— 62 verses
By the setting star
your companion has neither strayed nor is he misguided
nor does he speak out of his own desire
It [the Quran] is nothing but revelation sent down to him
He was taught by [an angel] who is mighty in power
and endowed with wisdom; who in time manifested himself
standing poised at the highest point on the horizon
then came down clos
until he was two bow-lengths away or even close
and revealed to God's servant what he revealed
The heart [of the Prophet] did not misconstrue what he saw
Will you then dispute with him as to what he saw
And certainly he saw him descend a second time
by the lote tree beyond which none may pas
by the Garden of [Eternal] Repose
when the lote tree was covered in mystic splendour
His sight did not waver nor was it unduly bold
He saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord
Have you really considered al-Lat and al-Uzza
and the third one, Manat?[40]
What! For you the males and for Him the females
That indeed is an unfair divisio
these are nothing but names which you yourselves have devised, you and your forefathers. God has sent down no authority for them. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own selves desire, even though guidance has already come to them from their Lord
Shall man have whatever he craves
But it is to God that the Hereafter and this world belong
There may be countless angels in heaven, but their intercession will be of no avail until God has given permission to those whom he chooses and accepts
Those who do not believe in the life to come call the angels by female names
They have no knowledge to base this on. They merely indulge in guess-work which can never replace the truth
So ignore those who turn away from Our revelation and seek nothing but the life of this world
That is the ultimate extent of their knowledge. Surely your Lord knows best those who stray from His path and He knows best those who follow His guidance
Everything in the heavens and on the earth belongs to God and so He will requite those who do evil in accordance with their deeds and will reward those left with that which is best, for those who do good
As for those who refrain from committing grave sins and indecent acts, though they may commit minor offences, your Lord is unstinting in His forgiveness.He knows you when He brings you out of the earth, and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers; so do not make claims to be pure. He knows best who is truly righteous.[41]
Have you [Prophet] considered the man who turned away
who at first gave a little, then later held back
Has he knowledge of the unseen, so that he sees
Has he not been made acquainted with what was written in the scriptures of Moses
And with Abraham who kept his word
that no soul shall bear the burden of another
and that man shall have only that for which he strives
and that [the fruit of] his striving shall soon be seen
and in the end he will be repaid for it in full
that all things in the end shall return to God
that it is He who brings laughter and tears
that it is He who causes death and gives life
and that He Himself created the two sexes: male and female
from an ejected drop of sperm
and that He will bring about the Second Creation
that it is He who gives wealth and possessions
that He is the Lord of Sirius
It was He who totally destroyed the former A
and Thamud tribes
and before them the people of Noah who were even more unjust and insolent
and He overthrew the subverted cities [of Sodom and Gomorrah]
and then covered them from sight forever
On which then of your Lords signs do you cast doubt
This is a warning just like those of former times
The Hour that was to come draws ever nearer
None but God can avert it
Do you then find these tidings strange
Why do you laugh rather than weep
Will you remain proudly heedless
Prostrate yourselves before God, and worship Him alone