An-Najm

Wannajmi izaa hawaa

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

Maa dalla saahibukum wa maa ghawaa

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

Wa maa yyantiqu 'anilhawaaa

and neither does he speak out of his own desire:

In huwa illaa Wahyuny yoohaa

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

'Allamahoo shadeedul quwaa

something that a very mighty one has imparted to him:

Zoo mirratin fastawaa

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

Wa huwa bil ufuqil a'laa

appearing in the horizon’s loftiest part,

Summa danaa fatadalla

and then drew near, and came close,

Fakaana qaaba qawsaini aw adnaa

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

Fa awhaaa ilaa 'abdihee maaa awhaa

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

Maa kazabal fu'aadu maa ra aa

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

Afatumaaroonahoo 'alaa maayaraa

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

Wa laqad ra aahu nazlatan ukhraa

And, indeed, he saw him a second time

'Inda sidratil muntaha

by the lote-tree of the farthest limit,

'Indahaa jannatul maawaa

near unto the garden of promise.

Iz yaghshas sidrata maa yaghshaa

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

Maa zaaghal basaru wa maa taghaa

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

Laqad ra aa min aayaati Rabbihil kubraaa

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

Afara'aytumul laata wal 'uzzaa

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

Wa manaatas saalisatal ukhraa

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

A-lakumuz zakaru wa lahul unsaa

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

Tilka izan qismatun deezaa

that, lo and behold, is an unfair division!

In hiya illaaa asmaaa'un sammaitumoohaaa antum wa aabaaa'ukum maaa anzalal laahu bihaa min sultaan; inyyattabi'oona illaz zanna wa maa tahwal anfusu wa laqad jaaa'ahum mir Rabbihimul hudaa

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.

Am lil insaani maa taman naa

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

Falillaahil aakhiratu wal oolaa

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

Wa kam mim malakin fissamaawaati laa tughnee shafaa'atuhum shai'an illaa mim ba'di anyyaazanal laahu limany yashaaa'u wa yardaa

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.

innal lazeena laa yu'minoona bil aakhirati la yusammoonal malaaa'ikata tasmiyatal unsaa

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

Wa maa lahum bihee min 'ilmin iny yattabi'oona illaz zanna wa innaz zanna laa yughnee minal haqqi shai'aa

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

Fa a'rid 'am man tawallaa 'an zikrinaa wa lam yurid illal hayaatad dunyaa

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

Zalika mablaghuhum minal 'ilm; inna rabbaka huwa a'lamu biman dalla 'an sabee lihee wa huwa a'lamu bimanih tadaa

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.

Wa lillaahi maa fis samaawaati wa maa fil ardi liyajziyal lazeena asaaa'oo bimaa 'amiloo wa yajziyal lazeena ahsanoo bilhusnaa

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.

Allazeena yajtaniboona kabaaa'iral ismi walfawaa hisha illal lamam; inna rabbaka waasi'ul maghfirah; huwa a'lamu bikum iz ansha akum minal ardi wa iz antum ajinnatun fee butooni umma haatikum falaa tuzakkooo anfusakum huwa a'lamu bimanit taqaa

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.

Afara'ayatal lazee tawallaa

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

Wa a'taa qaleelanw wa akdaa

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

A'indahoo 'ilmul ghaibi fahuwa yaraa

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

Am lam yunabbaa bimaa fee suhuhfi Moosa

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

Wa Ibraaheemal lazee waffaaa

and of Abra­ham, who to his trust was true:

Allaa taziru waaziratunw wizra ukhraa

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

Wa al laisa lil insaani illaa maa sa'aa

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

Wa anna sa'yahoo sawfa yuraa

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

Summa yujzaahul jazaaa 'al awfaa

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

Wa anna ilaa rabbikal muntahaa

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

Wa annahoo huwa adhaka wa abkaa

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

Wa annahoo huwa amaata wa ahyaa

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

Wa annahoo khalaqaz zawjainiz zakara wal unsaa

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

Min nutfatin izaa tumnaa

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

Wa anna 'alaihin nash atal ukhraa

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

Wa annahoo huwa aghnaa wa aqnaa

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

Wa annahoo huwa rabbush shi'raa

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

Wa annahooo ahlak a 'Aadanil oolaa

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

Wa samooda famaaa abqaa

and Thamud, leaving no trace [of them],

Wa qawma Noohim min qablu innahum kaanoo hum azlama wa atghaa

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

Wal mu'tafikata ahwaa

just as He thrust into perdition those cities that were overthrown

Faghashshaahaa maa ghashshaa

and then covered them from sight forever.

Fabi ayyi aalaaa'i Rabbika tatamaaraa

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

Haazaa nazeerum minan nuzuril oolaa

THIS IS a warning like those warnings of old:

Azifatil laazifah

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

Laisa lahaa min doonil laahi kaashifah

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

Afamin hazal hadeesi ta'jaboon

Do you, perchance, find this tiding strange?

Wa tadhakoona wa laa tabkoon

And do you laugh instead of weeping,

Wa antum saamidoon

and divert yourselves all the while?

Fasjudoo lillaahi wa'budoo

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