The Stars (Al-Najm)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I CALL TO witness the star of the pleiades when it has dipped 1 Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. 2 nor does he speak out of his own desire. 3 It [the Quran] is nothing but revelation sent down to him. 4 taught him by one terrible in power, 5 Endued with Wisdom: for he appeared (in stately form); 6 And he was on the horizon of the highest heaven. 7 then he drew near, and became close 8 And was at a distance of two bows' length or (even) nearer, 9 And He revealed to His servant what He revealed. 10 The heart did not lie [about] what it saw. 11 Are you, then, going to contend with him regarding what he sees with his eyes? 12 And he certainly saw him in another descent 13 to the Lot-tree (in the seven heavens) 14 Near it is the Paradise of Abode. 15 When the tree was covered with a covering, 16 his eyes did not swerve, nor did they stray 17 He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord. 18 Have you ever thought about al-Lat and al-Uzza, 19 and about the third deity, al-Manat? 20 What, have you males, and He females! 21 This is an unfair distinction! 22 These are only names given by yourselves and your fathers. God has not given them any authority. They, (unbelievers), only follow mere conjecture and the desires of their souls, even though guidance has already come to them from their Lord. 23 Can the human being have whatever he wishes? 24 All that is in the life to come and all that is in this life belongs only to God. 25