An-Najm 53:28
The Star · Juz 27 · Page 527
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا ٢٨
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 53:27–30
Refuting the Claim of the Idolators that the Angels are Allah's Daughters
Allah the Exalted admonishes the idolators for calling the angels female names and claiming that they are Allah's daughters. Allah is far removed from what they ascribe to Him. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَجَعَلُواْ الْمَلَئِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَثاً أَشَهِدُواْ خَلْقَهُمْ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَدَتُهُمْ وَيُسَْلُونَ
(And they make females the angels, who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!) (43:19) Allah's statement here,
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ
(But they have no knowledge thereof.) meaning, they have no correct knowledge testifying to their statements. What they say is all lies, falsehood, fake and utter atheism,
إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لاَ يُغْنِى مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئاً
(They follow but conjecture, and verily, conjecture is no substitute for the truth.) meaning, conjecture is of no benefit and never takes the place of truth. In a Hadith recorded in the Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيث»
(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most lying speech.)
The Necessity of turning away from the People of Misguidance
Allah's statement,
فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّى عَن ذِكْرِنَا
(Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder), means, stay away from those who turn away from the Truth and shun them,
وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلاَّ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا
(and desires nothing but the life of this world.) meaning, whose aim and knowledge are concentrated on this life; this is the goal of those who have no goodness in them,
ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ
(That is what they could reach of knowledge.) meaning, seeking this life and striving hard in its affairs is the best knowledge they have acquired. There is also the reported supplication:
«اللْهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا، وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا»
(O Allah! Make not this life the greatest of our concerns nor the best knowledge that we can attain.) Allah's statement,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَى
(Verily, your Lord is He, Who knows best him who goes astray from His path, and He knows best him who receives guidance.) meaning, He is the Creator of all creatures and He knows whatever benefits His servants. Allah is the One Who guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills, and all of this indicates His power, knowledge and wisdom. Certainly, He is Just and never legislates or decrees unjustly.
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53:27
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ٢٧
Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names,
53:28
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا ٢٨
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
53:29
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ٢٩
So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires not except the worldly life.
53:30
ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ ٣٠
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.
53:31
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَى ٣١
And to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth - that He may recompense those who do evil with [the penalty of] what they have done and recompense those who do good with the best [reward] -
53:32
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِذۡ أَنتُمۡ أَجِنَّةٞ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ ٣٢
Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, only [committing] slight ones. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
53:33
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ ٣٣
Have you seen the one who turned away
53:34
وَأَعۡطَىٰ قَلِيلٗا وَأَكۡدَىٰٓ ٣٤
And gave a little and [then] refrained?
53:35
أَعِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ ٣٥
Does he have knowledge of the unseen, so he sees?1
1 translator’s note
- Knows that his provision will be exhausted if he spends on the poor, while Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has promised otherwise. ↩
53:36
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ٣٦
Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses
53:37
وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِي وَفَّىٰٓ ٣٧
And [of] Abraham, who fulfilled [his obligations] -
53:38
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ ٣٨
That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
53:39
وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
53:40
وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠
And that his effort is going to be seen -
53:41
ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ ٤١
Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense -
53:42
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ ٤٢
And that to your Lord is the finality
53:43
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضۡحَكَ وَأَبۡكَىٰ ٤٣
And that it is He who makes [one] laugh and weep
53:44
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحۡيَا ٤٤
And that it is He who causes death and gives life
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy