Surah 53: An-Najm
The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Short Commentary
[a]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
[a] 1:1.
By the star[2868] when it falls,
[2868] An-Najm means, a star; or a stemless plant. But when used as a proper noun it signifies "the Pleiades." The word is also taken by some scholars to signify the gradual revelation of the Holy Qur’an in pieces, and by some other authorities it refers to the Holy Prophet himself. Its plural an-Nujum also means, chiefs of a people, or small states or principalities (Kashshaf, Taj & Ghara’ibul-Qur’an). In view of its different meanings the word An-Najm in the verse may be explained (1) by a well-known saying of the Holy Prophet which is to the effect: 'When spiritual darkness will spread over the entire face of the earth and there will remain nothing of Islam but its name, and of the Holy Qur’an but its letters, and faith will go up to heaven, a man of the Persian descent will bring it back to earth' (Bukhari). (2) It may signify that the revelation in the Holy Qur’an bears witness to its own truth. (3) The tender plant of Islam, which now seems to be going down before the strong and adverse winds of opposition which are fiercely blowing against it, will very shortly rise and develop into a mighty tree under whose cool shade great nations will take rest. (4) 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 (16:17), so will they now be led to their spiritual goal by the star par excellence, i.e. the Holy Prophet. (5) The verse may also embody a prophecy about the fall of the ramshackle State of Arabia, a prophecy much more explicitly stated in 54:2.
Your Companion has neither erred, nor has he gone astray.[2869]
[2869] The ideals and principles presented by the Holy Prophet are not wrong (he has neither erred), nor has he in the least deviated from those principles (nor has he gone astray). Thus both as regards his great and noble ideals and the way he lives up to them he is a sure and safe guide. The argument is reinforced in the next few verses.
Nor does he speak out of his own desire.
It is nothing but pure revelation, revealed by God.[2870]
[2870] Whereas the present verse speaks of the Divine source of the Holy Prophet’s revelation, the preceding two verses allude to the hallucinations of a deranged mind and to the ideas that proceed from one’s own desires and the promptings of the Evil Spirit.
The Lord of Mighty Powers has taught him,[2871]
[2871] The Holy Qur’an is a mighty and powerful Revelation before which all former revealed Scriptures pale into insignificance.
The One Possessor of Powers[2872] which manifest themselves repeatedly. So He settled[2873] Himself on the throne.
[2872] Mirrah means, strength of make or intellect; sound judgment; firmness (Aqrab). Dhu Mirrah may also mean, one whose powers perpetually manifest themselves.
[2873] The expression, Istawa ‘alash-Shai’i means, he gained or had the mastery or complete ascendancy over the thing. If applied to the Holy Prophet, the expression would mean that his physical and intellectual powers have attained their fullest vigour and maturity.
And He revealed His Word when he was on the uppermost [a]horizon.[2874]
[a] 81:24.
[2874] The Holy Prophet had attained to the highest point in his spiritual ascension when God revealed Himself to him in full Glory and Majesty. Or, the verse may mean that the light of Islam was set on a very high place from where it could illumine the whole world. The pronoun, huwa, may refer both to God and the Holy Prophet. See also verse 10.
Then the Prophet drew near to Allah; then Allah leaned down towards him.[2875]
[2875] Dallad-Dalwa means, he sent down the bucket in the well; he pulled up or out the bucket from the well. Tadalla means, he or it lowered or came down; he drew near or approached or increased in nearness (Lane & Lisan). The verse signifies that the Holy Prophet drew near to God and God leaned towards him. It may also mean that the Prophet attained the utmost nearness to God, and after having drunk deep at the Divine fountain of spiritual knowledge, he came down to impart that knowledge to mankind.
So that he became, as it were, one chord to two bows,[2876] or closer still.
[2876] Qab means, the portion of a bow that is between the part which is grasped by the hand and the curved extremity; (2) from one extremity of the bow to the other; (3) measure or space. The Arabs say, Bainahuma Qaba Qausaini, i.e. between them two is the measure of a bow, which means that there is very close relationship between them. The Arab proverb, Ramauna ‘an Qausin Wahidin, i.e. they shot at us from one bow, signifies that they were unanimous against us. The word thus denotes complete agreement (Lane, Lisan & Zamakhshari). Whatever may be the significance of the word Qab, the expression, Qaba Qausaini, indicates very close union between two persons. The verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet continued to scale the heights of Spiritual Ascension and to approach near God till all distance between them disappeared and the Holy Prophet became, as it were, "one chord to two bows." The proverb reminds us of an ancient Arab custom according to which when two persons pledged themselves to firm friendship they would join their bows in such a way that they appeared as one, and then they would shoot an arrow from that combined bow, thus indicating that they had become, as it were, one person, and that an attack on one would be an attack on the other. If the word, Tadalla, be taken to apply to God, the verse would mean that the Holy Prophet went up to God and God came down to him till they both became, as it were, united into one person. The expression possesses yet another very beautiful and subtle significance, viz. that while on the one hand the Holy Prophet became so completely merged in his Lord and Creator that he became, as it were, His very image, on the other, he came down to mankind and became so full of love, sympathy and solicitude for them that Divinity and Humanity became united in him, and he became the central point of the chord of the two bows of Divinity and Humanity. The words, "or closer still," signify that the relationship between the Holy Prophet and God became closer and more intimate than could he conceived.
Verses 8-18 describe the Mi‘raj or the Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet, when he was spiritually transported to heavens and was vouchsafed the view of a spiritual manifestation of God, and ascended spiritually very close to his Maker. It was, in fact, a double spiritual experience, comprising the spiritual ascent of the Holy Prophet, and the descent towards him of God’s manifestation. The Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has become confused in popular mind with Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet to Jerusalem), from which it is quite distinct and separate. The Isra’ took place in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call (Zurqani), while the Holy Prophet had the experience of the Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension to Heavens) in its 5th year, shortly after the first Emigration to Abyssinia, six or seven years earlier. A careful and minute study of the details of these two incidents mentioned in the Hadith also supports this view. For a somewhat detailed exposition of the two incidents—the Mi‘raj and the Isra’—being separate and distinct from each other see {note 1590 under 17:2}.
Then Allah revealed to His servant that which He revealed.[2877]
[2877] Ma is sometimes used to denote honour, surprise or for emphasis (Aqrab). The verse signifies that God revealed to His servant, and what an excellent and mighty revelation it was!
The heart of the Prophet lied not in seeing what he saw.[2878]
[2878] The implication is that what the Holy Prophet had seen was a real experience; it was veritable truth and no figment of his imagination.