وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

By the star when it descends,

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

Your companion [i.e., Muúammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ

Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.

إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ

It is not but a revelation revealed,

عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡقُوَىٰ

Taught to him by one intense in strength [i.e., Gabriel] –

ذُو مِرَّةٖ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ

One of soundness.[1] And he rose to [his] true form[2]

وَهُوَ بِٱلۡأُفُقِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ

While he was in the higher [part of the] horizon.[1]

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

Then he approached and descended

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوۡسَيۡنِ أَوۡ أَدۡنَىٰ

And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer.

فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ مَآ أَوۡحَىٰ

And he revealed to His Servant[1] what he revealed [i.e., conveyed].

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ

The heart[1] did not lie [about] what it saw.

أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

So will you dispute with him over what he saw?

وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ

And he certainly saw him in another descent[1]

عِندَ سِدۡرَةِ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ

At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary –

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ

Near it is the Garden of Refuge [i.e., Paradise] –

إِذۡ يَغۡشَى ٱلسِّدۡرَةَ مَا يَغۡشَىٰ

When there covered the Lote Tree that which covered [it].[1]

مَا زَاغَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

The sight [of the Prophet ()] did not swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit].

لَقَدۡ رَأَىٰ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰٓ

He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.

أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلۡعُزَّىٰ

So have you considered al-LŒt and al-ÔUzzŒ?

وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ

And ManŒt, the third – the other one?[1]

أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ

Is the male for you and for Him the female?

تِلۡكَ إِذٗا قِسۡمَةٞ ضِيزَىٰٓ

That, then, is an unjust division.[1]

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 not but [mere] names you have named them – you and your forefathers – for which AllŒh has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.

أَمۡ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

Or is there for man whatever he wishes?

فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ

Rather, to AllŒh belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].

۞وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغۡنِي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ

And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after AllŒh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ

Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names,

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا

And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.

فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا

So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires not except the worldly life.

ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ

That is their sum of knowledge. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of who is guided.