By the star as it goes down
Your friend has not gone astray, nor has he erred
Nor does he speak out of desire
It is but a revelation revealed
Taught to him by the Extremely Powerful
The one of vigor. He settled
While he was at the highest horizon
Then he came near, and hovered around
He was within two bows' length, or closer
Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed
The heart did not lie about what it saw
Will you dispute with him concerning what he saw
He saw him on another descent
At the Lotus Tree of the Extremity
Near which is the Garden of Repose
As there covered the Lotus Tree what covered it
The sight did not waver, nor did it exceed
He saw some of the Great Signs of his Lord
Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza
And Manat, the third one, the other
Are you to have the males, and He the females
What a bizarre distribution
These are nothing but names, which you have devised, you and your ancestors, for which God sent down no authority. They follow nothing but assumptions, and what the ego desires, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord
Or is the human being to have whatever he desires
To God belong the Last and the First
How many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after God gives permission to whomever He wills, and approves
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter give the angels the names of females
They have no knowledge of that. They only follow assumptions, and assumptions are no substitute for the truth
So avoid him who has turned away from Our remembrance, and desires nothing but the present life
That is the extent of their knowledge. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who has accepted guidance
To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. He will repay those who do evil according to their deeds, and recompense those who do good with the best
Those who avoid gross sins and indecencies—except for minor lapses—your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness. He knows you well, ever since He created you from the earth, and ever since you were embryos in your mothers' wombs. So do not acclaim your own virtue; He is fully aware of the righteous
Have you considered him who turned away
And gave a little, and held back
Does he possess knowledge of the unseen, and can therefore foresee
Or was he not informed of what is in the Scrolls of Moses
And of Abraham, who fulfilled
That no soul bears the burdens of another soul
And that the human being attains only what he strives for
And that his efforts will be witnessed
Then he will be rewarded for it the fullest reward
And that to your Lord is the finality
And that it is He who causes laughter and weeping
And that it is He who gives death and life
And that it is He who created the two kinds—the male and the female
From a sperm drop, when emitted
And that upon Him is the next existence
And that it is He who enriches and impoverishes
And that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius
And that it is He who destroyed the first Aad
And Thamood, sparing no one
And the people of Noah before that; for they were most unjust and most oppressive
And He toppled the ruined cities
And covered them with whatever covered them
So which of your Lord's marvels can you deny
This is a warning, just like the first warnings
The inevitable is imminent
None besides God can unveil it
Do you marvel at this discourse
And laugh, and do not weep
Lost in your frivolity
So bow down to God, and worship