53:1  By the bright star (Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) when (he ascended during the Ascension Night in the twinkling of an eye and) descended

53:2  He who bestowed on you his companionship (i.e., the Messenger, who made you his companions by blessing you with his companionship,) has never lost his way, nor has he (ever) strayed from the right path

53:3  And he does not speak out of his (own) desire

53:4  His speech is nothing but Revelation, which is sent to him

53:5  (The Lord) of Mighty Powers (directly) conferred on him (perfect) knowledge

53:6  He Who is absolute beauty. Then He (the Effulgence of Beauty) decided to unveil (Himself)

53:7  And he (Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) was on the uppermost horizon (of the realm of creation during the Ascension Night i.e., on the apex of the created cosmos)

53:8  Then He (the Lord of Honour) drew closer (to His Beloved Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) and then drew even closer.

53:9  Then a distance measuring only two bow-lengths was left (between Allah Unveiled and His Esteemed Beloved), or even less than that (in extreme nearness)

53:10  So (on that station of nearness) He (Allah) revealed to His (Beloved) servant whatever He revealed

53:11  (His) heart did not take it contrary to what (his) eyes beheld

53:12  Do you argue with him about what he saw

53:13  And assuredly, he saw Him (Allah Unveiled) the second time (again and you argue only about seeing Him once).

53:14  At the farthest Lote-Tree—Sidra al-Muntaha

53:15  Adjacent to that is the Eternal Paradise—Janna al-Ma’wa

53:16  When theophanies (i.e., effulgent disclosures) of the divine light wrapped up al-Sidra (the Lote-Tree at the Far End), covering it expansively.

53:17  His eye neither inclined aside nor overstepped the limit; (it gazed in ecstasy at Whom it was to gaze)

53:18  Surely, he saw the greatest signs of His Lord (during the Ascension Night)

53:19  Have you taken a look at (the goddesses) Lat and ‘Uzza

53:20  And (have you) also (seen thoughtfully) another, that third one (goddess) Manat? (Have you declared them daughters of Allah?

53:21  (O idolaters!) Are sons for you and daughters for Him (Allah)

53:22  (If your concept is correct,) then that division is serious injustice

53:23  But (the truth is that) these (idols) are nothing but mere names which you and your fathers have given. Allah has not sent down any authority for them. They follow only whims and suspicions and the desires of their (ill-commanding) selves, whereas guidance has already come to them from their Lord

53:24  Is (all) that available for man what he longs for

53:25  So Allah alone is the Master of the Hereafter and the world

53:26  And how many angels there are in the heavens (whom the disbelievers and the idolaters worship and expect from them intercession but) whose intercession will be of no use at all, except after Allah (awards) permission for whom He wills and likes

53:27  Surely, those who do not believe in the Hereafter give the angels female names

53:28  And they know nothing about it. They follow only assumption, and surely assumption serves no purpose in comparison with certitude

53:29  So divert your attention from him who turns away from Our remembrance and desires nothing but the life of this world

53:30  That is but the limit of the working of their knowledge. Verily, your Lord fully knows him who has strayed from His path and (also) knows best him who has attained guidance

53:31  And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth so that He recompenses the acts of those who have committed vices and gives good reward to those who have performed virtues

53:32  Those who guard against grave sins and indecencies excepting small sins (and omissions), surely your Lord has vast prospects of forgiveness (for them). He knows you best when He originated your life and nourishment from the earth (i.e., soil) and when you were embryos (conceived) in your mothers’ wombs. So never pose yourselves as clean and pure; He knows best who is (really) pious

53:33  Have you seen him who has turned away (from the truth)

53:34  And he gave away a little (wealth in the way of Allah) and (then) held back (his hand)

53:35  Does he have the knowledge of the unseen that he can see

53:36  Has he not been given the knowledge of (matters) mentioned in the scriptures of Musa (Moses)

53:37  And in the (scriptures) of Ibrahim (Abraham), who accomplished (all the commands of Allah) with perfection

53:38  That no bearer of a burden will carry the burden of (the sins) of another

53:39  And that man (according to justice) will get only that for which he strives. (As for bounty, no one has any right to it. That is merely Allah’s bestowal and pleasure, granting as much as He wills to whom He pleases.

53:40  And that all his endeavours will soon be shown (i.e., exposed)

53:41  Then he will be given full reward (for all his endeavours)

53:42  And that (ultimately all) have to return to your Lord

53:43  And that He is the One Who makes one laugh (granting delight) and makes one weep (granting grief)

53:44  And that He is the One Who causes death and gives life

53:45  And that He is the One Who has created the two genders, male and female

53:46  Out of a (sperm) drop when it is ejaculated (into the mother’s womb)

53:47  And that it is upon Him alone to raise up alive (also after death)

53:48  And that He is the One Who makes self-sufficient (by providing according to needs), and He is the One Who enriches treasures (by giving surplus to the needs)

53:49  And that He alone is the Lord of Sirius (a star that was worshipped in the days of ignorance)

53:50  And that He is the One Who destroyed the first (people of) ‘Ad

53:51  And (the people of) Thamud (as well). Then He did not spare (any of them) to survive

53:52  And before that, He destroyed the people of Nuh ([Noah] as well). Surely, they were extremely wicked and exceedingly defiant

53:53  And He is the One Who (raised up) the overturned towns (of the people of Lut [Lot]) and smashed them down

53:54  Then covered them that which did cover (i.e., the stones were rained on them)

53:55  So, (O man,) which of the favours of your Lord will you doubt

53:56  This (Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him]) is also a Warner of the Warners of old

53:57  The imminent (Hour of Judgment) has drawn near

53:58  No one except Allah can bring it forth (and establish)

53:59  So do you wonder at this Revelation

53:60  And do you laugh and not weep

53:61  Whilst you are busy playing a game (of negligence)

53:62  So prostrate yourselves before Allah and worship (Him)