want and causes to possess;

وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعْرَىٰ

and that it is He alone who sustains the bright­est star;

وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا ٱلْأُولَىٰ

and that it is He who destroyed the ancient [tribes of] Ad

وَثَمُودَا۟ فَمَآ أَبْقَىٰ

and Thamud, leaving no trace [of them],

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍۢ مِّن قَبْلُ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَىٰ

as well as the people of Noah before them - [since,] verily, they all had been most willful in their evildoing and most overweening –

وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ

just as He thrust into perdition those cities that were overthrown

فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ

and then covered them from sight forever.

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ

About which, then, of thy Sustainer’s powers canst thou [still] remain in doubt?

هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ

THIS IS a warning like those warnings of old:

أَزِفَتِ ٱلْءَازِفَةُ

that [Last Hour] which is so near draws ever nearer,

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

[although] none but God can unveil it....

أَفَمِنْ هَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

Do you, perchance, find this tiding strange?

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ

And do you laugh instead of weeping,

وَأَنتُمْ سَٰمِدُونَ

and divert yourselves all the while?

فَٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ۩

[Nay,] but prostrate yourselves before God, and worship [Him alone]!