وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

CONSIDER this unfolding [of God's message], as it comes down from on high! (1)

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

This fellow-man of yours has not gone astray, nor is he deluded, (2)

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

and neither does he speak out of his own desire: (3)

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

that [which he conveys to you] is but [a divine] inspiration with which he is being inspired – (4)

عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ

something that a very mighty one has imparted to him: (5)

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَىٰ

[an angel] endowed with surpassing power, who in time manifested himself in his true shape and nature, (6)

وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَىٰ

appearing in the horizon's loftiest part, (7)

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

and then drew near, and came close, (8)

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

until he was but two bow-lengths away, or even nearer. (9)

فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ

And thus did [God] reveal unto His servant whatever He deemed right to reveal. (10)

مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ

The [servant's] heart did not give the lie to what he saw: (11)

أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

will you, then, contend with him as to what he saw? (12)

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

And, indeed, he saw it descend a second time (13)

عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

by the lote-tree of the farthest limit, (14)

عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ

near unto the garden of promise, (15)

إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

with the lote-tree veiled in a veil of nameless splendour.... (16)

مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

[And withal,] the eye did not waver, nor yet did it stray: (17)

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ

truly did he see some of the most profound of his Sustainer's symbols. (18)

وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ

as well as [in] Manāt, the third and last [of this triad]? (20)

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَىٰ

Why – for yourselves [you would choose only] male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] female: (21)

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ

that, lo and behold, is an unfair division! (22)

إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

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. (23)

أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Does man imagine that it is his due to have all that he might wish for, (24)

فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ

despite the fact that [both] the life to come and this present [one] belong to God [alone]? (25)