بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
An-Najm 53:1
The Star · Juz 27 · Page 526
وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ ١
By the star when it descends,
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 53:1
Characteristics of Surah An-Najm
Surah An-Najm is the first chapter that the Holy Prophet ﷺ proclaimed in Makkah (` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ has transmitted it - as in Qurtubi) and this is the first Surah in which a verse of sajdah (prostration) is revealed. The Holy Prophet recited it and prostrated. A strange thing happened on this occasion: When the Holy Prophet finished reciting the Surah before a mixed gathering of Muslims and disbelievers, and, along with his followers, he prostrated himself on the ground. The disbelievers too prostrated, except one proud and arrogant man (regarding whose name there is a difference of opinion (Tr.) ) who took a handful of soil and, having applied it on his forehead, said, 'this is enough'. ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ ، [ the transmitter of the Tradition ] said that he saw this man lying dead in the state of disbelief [ kufr ]. (Bukhari, Muslim and other compilers of Sunan - Ibn-Kathir [ condensed ])
At the outset of this Surah, the truth of the Qur'anic revelation and of the Divine claim is sought to be established. In a very exquisite and forceful style, it is stated that the Holy Prophet is a true Messenger of Allah, and there is no room for any doubt about this.
Allah Swears that the Messenger is True
وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ (By the star when it goes down to set,.... 53:1) The word najm means a star, and as a common noun every star is referred to as najm, and in that case the plural is nujum. There are however occasions when najm specifically refers to thurayya. In this case it is used as a proper noun and it signifies "the Pleiades" which is a loose cluster of many (hundred) stars, (six of which are visible to ordinary sight). In this context, some scholars, taking the word as a proper noun, interpret najm as thurayya. Farra' and Hasan Basri prefer the first interpretation, and take the word as a common noun (Qurtubi). This is the interpretation that is adopted in the translation.
The verb hawa means to fall or plunge. When stars fall, they set. In this verse Allah swears an oath to show that the Messenger ﷺ is true, and his words are a revelation from Allah, in which there is no room for any doubt. In Surah As-Saffat it has been explained in detail that the Creator, for various wise reasons, swears by whatever He wills among His creation, but His created beings only swear by the Creator. They are not allowed to swear by anything else. Here Allah has sworn an oath by the stars. Probably, the underlying wisdom in this is that as the Arabs are used to determine the course and direction of, and are guided in their travels by the movements of the stars in the sandy waste of Arabia, so they would now be led to the goal and end of their spiritual journey by the star par excellence, that is, by the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
Page 526
سورة النجم
An-Najm
The Star · Meccan · 62 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
53:1
وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ ١
By the star when it descends,
53:2
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ ٢
Your companion [i.e., Muḥammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,
53:3
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ ٣
Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.
53:4
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ ٤
It is not but a revelation revealed,
53:5
عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡقُوَىٰ ٥
Taught to him by one intense in strength [i.e., Gabriel] -
53:6
ذُو مِرَّةٖ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ ٦
53:7
وَهُوَ بِٱلۡأُفُقِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ ٧
While he was in the higher [part of the] horizon.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in the sky, above the eastern horizon. ↩
53:8
ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ ٨
Then he approached and descended
53:9
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوۡسَيۡنِ أَوۡ أَدۡنَىٰ ٩
And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer.
53:10
فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ مَآ أَوۡحَىٰ ١٠
And he revealed to His Servant1 what he revealed [i.e., conveyed].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., to the Servant of Allāh, Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). ↩
53:11
مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ ١١
The heart1 did not lie [about] what it saw.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., mind or perception (of the Prophet [ﷺ]). ↩
53:12
أَفَتُمَٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ ١٢
So will you dispute with him over what he saw?
53:13
وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ ١٣
And he certainly saw him in another descent1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., on another occasion. During his ascent into the heavens (al-Miʿrāj), the Prophet (ﷺ) also saw Gabriel in his true form. ↩
53:14
عِندَ سِدۡرَةِ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ ١٤
At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary -
53:15
عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ ١٥
Near it is the Garden of Refuge [i.e., Paradise] -
53:16
إِذۡ يَغۡشَى ٱلسِّدۡرَةَ مَا يَغۡشَىٰ ١٦
When there covered the Lote Tree that which covered [it].1
1 translator’s note
- Then and there he (ﷺ) saw Gabriel in angelic form. ↩
53:17
مَا زَاغَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ ١٧
The sight [of the Prophet (ﷺ)] did not swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit].
53:18
لَقَدۡ رَأَىٰ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰٓ ١٨
He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.
53:19
أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱللَّٰتَ وَٱلۡعُزَّىٰ ١٩
So have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā?
53:20
وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱلثَّالِثَةَ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ ٢٠
And Manāt, the third - the other one?1
1 translator’s note
- The three names given in this and the previous verse are those of well-known "goddesses" which were worshipped by the pagan Arabs before the spread of Islām. ↩
53:21
أَلَكُمُ ٱلذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ٢١
Is the male for you and for Him the female?
53:22
تِلۡكَ إِذٗا قِسۡمَةٞ ضِيزَىٰٓ ٢٢
That, then, is an unjust division.1
1 translator’s note
- According to their own standards. ↩
53:23
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 ٢٣
They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allāh 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.
53:24
أَمۡ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ ٢٤
Or is there for man whatever he wishes?
53:25
فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰ ٢٥
Rather, to Allāh belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].
53:26
۞ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغۡنِي شَفَٰعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡضَىٰٓ ٢٦
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allāh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.