Chapter 53, 62 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. By the Star when it setteth,
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والنجم إذا هوى
I swear by the star when it goes down.
Your comrade erreth not, nor is deceived;
ما ضل صاحبكم وما غوى
Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray;
Nor doth he speak of (his own) desire.
وما ينطق عن الهوى
Nor does he speak out of desire.
It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired,
إن هو إلا وحي يوحى
It is naught but revelation that is revealed,
Which one of mighty powers hath taught him,
علمه شديد القوى
The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him,
One vigorous; and he grew clear to view
ذو مرة فاستوى
The Lord of Strength; so he attained completion,
When he was on the uppermost horizon.
وهو بالأفق الأعلى
And he is in the highest part of the horizon.
Then he drew nigh and came down
ثم دنا فتدلى
Then he drew near, then he bowed
Till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer,
فكان قاب قوسين أو أدنى
So he was the measure of two bows or closer still.
And He revealed unto His slave that which He revealed.
فأوحى إلى عبده ما أوحى
And He revealed to His servant what He revealed.
The heart lied not (in seeing) what it saw.
ما كذب الفؤاد ما رأى
The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw.
Will ye then dispute with him concerning what he seeth ?
أفتمارونه على ما يرى
What! do you then dispute with him as to what he saw?
And verily he saw him yet another time
ولقد رآه نزلة أخرى
And certainly he saw him in another descent,
By the lote - tree of the utmost boundary,
عند سدرة المنتهى
At the farthest lote - tree;
Nigh unto which is the Garden of Abode.
عندها جنة المأوى
Near which is the garden, the place to be resorted to.
When that which shroudeth did enshroud the lote - tree,
إذ يغشى السدرة ما يغشى
When that which covers covered the lote - tree;
The eye turned not aside nor yet was overbold.
ما زاغ البصر وما طغى
The eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit.
Verily he saw one of the greater revelations of his Lord.
لقد رأى من آيات ربه الكبرى
Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.
Have ye thought upon Al - Lat and Al - 'Uzza
أفرأيتم اللات والعزى
Have you then considered the Lat and the Uzza,
And Manat, the third, the other ?
ومناة الثالثة الأخرى
And Manat, the third, the last?
Are yours the males and His the females ?
ألكم الذكر وله الأنثى
What! for you the males and for Him the females!
That indeed were an unfair division!
تلك إذا قسمة ضيزى
This indeed is an unjust division!
They are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which Allah hath revealed no warrant. They follow but a guess and that which (they) themselves desire. And now the guidance from their Lord hath come unto them.
إن هي إلا أسماء سميتموها أنتم وآباؤكم ما أنزل الله بها من سلطان ۚ إن يتبعون إلا الظن وما تهوى الأنفس ۖ ولقد جاءهم من ربهم الهدى
They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent for them any authority. They follow naught but conjecture and the low desires which (their) souls incline to; and certainly the guidance has come to them from their Lord.
Or shall man have what he coveteth ?
أم للإنسان ما تمنى
Or shall man have what he wishes?
But unto Allah belongeth the after (life), and the former.
فلله الآخرة والأولى
Nay! for Allah is the hereafter and the former (life).
And how many angels are in the heavens whose intercession availeth naught save after Allah giveth leave to whom He chooseth and accepteth.
۞ وكم من ملك في السماوات لا تغني شفاعتهم شيئا إلا من بعد أن يأذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى
And how many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession does not avail at all except after Allah has given permission to whom He pleases and chooses.
Lo! it is those who disbelieve in the Hereafter who name the angels with the names of females.
إن الذين لا يؤمنون بالآخرة ليسمون الملائكة تسمية الأنثى
Most surely they who do not believe in the hereafter name the angels with female names.
And they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but a guess, and lo! a guess can never take the place of the truth.
وما لهم به من علم ۖ إن يتبعون إلا الظن ۖ وإن الظن لا يغني من الحق شيئا
And they have no knowledge of it; they do not follow anything but conjecture, and surely conjecture does not avail against the truth at all.
Then withdraw (O Muhammad) from him who fleeth from Our remembrance and desireth but the life of the world.
فأعرض عن من تولى عن ذكرنا ولم يرد إلا الحياة الدنيا
Therefore turn aside from him who turns his back upon Our reminder and does not desire anything but this world's life.
Such is their sum of knowledge. Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth, and He is Best Aware of him whom goeth right.
ذلك مبلغهم من العلم ۚ إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو أعلم بمن اهتدى
That is their goal of knowledge; surely your Lord knows best him who goes astray from His path and He knows best him who follows the right direction.
And unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good with goodness.
