53:1  By the star as it goes down,

53:2  your^pl fellow has not gone astray, nor has he been deluded,

53:3  nor does he speak out of whim.

53:4  It is but a revelation being revealed,

53:5  taught to him by the extremely powerful,

53:6  the one of vigor. He settled

53:7  while he was at the highest horizon,

53:8  then he came near and descended

53:9  so that he was within two bows’ length or closer.

53:10  Then He revealed to His servant that which He revealed.

53:11  The burning heart did not lie about what it saw.

53:12  Will you^pl enter into controversies with him despite what he sees?

53:13  And he saw him on another descent,

53:14  at the Lote-tree of the Extremity,

53:15  near which is the Garden of Shelter,

53:16  when there covered the Lote-tree what covered it.

53:17  The sight (of the Prophet) did not swerve, nor did it exceed.

53:18  He certainly saw some of the great signs of his Lord.

53:19  Have you^pl seen Al-Lāt and Al-Uzza?

53:20  And Manāt, the third one, the other?

53:21  Are you^pl to have the males and He the females?

53:22  What a bizarre distribution!

53:23  These are nothing but names which you^pl have named, you and your forefathers, for which Allah sent down no manifestation. They follow nothing but assumptions and what the (inner) selves desire, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.

53:24  Or is there for man whatever he wishes?

53:25  To Allah belong the Hereafter and the first (life).

53:26  And how many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing except after Allah gives permission to whomever He wills and is well pleased with.

53:27  Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels with female names,

53:28  though they have no knowledge of that. They only follow assumptions, yet surely assumptions do not substitute for the truth.

53:29  So disregard^sg the one who has turned away from Our Reminder and has wanted nothing but the Earlier Life.

53:30  That is the extent of their knowledge. Indeed, your^sg Lord is the One who knows better who has strayed from His way and He is the One who knows better who has accepted guidance.

53:31  And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, that He may repay those who have done evil according to what they have done and repay those who have excelled in doing good with the best.

53:32  Those who avoid the gravest of sins and obscenities—except for minor lapses—your^sg Lord is of vast forgiveness. He knows better about you^pl, ever since He initiated you from the earth, and ever since you were fetuses in your mothers’ bellies. So do not acclaim your own purity—He knows better who is mindful (of Him).

53:33  Have you^sg seen the one who turned away

53:34  and gave a little, then held back?

53:35  Does he possess knowledge of the hidden realm and can therefore foresee?

53:36  Or was he not informed of what is in the Scrolls of Moses,

53:37  and of Abraham who fulfilled (conveying the commandments):

53:38  that no bearer of burden bears the burden of another;

53:39  and that man attains only what he has striven for;

53:40  and that surely his pursuit will eventually be seen,

53:41  then he is repaid for it with the fullest repayment;

53:42  and that to your^sg Lord is the finality;

53:43  and that it is He Who caused laughter and weeping;

53:44  and that it is He Who caused death and gave life;

53:45  and that He created the two spouses—the male and the female,

53:46  from a sperm drop when emitted;

53:47  and that upon Him is the next creation;

53:48  and that it is He Who enriched and impoverished;

53:49  and that it is He Who is the Lord of Sirius;

53:50  and that He annihilated ancient Ād

53:51  and Thamûd, sparing no one;

53:52  and the people of Noah before that; indeed, they were more unjust and more exceeding of all limits.

53:53  And He brought down the Ruined Cities

53:54  and covered them by that which He covered.

53:55  So which of your^sg Lord's marvels do you enter into controversies about?

53:56  This is a warning just like the first warnings.

53:57  The inevitable is imminent;

53:58  none apart from Allah can unveil it.

53:59  Do you^pl marvel at this discourse,

53:60  and laugh and do not weep,

53:61  lost in your frivolity?

53:62  So prostrate yourselves to Allah and worship!