By the star when it sets
your companion has neither strayed nor erred
nor does he speak out of caprice
It is naught but a revelation revealed
taught him by one of awesome power
Possessed of vigor, he stood upright
when he was upon the highest horizon
Then he drew nigh and came close
till he was within two bows’ length or nearer
Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed
The heart lied not in what it saw
Do you then dispute with him as to what he saw
And indeed he saw him another time
at the lote tree of the boundary
by which lies the Garden of the refuge
when there covered the lote tree that which covered
The gaze swerved not; nor did it transgress
Indeed, he saw the greatest of the signs of his Lord
Have you considered al-Lat and al-?Uzz
and Manat, the third, the other
Unto you males and unto Him females
This, then, is an unfair division
They are naught but names that you have named—you and your fathers—for which God has sent down no authority. They follow naught but conjecture and that which their souls desire, though guidance has surely come to them from their Lord
Or shall man have whatsoever he longs for
Yet unto God belong the Hereafter and this world
And how many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails naught, save after God grants leave unto whomsoever He will and unto the one with whom He is content
Truly those who believe not in the Hereafter name the angels with female names
Yet they have no knowledge thereof. They follow naught but conjecture; and surely conjecture avails naught against the Truth
So shun whosoever turns away from Our Reminder and desires naught but the life of the world
That is the extent of their knowledge. Surely thy Lord knows best those who stray from His way, and He knows best those who are rightly guided
Unto God belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, that He may requite those who commit evil for that which they have done, and that He may requite those who are virtuous with that which is most beautiful
those who shun grave sins and indecencies, save what is slight; truly your Lord is of vast forgiveness. He knows you best, from when He brought you forth from the earth and when you were hidden in your mothers’ bellies. So deem not yourselves purified. He knows best the reverent
Have you seen the one who turned away
gave little, and then withheld
Does he have knowledge of the Unseen, such that he sees
Or has he not been informed of that which is in the scriptures of Mose
and Abraham, who fulfilled
that none shall bear the burden of another
that man shall have naught but that for which he endeavored
and that his endeavoring shall be seen
whereupon he will be rewarded for it with the fullest reward
that the ultimate end is unto thy Lord
that it is He Who causes laughter and weeping
that it is He Who causes death and gives life
and that He creates the two—male and female
from a drop when emitted
and that with Him lies the second genesis
that it is He Who enriches and grants possessions
that it is He Who is the Lord of Sirius
and that He destroyed ?Ad the Forme
and Thamud, sparing none
and the people of Noah aforetime—truly they were most wrongdoing and most rebellious
and He razed the subverted cities
such that there covered them that which covered
So which of thy Lord’s boons do you dispute
This is a warning from the warners of old
The imminent is nigh
It has no unveiler apart from God
Do you then marvel at this discourse
And do you laugh and not weep
a while you stand with head held high
So prostrate unto God and worship