The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

53. THE STAR
A Meccan sura that confirms the divine source of the Prophet’s message and
refers to his ascension to heaven during the Night Journey (verses 1–18). The
sura refutes the claims of the disbelievers about the goddesses and the angels
(verses 19–28), and the third paragraph lists several truths about God’s power.
The sura closes with a warning of the imminent Day of Judgement.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 By the star when it sets! a 2 Your companion b has not strayed; he is
not deluded; 3 he does not speak from his own desire. 4 The Quran is
nothing less than a revelation that is sent to him. 5 It was taught to
him by [an angel] c with mighty powers 6 and great strength, who
stood 7 on the highest horizon 8 and then approached––coming down
9 until he was two bow-lengths away or even closer––10 and revealed
to God’s servant what He revealed. 11 [The Prophet’s] own heart did
not distort what he saw. 12 Are you going to dispute with him what he
saw with his own eyes? 13 A second time he saw him: 14 by the lote tree
beyond which none may pass d 15 near the Garden of Restfulness,
16 when the tree was covered in nameless [splendour]. e 17 His sight
never wavered, nor was it too bold, 18 and he saw some of the greatest
signs of his Lord.
19 [Disbelievers], consider al-Lat and al-Uzza, 20 and the third
one, Manat f –– 21 are you to have the male and He the female? 22 That
would be a most unjust distribution! g –– 23 these are nothing but
names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. God
has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork
and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come
a Sirius, which the Meccans worshipped (cf. verses 49 and 6: 76–9).
b Muhammad.
c This refers to the Angel Gabriel.
d Cf. 56: 28.
e Something unimaginable, indescribable.
f Names of Arabian pagan goddesses.
g Because the pagan Arabs regarded daughters as a humiliation, the Quran argues
with them according to their own logic that it was particularly illogical of them to
attribute daughters to God. See also 16: 57–62; 43: 16–20.