53. Surah An-Najm, English Translation

Your fellow man¹ is neither misguided nor astray.

Nor does he speak of his own whims.

It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺.

He has been taught by one ˹angel˺ of mighty power¹

and great perfection, who once rose to ˹his˺ true form¹

while on the highest point above the horizon,

then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close

that he was only two arms-lengths away or even less.¹

Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed ˹through Gabriel˺.

The ˹Prophet’s˺ heart did not doubt what he saw.

How can you ˹O pagans˺ then dispute with him regarding what he saw?

And he certainly saw that ˹angel descend˺ a second time

at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit ˹in the seventh heaven˺—

near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—

while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours!

The ˹Prophet’s˺ sight never wandered, nor did it overreach.

He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs.¹ 

Now, have you considered ˹the idols of˺ Lât and ’Uzza,

and the third one, Manât, as well?

Do you ˹prefer to˺ have sons while ˹you attribute˺ to Him daughters?¹

Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution!

These ˹idols˺ are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up¹—a practice Allah has never authorized. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions and whatever ˹their˺ souls desire, although ˹true˺ guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

Or should every person ˹simply˺ have whatever ˹intercessors˺ they desire?¹

In fact, to Allah ˹alone˺ belongs this world and the next.

˹Imagine˺ how many ˹noble˺ angels are in the heavens! ˹Even˺ their intercession would be of no benefit whatsoever, until Allah gives permission to whoever He wills and ˹only for the people He˺ approves.

Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter label angels as female,

although they have no knowledge ˹in support˺ of this. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions. And surely assumptions can in no way replace the truth.

So turn away ˹O Prophet˺ from whoever has shunned Our Reminder,¹ only seeking the ˹fleeting˺ life of this world.

This is the extent of their knowledge. Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided.

To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth so that He may reward the evildoers according to what they did, and reward the good-doers with the finest reward¹—

those who avoid major sins and shameful deeds, despite ˹stumbling on˺ minor sins. Surely your Lord is infinite in forgiveness. He knew well what would become of you as He created you from the earth¹ and while you were ˹still˺ fetuses in the wombs of your mothers.² So do not ˹falsely˺ elevate yourselves. He knows best who is ˹truly˺ righteous.

Have you seen the one who turned away ˹from Islam,˺

and ˹initially˺ paid a little ˹for his salvation˺, and then stopped?

Does he have the knowledge of the unseen so that he sees ˹the Hereafter˺?

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

and ˹that of˺ Abraham, who ˹perfectly˺ fulfilled ˹his covenant˺?

˹They state˺ that no soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another,

and that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards,

and that ˹the outcome of˺ their endeavours will be seen ˹in their record˺,

then they will be fully rewarded,

and that to your Lord ˹alone˺ is the ultimate return ˹of all things˺.

Moreover, He is the One Who brings about joy and sadness.¹

And He is the One Who gives life and causes death.

And He created the pairs—males and females—

from a sperm-drop when it is emitted.

And it is upon Him to bring about re-creation.

And He is the One Who enriches and impoverishes.

And He alone is the Lord of Sirius.¹

And He destroyed the first ˹people of˺ ’Ȃd,

and ˹then˺ Thamûd,¹ sparing no one.