Surah An-Najm

وَٱلنَّجْمِإِذَاهَوَىٰ

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

مَاضَلَّصَاحِبُكُمْوَمَاغَوَىٰ

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

وَمَايَنطِقُعَنِٱلْهَوَىٰٓ

and neither does he speak out of his own desire:

إِنْهُوَإِلَّاوَحْىٌۭيُوحَىٰ

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

عَلَّمَهُۥشَدِيدُٱلْقُوَىٰ

something that a very mighty one has imparted to him:

ذُومِرَّةٍۢفَٱسْتَوَىٰ

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

وَهُوَبِٱلْأُفُقِٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

appearing in the horizon’s loftiest part,

ثُمَّدَنَافَتَدَلَّىٰ

and then drew near, and came close,

فَكَانَقَابَقَوْسَيْنِأَوْأَدْنَىٰ

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

فَأَوْحَىٰٓإِلَىٰعَبْدِهِۦمَآأَوْحَىٰ

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

مَاكَذَبَٱلْفُؤَادُمَارَأَىٰٓ

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

أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥعَلَىٰمَايَرَىٰ

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

وَلَقَدْرَءَاهُنَزْلَةًأُخْرَىٰ

And, indeed, he saw him a second time

عِندَسِدْرَةِٱلْمُنتَهَىٰ

by the lote-tree of the farthest limit,

عِندَهَاجَنَّةُٱلْمَأْوَىٰٓ

near unto the garden of promise.

إِذْيَغْشَىٱلسِّدْرَةَمَايَغْشَىٰ

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

مَازَاغَٱلْبَصَرُوَمَاطَغَىٰ

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

لَقَدْرَأَىٰمِنْءَايَٰتِرَبِّهِٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ

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

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُٱللَّٰتَوَٱلْعُزَّىٰ

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

وَمَنَوٰةَٱلثَّالِثَةَٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ

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