Surah Al-Najm

The Star

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Najm (The star) because of the first verse which contains an oath by the star.

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Najm is the 53rd chapter of the Holy Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter contains 62 verses and is one of the four chapters with and obligatory sajdah(prostration). When the last verse of this chapter is recited, it becomes obligatory for the reciter to do sajdah.

Place of Revelation

The chapter of Al-Najm is Makki. Although according to some exegetes the whole chapter is Makki, except for verse number 32:“Those who avoid major sins and indecencies.” There is also a possibility that the entire chapter was revealed in Medina.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-18

These verses emphasize on the fact that the revelation and prophecy are from the Divine, and they contain the description of the ascension of the Prophet.

These verses state that the Quran was revealed from Allah and was delivered to the people without any deficiency or shortage by the Prophet.

Some have said that these verses also describe the night of Meraj (ascention) and the revelation being verbal on that specific night.

The phrase ‘one of the great powers’ in verse 5 which says: ‘taught him by one of the great powers’ refers to Jibrail.

Verses 13-15 which say: ‘Certainly he saw it yet another time, by the lote tree of the ultimate boundary, near which is the Garden of Abode’ refer to the second time that the Prophet saw the angel Jibrail in his real face. This took place during the Prophet’s ascension (Meraj).

Verses 19-32

These verses explain the Oneness of Allah and the rejection of polytheism.

These verses start with a few word about Lat, Uzza and Manat (the three main idols). These idols were considered the statues of the angels of Allah and also the daughters of Him, according to the pagan beliefs. They also believed that the statues hadthe ability of intercession; and thus in these verses polytheism is criticized.

Explanation of the future life and the order to bow down before Allah:

The verse number 38 which says: “And that no bearer shall bear another’s burden” means that every person is responsible for the consequences of oppressing one’s own soul and committing sins and no one is responsible for anyone else’s actions. As well, a person will not be rewarded for anything except for what one strives for, which is mentioned in the next verse 39 that states: “That nothing belongs to man except what he strives for.” The word “the final goal” in verse 42 “that the final goal is towards your Lord” means that the end of all of the creations is to go back to Allah, and this is an evidence of the absolute Lordship of the Almighty Creator. Some exegetes believe that the word “the final goal or end” refers to the Day of Judgement. In the verse “that it is He who enriches and grants possessions” - enrichment can be through giving and awarding, and granting possession can be giving one to the extent that one reaches contentment.

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Verse 4: “ It is just a revelation that is revealed [to him].”

إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ ٤ عن عبد الرحمن بن میسرة عن أبی أمامة أنه سمع رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم یقول: «لیدخلنّ الجنة بشفاعة رجل لیس بنبی مثل الحیین- أو مثل أحد الحیین- ربیعة و مضر» فقال رجل: یا رسول اللّه أو ما ربیعة من مضر؟ قال: «إنما أقول ما أقول».

It has been narrated from Abdul Rahman ibn Maysarah, from Abu Amamah that he heard the Prophet say: (…)

Verse 11: “The heart did not deny what it saw.”

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ ١١ فی صحیح مسلم عن أبی ذر قال: سألت رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و آله و سلم: هل رأیت ربک؟ فقال: «نور أنی أراه» و فی روایة «رأیت نورا

In Sahih Muslim it has been narrated from Abu Dharr that he said: “I asked the Prophet: ‘Have you ever seen your Lord?’ He replied: ‘There is a light that I see;’ and based on another account: ‘I have seen a light.’”

عن محمد بن کعب عن بعض أصحاب النبی صلی اللّه علیه و سلم قال: قلنا یا رسول اللّه هل رأیت ربک؟ قال: «لم أره بعینی و رأیته بفؤادی مرتین» ثم تلا ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّی.

It has been narrated from Muhammad ibn Kab, who narrates from some of the companions of the Prophet to have said that they said to the Prophet: “O Prophet of Allah, have you seen your Lord?” He said: “I have not seen him with my eyes, but I have seen him twice with my heart; and then he recited: ‘Then he drew nearer and nearer.’”

Verses 13-15: “Certainly he saw it yet another time, by the lote tree of the Ultimate Boundary, near which is the Garden of the Abode.”

وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ ١٣ عِندَ سِدۡرَةِ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ ١٤ عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰٓ ١٥

عن زر بن حبیش عن ابن مسعود فی هذه الآیة وَ لَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْری عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهی قال: قال رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم «رأیت جبریل و له ستمائة جناح ینتثر من ریشه التهاویل من الدر و الیاقوت» و هذا إسناد جید قوی، و قال أحمد أیضا: حدثنا یحیی بن آدم، حدثنا شریک عن جامع بن أبی راشد عن أبی وائل عن عبد اللّه قال: رأی رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم جبریل فی صورته و له ستمائة جناح، کل جناح منها قد سد الأفق، یسقط من جناحه من التهاویل من الدر و الیاقوت ما اللّه به أعلم.

