An-Najm
Vision and Conjecture
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent. By the star when it sets: your companion has not strayed, nor has he been misled. He does not speak from emotion — it is nothing but a revelation revealed.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والنجم اذا هوى ما ضل صاحبكم وما غوى وما ينطق عن الهوى ان هو الا وحي يوحىOne of intense strength, of sound vigor, taught him,
علمه شديد القوى ذو مرةthen he appeared in his full stature, at the highest horizon.
فاستوى وهو بالافق الاعلىThen he drew near, and came closer still, until he was at the distance of two bow-lengths, or nearer.
ثم دنا فتدلى فكان قاب قوسين او ادنىHe then revealed to His obedient one what He revealed.
فاوحى الى عبده ما اوحىThe Conscience did not lie about what it saw.
ما كذب الفواد ما راىWill you then wrangle with him over what he sees?
افتمرونه على ما يرىHe saw him, in truth, another time, near the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary — near which lies the Garden of Refuge — when the Lote Tree was enveloped by what enveloped it.
ولقد رءاه نزلة اخرى عند سدرة المنتهى عندها جنة الماوى اذ يغشى السدرة ما يغشىThe gaze did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the measure.
ما زاغ البصر وما طغىHe saw, in truth, one of the greatest signs of his Guardian.
لقد راى من ءايت ربه الكبرىHave you then considered Al-Lat, and Al-Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other? Would the male be for you, and for Him the female?
افرءيتم اللت والعزى ومنوة الثالثة الاخرى الكم الذكر وله الانثىThat, then, would be an unjust division.
تلك اذا قسمة ضيزىThey are nothing but attributes you have named, you and your forefathers; God has sent down no authority for them.
ان هي الا اسماء سميتموها انتم وءاباوكم ما انزل الله بها من سلطنThey follow nothing but conjecture, and what the Selves desire.
ان يتبعون الا الظن وما تهوى الانفسThough guidance has indeed come to them from their Guardian.
ولقد جاءهم من ربهم الهدىOr does the human being get whatever he wishes?
ام للانسن ما تمنىFor to God belong the last life and the first.
فلله الءاخرة والاولىHow many Agents are there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after God has permitted it, for whom He wills and approves.
وكم من ملك في السموت لا تغني شفعتهم شيا الا من بعد ان ياذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضىThose who do not believe in the last life surely give the Agents the attribute of the feminine.
ان الذين لا يومنون بالءاخرة ليسمون المليكة تسمية الانثىYet they have no knowledge of it.
وما لهم به من علمThey follow nothing but conjecture.
ان يتبعون الا الظنAnd conjecture does not avail at all against the truth.
وان الظن لا يغني من الحق شياSo turn away from whoever has turned away from Our Reminder and desired nothing but the present life.
فاعرض عن من تولى عن ذكرنا ولم يرد الا الحيوة الدنياThat is the extent of their knowledge.
ذلك مبلغهم من العلمYour Guardian indeed knows best who has strayed from His path,
ان ربك هو اعلم بمن ضل عن سبيلهand He knows best who has been guided.
وهو اعلم بمن اهتدىTo God belongs what is in the heavens and what is on the earth, so that He may recompense those who did evil for what they did, and recompense those who did good with the best [recompense].
ولله ما في السموت وما في الارض ليجزي الذين اسوا بما عملوا ويجزي الذين احسنوا بالحسنىThose who avoid the major transgressions and indecencies, except minor lapses.
الذين يجتنبون كبير الاثم والفوحش الا اللممYour Guardian is indeed vast in forgiveness.
ان ربك وسع المغفرةHe knows you best, when He brought you forth from the earth, and when you were embryos in your mothers' wombs.
هو اعلم بكم اذ انشاكم من الارض واذ انتم اجنة في بطون امهتكمSo do not claim yourselves to be pure.
فلا تزكوا انفسكمHe knows best who has guarded himself.
هو اعلم بمن اتقىHave you then seen the one who turned away, gave a little, then stopped?
افرءيت الذي تولى واعطى قليلا واكدىDoes he have knowledge of what escapes the senses, so that he sees?
اعنده علم الغيب فهو يرىOr has he not been informed of what is in the scrolls of Moussa, and of Ibrahim, who fulfilled [his mission]: that no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another,
ام لم ينبا بما في صحف موسى وابرهيم الذي وفى الا تزر وازرة وزر اخرىand that the human being will have nothing but what he strove for,
وان ليس للانسن الا ما سعىand that his effort will soon be shown,
وان سعيه سوف يرىthen he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense,
ثم يجزىه الجزاء الاوفىand that to your Guardian is the final boundary,
وان الى ربك المنتهىand that it is He who causes laughter and weeping,
وانه هو اضحك وابكىand that it is He who causes death and gives life,
وانه هو امات واحياand that He created the two mates, the male and the female, from a drop when it is deposited,
وانه خلق الزوجين الذكر والانثى من نطفة اذا تمنىand that upon Him rests the other genesis,
وان عليه النشاة الاخرىand that it is He who enriched and granted lasting possession,
وانه هو اغنى واقنىand that it is He, the Guardian of Sirius,
وانه هو رب الشعرىand that He annihilated the Recidivists [Aad], the first, and the Depleters [Thamud], leaving nothing behind, and the people of Nuh before that —
وانه اهلك عادا الاولى وثمودا فما ابقى وقوم نوح من قبلfor they were, indeed, more unjust and more excessive.
انهم كانوا هم اظلم واطغىAnd the overturned [city], He cast it down.
والموتفكة اهوىThen covered it with what covered it.
فغشىها ما غشىSo which of your Guardian's blessings do you doubt?
فباى ءالاء ربك تتمارىThis is a warner among the warners of old.
هذا نذير من النذر الاولىThe Imminent has drawn near.
ازفت الءازفةNone besides God can unveil it.
ليس لها من دون الله كاشفةIs it then this discourse that you marvel at, laughing, not weeping, while you remain heedless?
افمن هذا الحديث تعجبون وتضحكون ولا تبكون وانتم سمدونSo prostrate to God, and obey [Him].
فاسجدوا لله واعبدوا