ولله ما في السماوات وما في الأرض ليجزي الذين أساءوا بما عملوا ويجزي الذين أحسنوا بالحسنى
And Allah's is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil according to what they do, and (that) He may reward those who do good with goodness.
Those who avoid enormities of sin and abominations, save the unwilled offences - (for them) lo! thy Lord is of vast mercy. He is Best Aware of you (from the time) when He created you from the earth, and when ye were hidden in the bellies of your mothers. Therefor ascribe not purity unto yourselves. He is Best Aware of him who wardeth off (evil).
الذين يجتنبون كبائر الإثم والفواحش إلا اللمم ۚ إن ربك واسع المغفرة ۚ هو أعلم بكم إذ أنشأكم من الأرض وإذ أنتم أجنة في بطون أمهاتكم ۖ فلا تزكوا أنفسكم ۖ هو أعلم بمن اتقى
Those who keep aloof from the great sins and the indecencies but the passing idea; surely your Lord is liberal in forgiving. He knows you best when He brings you forth from the earth and when you are embryos in the wombs of your mothers; therefore do not attribute purity to your souls; He knows him best who guards (against evil).
Didst thou (O Muhammad) observe him who turned away,
أفرأيت الذي تولى
Have you then seen him who turns his back?
And gave a little, then was grudging ?
وأعطى قليلا وأكدى
And gives a little and (then) withholds.
Hath he knowledge of the Unseen so that he seeth ?
أعنده علم الغيب فهو يرى
Has he the knowledge of the unseen so that he can see?
Or hath he not had news of what is in the books of Moses
أم لم ينبأ بما في صحف موسى
Or, has he not been of what is in the scriptures of Musa?
And Abraham who paid his debt:
وإبراهيم الذي وفى
And (of) Ibrahim who fulfilled (the commandments):
That no laden one shall bear another's load,
ألا تزر وازرة وزر أخرى
That no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another -
And that man hath only that for which he maketh effort,
وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعى
And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for -
And that his effort will be seen.
وأن سعيه سوف يرى
And that his striving shall soon be seen -
And afterward he will be repaid for it with fullest payment;
ثم يجزاه الجزاء الأوفى
Then shall he be rewarded for it with the fullest reward -
And that thy Lord, He is the goal;
وأن إلى ربك المنتهى
And that to your Lord is the goal -
And that He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep,
وأنه هو أضحك وأبكى
And that He it is Who makes (men) laugh and makes (them) weep;
And that He it is Who giveth death and giveth life;
وأنه هو أمات وأحيا
And that He it is Who causes death and gives life -
And that He createth the two spouses, the male and the female,
وأنه خلق الزوجين الذكر والأنثى
And that He created pairs, the male and the female
From a drop (of seed) when it is poured forth;
من نطفة إذا تمنى
From the small seed when it is adapted
And that He hath ordained the second bringing forth;
وأن عليه النشأة الأخرى
And that on Him is the bringing forth a second time;
And that He it is Who enricheth and contenteth;
وأنه هو أغنى وأقنى
And that He it is Who enriches and gives to hold;
And that He it is Who is the Lord of Sirius;
وأنه هو رب الشعرى
And that He is the Lord of the Sirius;
And that He destroyed the former (tribe of) A'ad,
وأنه أهلك عادا الأولى
And that He did destroy the Ad of old
And (the tribe of) Thamud He spared not;
وثمود فما أبقى
And Samood, so He spared not
And the folk of Noah aforetime, Lo! they were more unjust and more rebellious;
وقوم نوح من قبل ۖ إنهم كانوا هم أظلم وأطغى
And the people of Nuh before; surely they were most unjust and inordinate;
And Al - Mu'tafikah He destroyed
والمؤتفكة أهوى
And the overthrown cities did He overthrow,
So that there covered them that which did cover.
فغشاها ما غشى
So there covered them that which covered.
Concerning which then, of the bounties of thy Lord, canst thou dispute ?
فبأي آلاء ربك تتمارى
Which of your Lord's benefits will you then dispute about?
This is a warner of the warners of old.
هذا نذير من النذر الأولى
This is a warner of the warners of old.
The threatened Hour is nigh.
أزفت الآزفة
The near event draws nigh.
None beside Allah can disclose it.
ليس لها من دون الله كاشفة
There shall be none besides Allah to remove it.
Marvel ye then at this statement,
أفمن هذا الحديث تعجبون
Do you then wonder at this announcement?
And laugh and not weep,
وتضحكون ولا تبكون
And will you laugh and not weep?
While ye amuse yourselves ?
وأنتم سامدون
While you are indulging in varieties.
Rather prostrate yourselves before Allah and serve Him.
فاسجدوا لله واعبدوا ۩
So make obeisance to Allah and serve (Him).