سُوْرَةُ النَّجْمِ
Surah An-Najm (53) — Ayah 23
إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They are but names which you have named - you and your fathers - for which Allâh has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the Guidance from their Lord!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنْ
in
Not
هِىَ
hiya
they
إِلَّآ
illā
(are) except
أَسْمَآءٌۭ
asmāon
names
سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ
sammaytumūhā
you have named them
أَنتُمْ
antum
you
وَءَابَآؤُكُم
waābāukum
and your forefathers
مَّآ
mā
not
أَنزَلَ
anzala
has Allah sent down
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
has Allah sent down
بِهَا
bihā
for it
مِن
min
any
سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ
sul'ṭānin
authority
إِن
in
Not
يَتَّبِعُونَ
yattabiʿūna
they follow
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلظَّنَّ
l-ẓana
assumption
وَمَا
wamā
and what
تَهْوَى
tahwā
desire
ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ
l-anfusu
the(ir) souls
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
جَآءَهُم
jāahum
has come to them
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّهِمُ
rabbihimu
their Lord
ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ
l-hudā
the guidance
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 23) ➊ { اِنْ هِيَ اِلَّاۤ اَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوْهَاۤ اَنْتُمْ وَ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ …:} For its details, see the exegesis of Surah Al-A'raf (71) and Surah Yusuf (40).
➋ { اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ:} For the exegesis, see the exegesis of Surah Yunus (66, 36).
➌ { وَ مَا تَهْوَى الْاَنْفُسُ وَ لَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ … :} That is, these people worship them only in following the desires of their hearts. Their hearts desire that there should be such a deity who fulfills their needs in this world, and if the Hereafter does come, then there too He should grant them forgiveness, but there should be no restriction of halal and haram upon them, nor any restraint upon their desires. That is why sometimes they start worshipping someone by making him the child of Allah, like someone worships the Messiah or Uzair (peace be upon them) as His son, as the Jews and Christians do, and sometimes they make angels His daughters, as the polytheists of Arabia did, and sometimes they start worshipping someone as His beloved or beloved one, being compelled by love for whom He cannot refuse any request, as is the case with common idolaters, and many false Muslims are also like this, and they harbor hope in their hearts that these imaginary deities they have made will save them from Allah’s grasp on the Day of Resurrection, because they have a relationship of lineage or love with Him, due to which He will be compelled to accept their intercession. Whereas in reality, all these are their failed wishes and desires. The fact is: « وَ لَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدٰى» “And indeed, guidance has come to them from their Lord.” And the real guidance and straight path is only that which our Prophet (peace be upon him) has brought to them.
➋ { اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ:} For the exegesis, see the exegesis of Surah Yunus (66, 36).
➌ { وَ مَا تَهْوَى الْاَنْفُسُ وَ لَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ … :} That is, these people worship them only in following the desires of their hearts. Their hearts desire that there should be such a deity who fulfills their needs in this world, and if the Hereafter does come, then there too He should grant them forgiveness, but there should be no restriction of halal and haram upon them, nor any restraint upon their desires. That is why sometimes they start worshipping someone by making him the child of Allah, like someone worships the Messiah or Uzair (peace be upon them) as His son, as the Jews and Christians do, and sometimes they make angels His daughters, as the polytheists of Arabia did, and sometimes they start worshipping someone as His beloved or beloved one, being compelled by love for whom He cannot refuse any request, as is the case with common idolaters, and many false Muslims are also like this, and they harbor hope in their hearts that these imaginary deities they have made will save them from Allah’s grasp on the Day of Resurrection, because they have a relationship of lineage or love with Him, due to which He will be compelled to accept their intercession. Whereas in reality, all these are their failed wishes and desires. The fact is: « وَ لَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدٰى» “And indeed, guidance has come to them from their Lord.” And the real guidance and straight path is only that which our Prophet (peace be upon him) has brought to them.