Zerr ibn Hubaysh narrates from Ibn Masood about the verse “Certainly he saw it yet another time, by the lote tree of the ultimate boundary” in which he said that: “The Prophet said: ‘I saw Jibrail and he had 600 wings which from every feather, sapphires were spattering.’” This has a good chain of narrators, and Ahmad also said: “Yahya ibn Adam has narrated from Shuraik, from Jami ibn Abu Rashid, from Abu Wail, from Abdullah to have said: ‘The Prophet saw Jibrail’s real form and he had 600 wings and each wing covered the entire horizon,, and precious gems such as sapphires dropped from his wings and Allah knows better.’”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah:

أبی بن کعب قال قال رسول الله ص مَنْ قَرَأَهَا أُعْطِی مِنَ الْأَجْرِ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ بِعَدَدِ مَنْ صَدَّقَ بِالنَّبِی ص وَ کذَّبَ بِه

Ubay ibn Kab quotes the Prophet as having said: “Whoever recites it (Surah al-Najm) will be given the reward of ten good deeds for every person believed in or belied the Prophet.”

یزید بن خلیفة عن أبی عبد الله قال مَنْ کانَ یدْمِنُ قِرَاءَةَ وَ النَّجْمِ فِی کلِّ یوْمٍ أَوْ فِی کلِّ لَیلَةٍ عَاشَ مَحْمُوداً بَینَ النَّاسِ وَ کانَ مَوْفُوراً لَهُ وَ کانَ مَحْبُوباً بَینَ النَّاسِ.

Yazeed ibn Khalifah narrates from Abu Abdullah to have said that: “Whoever gets used to reciting (Surah) al-Najm every single day or every single night, will live a praised life among the people, and that person will have an abundant life and will become popular among the people.”

Verse 1: “By the star when it sets.”

وَٱلنَّجۡمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ ١ و فی الکافی، عن القمی عن أبیه عن ابن أبی عمیر عن محمد بن مسلم قال قُلْتُ لِأَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ اللَّیلِ إِذا یغْشی وَ النَّجْمِ إِذا هَوی وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِک فَقَالَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ یقْسِمَ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ بِمَا شَاءَ- وَ لَیسَ لِخَلْقِهِ أَنْ یقْسِمُوا إِلَّا بِهِ

In Al-Kaafi it has been narrated from al-Qummi, from his dad, from Ibn Abu Umayr, from Muhammad ibn Muslim to have said that: “I said to Abu Jafar:”…? He replied that: “Allah can swear by whichever of His creations that He wants to, but His creations are only allowed to swear by His name.

Verse 4: “It is just a revelation that is revealed [to him].”

إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ ٤ و فی الکافی، بإسناده إلی هشام و حماد و غیره قالوا: سَمِعْنَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ یقُولُ حَدِیثِی حَدِیثُ أَبِی وَ حَدِیثُ أَبِی حَدِیثُ جَدِّی وَ حَدِیثُ جَدِّی حَدِیثُ الْحُسَینِ وَ حَدِیثُ الْحُسَینِ حَدِیثُ الْحَسَنِ وَ حَدِیثُ الْحَسَنِ حَدِیثُ أَمِیرِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَ حَدِیثُ أَمِیرِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ حَدِیثُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ حَدِیثُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

In Al-Kafi it has been narrated from Hisham, Hamad and others that: “We heard Abu Abdullah say: ‘My words are my father’s words, and my father’s words are my grandfather’s words, and my grandfather’s words are Husayn’s words, and Husayn’s words are Hasan’s words, and Hasan’s words are Ali’s words, and Ali’s words are the words of the Prophet, and the words of the Prophet are the words of Allah.’”

Verse 9: “Until he was within two bow lengths or even nearer.”

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوۡسَيۡنِ أَوۡ أَدۡنَىٰ ٩ ابن سنان فی حدیث: قال أبو عبد الله وَ ذَلِک أَنَّهُ کانَ أَقْرَبَ الْخَلْقِ إِلَی اللَّهِ تَبَارَک وَ تَعَالَی، وَ کانَ بِالْمَکانِ الَّذِی قَالَ لَهُ جَبْرَئِیلُ لَمَّا أُسْرِی بِهِ إِلَی السَّمَاءِ: تَقَدَّمْ یا مُحَمَّدُ فَقَدْ وَطِئْتَ مَوْطِئاً لَمْ یطَأْهُ مَلَک مُقَرَّبٌ وَ لَا نَبِی مُرْسَلٌ، وَ لَوْ لَا أَنَّ رُوحَهُ وَ نَفْسَهُ کانَتْ مِنْ ذَلِک الْمَکانِ لَمَا قَدَرَ أَنْ یبْلُغَهُ، فَکانَ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ کمَاقال الله عز و جل: «قابَ قَوْسَینِ أَوْ أَدْنی» أی بل أدنی.

Ibn Sinaan says in a narration that Abu Abdullah said: “The Prophet was the closest to Allah among all of the creations. He reached a level that Jibrail told him on the day that he took him for the divine excursion that: ‘Come, O Muhammad you have reached a level which no Archangel or Prophet have ever reached.’ If his soul and spirit was not from that place, then he would not have been able to reach that high. He was from Allah and Allah said: ‘Until he was within two bow lengths or even nearer’ in fact he surely nearer.”

