Sūrah al-Najm

The stars, when they fall, bear witness that your companion is neither lost nor has he gone astray. He does not speak out of his own fancy. This [Qur’ān] is but a revelation sent down to him. He has been taught by one mighty in power, towering in character and endued with wisdom. Thus, he appeared such that he was on the higher horizon. Then he drew near and bent down until he was within two bows’ length or even closer. God then revealed to His servant that which He revealed. Whatever he saw was not his heart’s delusion. Then will you now quarrel with him over what he is seeing with his eyes?

And he has seen him once again descending near the farthest lote-tree, close to which is the Paradise of Repose, when the lote-tree was being covered with that which was covering it. His sight did not falter nor lost its poise. He has seen his Lord’s great signs.

[On the contrary, what is the source of whatever you believe in?] Speak up: “Have you ever pondered over the reality of this Lāt and ‘Uzzā and the third Manāt which is second in rank? [You call them daughters of God; glory be to God.] For your own selves are sons and for Him daughters? So, this would be a very unjust division! No, these are but names that you and your fathers have invented. God has not revealed any proof in their favour.” [Alas, their foolishness.] They merely follow conjectures and the fancies of their souls, even though there has already come to them a manifest guidance from their Lord.

[Let them invent whatever they desire; but] will a person attain all that he desires? [Certainly not!] Therefore, [they should remember that] the Herein and the Hereafter all are under the control of God alone. [His laws do not change because of anyone’s desire.] And [what to speak of their deities,] how many angels are there in the heavens whose intercession will be of no avail until God gives permission to whom He wants and for whom He likes.

Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, it is they who give the angels the names of women. Yet of this they have no knowledge; they are merely following conjecture, and conjecture can never replace the truth. Therefore, [O Prophet!] Turn away from those who have turned away from Our Reminder and who seek nothing but the life of this world. This is the farthest limit of their knowledge. [Leave them now to themselves.] Undoubtedly, your Lord fully knows those who have strayed from His path and those too who are [on His] guidance.

Whatever is in the heavens and in the earth is in the jurisdiction of God alone. The result of this will only be that He punish the evil-doers for their deeds and bestow a good reward on those who did good deeds, who abstained from major sins and open indecencies except if they became a little contaminated for a while. [He will forgive them.] Your Lord surely is vast in mercy. [Progeny of Adam! You think highly of yourselves?] In reality, He knows you well from the time when He raised you [directly] from the earth and when you were still a foetus in your mothers’ wombs. Therefore, ascribe not purity to yourselves. [It is piety which is a means of honour for you and] He knows very well those who adhere to piety.

[They are in a grievous misconception.] So, did you see the person who turned his back and after giving a little [from the sustenance given to him by God,] held back? [He thinks that in the Hereafter too, he will be given a high status.] Has he the knowledge of the Unseen; thus he is seeing [his status]? Has he not received the news of what is in the scriptures of Moses and of Abraham too, who was befittingly loyal? that no soul shall bear another’s burden and that a man shall only receive in the Hereafter what he has earned in this world and that whatever he has earned shall soon be examined; he shall then be fully rewarded and that finally the return shall be to your Lord alone.

And [moreover] that it is He Who makes [people] laugh and makes [them] weep, and that it is He Who gives death and He Who gives life and that it is He Who creates the pair of male and the female from a drop when it is poured forth, and that upon Him is the second bringing forth and that it is He who bestows and enriches and that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius.¹

And that it is He who destroyed the ancient ‘Ād and the Thamūd too, sparing none, and before them the people of Noah also. This is because they were all extremely unjust and rebellious, and He also routed the overthrown city [of the people of Lot]. Then He covered them with what covered them. Now, speak up: “Which of your Lord’s marvels will you keep quarrelling about?”

This is a warner like those before. What was to arrive has arrived. No one except God can avert it. So, do you express wonder at this that We have said? Laugh and not weep? [Inebriated with arrogance,] you are in a state of indifference? So, [wake up and] prostrate before God, and worship Him.