Surah An-Najm - English Translation by N J Dawood
وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ
BY THE star when it declines
Surah An-Najm, Verse 1
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ
your compatriot¹ is not in error, nor is he deceived
Surah An-Najm, Verse 2
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ
He does not speak out of his own fancy
Surah An-Najm, Verse 3
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ
This is a revelation inspired
Surah An-Najm, Verse 4
عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡقُوَىٰ
He is taught by one who is powerful and mighty.²
Surah An-Najm, Verse 5
ذُو مِرَّةٖ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ
One of soundness. And he rose to [his] true form
Surah An-Najm, Verse 6
وَهُوَ بِٱلۡأُفُقِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ
He stood on the uppermost horizon
Surah An-Najm, Verse 7
ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ
then, drawing near
Surah An-Najm, Verse 8
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوۡسَيۡنِ أَوۡ أَدۡنَىٰ
he came down within two bows‘ length or even closer
Surah An-Najm, Verse 9
فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ مَآ أَوۡحَىٰ
and revealed to his servant that which he revealed
Surah An-Najm, Verse 10
مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ
His³ own heart did not deny his vision
Surah An-Najm, Verse 11
أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ
Do you⁴ doubt, then, what he beholds
Surah An-Najm, Verse 12
وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ
He beheld him once again
Surah An-Najm, Verse 13
عِندَ سِدۡرَةِ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ
at the sidra tree, beyond which no one may pass
Surah An-Najm, Verse 14
عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ
Nearby it is the Garden of Repose
Surah An-Najm, Verse 15
إِذۡ يَغۡشَى ٱلسِّدۡرَةَ مَا يَغۡشَىٰ
When that tree was covered with what covered it
Surah An-Najm, Verse 16
مَا زَاغَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ
his eyes did not wander, nor did they turn aside
Surah An-Najm, Verse 17
لَقَدۡ رَأَىٰ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰٓ
he beheld some of his Lord‘s mightiest signs
Surah An-Najm, Verse 18
أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلۡعُزَّىٰ
Have you thought on Al-Lāt and Al-‘Uzzā
Surah An-Najm, Verse 19
وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ
and on Manāt, the third other?¹
Surah An-Najm, Verse 20
أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ
Are you to have the male, and He the female
Surah An-Najm, Verse 21
تِلۡكَ إِذٗا قِسۡمَةٞ ضِيزَىٰٓ
This is indeed an unfair distinction
Surah An-Najm, Verse 22
إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّآ أَسۡمَآءٞ سَمَّيۡتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمۡ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلۡطَٰنٍۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ
They are but names which you and your forefathers have invented: God has vested no authority in them. The unbelievers follow but vain conjectures and the whims of their own souls, although the guidance of their Lord has long since come to them
Surah An-Najm, Verse 23
أَمۡ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ
Or is man to attain all that he desires
Surah An-Najm, Verse 24
فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ
To God belongs the life to come, and this first life
Surah An-Najm, Verse 25
۞وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغۡنِي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ
Numerous are the angels in the heavens; yet their intercession shall avail nothing until God gives leave to whom He wills and accepts
Surah An-Najm, Verse 26
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ
Those that disbelieve in the hereafter call the angels by the names of females
Surah An-Najm, Verse 27
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا
Yet of this they have no knowledge: they follow mere conjecture, and conjecture is no substitute for Truth
Surah An-Najm, Verse 28
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا
Pay no heed, then, to those who ignore Our Admonition and seek only the life of this world
Surah An-Najm, Verse 29
ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ
This is the sum of their knowledge. Your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path, and He best knows who has followed the right guidance
Surah An-Najm, Verse 30
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَـٰٓـُٔواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَى
And to God belongs what the heavens and the earth contain. He will requite the evil-doers according to their deeds, and richly recompense those who do good works
Surah An-Najm, Verse 31
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِذۡ أَنتُمۡ أَجِنَّةٞ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ
To those who avoid the grossest sins and indecencies and commit only small offences, your Lord will show abundant forgiveness. He knew you well when He created you from earth and when you were still in your mothers‘ wombs. Do not pretend to purity; He best knows those who fear Him
Surah An-Najm, Verse 32
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ
Have you considered him who turns his back
Surah An-Najm, Verse 33
وَأَعۡطَىٰ قَلِيلٗا وَأَكۡدَىٰٓ
giving little at first and then nothing at all
Surah An-Najm, Verse 34
أَعِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ
Does he know, and can he see, what is hidden
Surah An-Najm, Verse 35
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ
Or has he not been told of what is writ in the Scriptures of Moses
Surah An-Najm, Verse 36
وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِي وَفَّىٰٓ
and Abraham, who was true to his covenant
Surah An-Najm, Verse 37
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ
that no burdened soul shall bear another‘s burden
Surah An-Najm, Verse 38
وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
and that man shall be judged only by his labours
Surah An-Najm, Verse 39
وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ
that his labours shall be scrutinized
Surah An-Najm, Verse 40
ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ
and that he shall be justly requited for them
Surah An-Najm, Verse 41
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ
that all things shall in the end return to your Lord
Surah An-Najm, Verse 42
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضۡحَكَ وَأَبۡكَىٰ
that it is He who moves to laughter and to tears
Surah An-Najm, Verse 43
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحۡيَا
and He who ordains death and life
Surah An-Najm, Verse 44
وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوۡجَيۡنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰ
that God created the two sexes, the male and the female
Surah An-Najm, Verse 45
مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ إِذَا تُمۡنَىٰ
from a drop of ejaculated semen
Surah An-Najm, Verse 46
وَأَنَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰ
and will bring about the other creation
Surah An-Najm, Verse 47
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَغۡنَىٰ وَأَقۡنَىٰ
that it is He who bestows and enriches
Surah An-Najm, Verse 48
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلشِّعۡرَىٰ
He who is the Lord of Sirius;¹
Surah An-Najm, Verse 49
وَأَنَّهُۥٓ أَهۡلَكَ عَادًا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ
that it was He who obliterated ‘Ād at first
Surah An-Najm, Verse 50
وَثَمُودَاْ فَمَآ أَبۡقَىٰ
and then Thamūd, sparing no one
Surah An-Najm, Verse 51
وَقَوۡمَ نُوحٖ مِّن قَبۡلُۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ هُمۡ أَظۡلَمَ وَأَطۡغَىٰ
and before them the people of Noah, who were more sinful and more rebellious
Surah An-Najm, Verse 52
وَٱلۡمُؤۡتَفِكَةَ أَهۡوَىٰ
The Mu‘tafikah² He also doomed
Surah An-Najm, Verse 53
فَغَشَّىٰهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ
so that they were smitten by the scourge that smote them
Surah An-Najm, Verse 54
فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ
Which then of your Lord‘s blessings would you deny
Surah An-Najm, Verse 55
هَٰذَا نَذِيرٞ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ
He that now warns you is just like those who warned the others before you
Surah An-Najm, Verse 56
أَزِفَتِ ٱلۡأٓزِفَةُ
That which is coming is near at hand
Surah An-Najm, Verse 57
لَيۡسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ
none but God can disclose the Hour
Surah An-Najm, Verse 58
أَفَمِنۡ هَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ تَعۡجَبُونَ
Do you marvel then at this revelation
Surah An-Najm, Verse 59
وَتَضۡحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبۡكُونَ
and laugh instead of weeping
Surah An-Najm, Verse 60
وَأَنتُمۡ سَٰمِدُونَ
Making merry still
Surah An-Najm, Verse 61
فَٱسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِۤ وَٱعۡبُدُواْ۩
Rather prostrate yourselves before God, and worship
Surah An-Najm, Verse 62