و فی الاحتجاج، عن علی بن الحسین فی حدیث طویل: أَنَا ابْنُ مَنْ عَلَا فَاسْتَعْلَی فَجَازَ سِدْرَةَ الْمُنْتَهَی فَکانَ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قابَ قَوْسَینِ أَوْ أَدْنی

In Al-Ihtijaaj in has been narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn in a long narration that he said: “I am the son of he who (…) and passed the tree of the ultimate boundary and reached his Lord with the distance within two bow lengths or even nearer.”

Verse 11: “The heart did not deny what it saw.”

مَا كَذَبَ ٱلۡفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰٓ ١١ محمد بن الفضیل قال: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ هَلْ رَأَی رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص رَبَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ بِقَلْبِهِ رَآهُ أَ مَا سَمِعْتَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ یقُولُ- ما کذَبَ الْفُؤادُ ما رَأی أَی لَمْ یرَهُ بِالْبَصَرِ وَ لَکنْ رَآهُ بِالْفُؤَادِ.

Muhammad ibn Fudhail said that he asked Abul Hasan: “Did the Prophet see Allah?” He replied: “Yes, he saw Him with his heart. Do you not know what Allah said: ‘The heart did not deny what it saw’ meaning that the eyes do not see Him, but the hearts see Him.”

Verse 13: “Certainly he saw it yet another time, by the lote tree of the ultimate boundary.”

وَلَقَدۡ رَءَاهُ نَزۡلَةً أُخۡرَىٰ ١٣ عن هشام عن أبی عبد الله قال: قال النبی ص: انتهیت إلی سدرة المنتهی- و إذا الورقة منها تظل أمة من الأمم- فکنت من ربی کقاب قوسین أو أدنی.

Hishaam narrates from Abu Abdullah to have quoted the Prophet as saying: “I reached the tree of the ultimate boundary and saw that each leaf from the tree cast a shadow on a group of people, and I was within two bow lengths or even nearer to Allah.”

إسماعیل الجعفی عن أبی جعفر فی حدیث طویل: فَلَمَّا انْتَهَی بِهِ إِلَی سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَی تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ جَبْرَئِیلُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص: یا جَبْرَئِیلُ فِی هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ تَخْذُلُنِی فَقَالَ تَقَدَّمْ أَمَامَک- فَوَ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ بَلَغْتَ مَبْلَغاً- لَمْ یبْلُغْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ قَبْلَک- فَرَأَیتُ مِنْ نُورِ رَبِّی وَ حَالَ بَینِی وَ بَینَهُ السَّبَخَةُ [التَّسْبِیحَةُ]،- قُلْتُ: وَ مَا السَّبَخَةُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاک فَأَوْمَی بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَی الْأَرْضِ وَ أَوْمَی بِیدِهِ إِلَی السَّمَاءِ- وَ هُوَ یقُولُ جَلَالُ رَبِّی ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.

Ismail al-Jufi narrates from Abu Jafar in a long narration to have said: “When he (the Prophet) reached the tree of the ultimate boundary, Jibrail was left behind. The Prophet said: ‘O Jibrail, are you betraying me at this point?’ He said: ‘I have reached a place where no one from the creations of Allah has ever reached before you, and I saw a light from my Lord and suddenly a marsh (swamp) (al-sabkhah) separated me from Him.’ ‘What is a marsh (al-sabkhah)?’ He nodded towards the earth and pointed to the sky with his fingers while saying: ‘The glory of my Lord’ three times.”

Verse 39: “That nothing belongs to man except what he strives for.”

وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩ عن عبد الله بن سنان عن أبی عبد الله قالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص یقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِلْمَلَک الْمُوَکلِ بِالْمُؤْمِنِ إِذَا مَرِضَ اکتُبْ لَهُ مَا کنْتَ تَکتُبُ لَهُ فِی صِحَّتِهِ فَإِنِّی أَنَا الَّذِی صَیرْتُهُ فِی حِبَالِی.

In a tradition Abdullah ibn Sinaan narrates from Abu Abdillah who quotes the Prophet to have said: “When a believer becomes ill, Allah tells the angel appointed for him to write for him what you used to write for him when he was healthy; for I am the one who caused him to become sick.”

و فی الخصال، عن أبی عبد الله قال: لَیسَ یتْبَعُ الرَّجُلَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ إِلَّا ثَلَاثُ خِصَالٍ صَدَقَةٌ أَجْرَاهَا فِی حَیاتِهِ فَهِی تَجْرِی بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ إِلَی یوْمِ الْقِیامَةِ صَدَقَةٌ مَوْقُوفَةٌ لَا تُورَثُ أَوْ سُنَّةُ هُدًی سنّ‌ها فَکانَ یعْمَلُ بِهَا وَ عَمِلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ غَیرُهُ أَوْ وَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ یسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ.

In Al-Khisaal, Abu Abdullah is narrated to have said: “Man will not be rewarded after death in any way except for three things: 1) A charity which he establised when he was alive and it continued after his death without being interrupted nor inherited until the Day of Judgement; 2) He started a good tradition which people acted upon and continued after his death; and 3) A righteous child who asked for his forgiveness (after his death).”