53. Surah An-Najm

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

هَذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَى ﴿٥٦﴾

53: 56.  This is a Warner, of the (series of) Warners of old!

C5123. The Prophet before the Quraish (and before us) continues the line of messengers of Allah who have come to teach mankind and lead men into unity and righteousness.

Shall we not listen to his voice?

Every day that passes, the Judgment approaches nearer and nearer. But Allah alone can say at what precise hour it will come to any of us. It is certain, and yet it is a mystery, which Allah alone can lay bare.

أَزِفَتْ الْآزِفَةُ ﴿٥٧﴾

53: 57.  The (Judgment) ever approaching draws nigh:

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ ﴿٥٨﴾

53: 58.  No (soul) but Allah can lay it bare.

أَفَمِنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾

53: 59.  Do ye then wonder at this recital?

C5124. Mere wondering will not do, even if it is the wonder of admiration. Each soul must strive and act, and Allah's Mercy will take it under its wings.

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ ﴿٦٠﴾

53: 60.  And will ye laugh and not weep --

C5125. The higher issues of Life and the Hereafter are serious, and therefore all that we do in this life is serious and important. We must shun inanities and frivolities. It is no laughing time. If we only realized our own shortcomings, we should weep. But weeping by itself will not help. We must try and understand Allah and adore Him. Thus shall we be able to understand ourselves and our fellow-men.

وَأَنتُمْ سَامِدُونَ ﴿٦١﴾

53: 61.  Wasting your time in vanities?

فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا ﴿٦٢﴾

53: 62.  But fall ye down in prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!

C5126. And so we are invited to prostrate ourselves and adore Him. For this is the true end of Revelation and the true attitude when we understand the world, Nature, History and the working of Allah's Plan.

Asad’s Version:

53:56 THIS IS a warning like those warnings of old: 40

(53:57) that [Last Hour] which is so near draws ever nearer,

(53:58) [although) none but God can unveil it...

(53:59) Do you, perchance, find this tiding strange?

(53:60) And do you laugh instead of weeping,

(53:61) and divert yourselves all the while?

(53:62) [Nay,) but prostrate yourselves before God, and worship [Him alone] !

[[Asad’s note - 40 Lit., "a warning of [or "from among"] the warnings of old" - implying that the revelation granted to Muhammad does not aim at establishing a "new" religion but, on the contrary, continues and confirms the basic message entrusted to the earlier prophets - in this particular instance alluding to the certainty of the coming of the Last Hour and of God's ultimate judgment. ]]