By the stars when they fade away!
53:1
Your fellow man1 is neither misguided nor astray.
53:2
Nor does he speak of his own whims.
53:3
It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺.
53:4
He has been taught by one ˹angel˺ of mighty power1
53:5
and great perfection, who once rose to ˹his˺ true form1
53:6
while on the highest point above the horizon,
53:7
then he approached ˹the Prophet˺, coming so close
53:8
that he was only two arms-lengths away or even less.1
53:9
Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed ˹through Gabriel˺.
53:10
The ˹Prophet’s˺ heart did not doubt what he saw.
53:11
How can you ˹O pagans˺ then dispute with him regarding what he saw?
53:12
And he certainly saw that ˹angel descend˺ a second time
53:13
at the Lote Tree of the most extreme limit ˹in the seventh heaven˺—
53:14
near which is the Garden of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—
53:15
while the Lote Tree was overwhelmed with ˹heavenly˺ splendours!
53:16
The ˹Prophet’s˺ sight never wandered, nor did it overreach.
53:17
He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs.1
53:18
Now, have you considered ˹the idols of˺ Lât and ’Uzza,
53:19
and the third one, Manât, as well?
53:20
Do you ˹prefer to˺ have sons while ˹you attribute˺ to Him daughters?1
53:21
Then this is ˹truly˺ a biased distribution!
53:22
These ˹idols˺ are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up1—a practice Allah has never authorized. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions and whatever ˹their˺ souls desire, although ˹true˺ guidance has already come to them from their Lord.
53:23
Or should every person ˹simply˺ have whatever ˹intercessors˺ they desire?1
53:24
In fact, to Allah ˹alone˺ belongs this world and the next.
53:25
˹Imagine˺ how many ˹noble˺ angels are in the heavens! ˹Even˺ their intercession would be of no benefit whatsoever, until Allah gives permission to whoever He wills and ˹only for the people He˺ approves.
53:26