Quran 53:23 — An-Najm, verse 23
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
these are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. God has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ
in hiya illā asmāon sammaytumūhā antum waābāukum mā anzala l-lahu bihā min sul'ṭānin in yattabiʿūna illā l-ẓana wamā tahwā l-anfusu walaqad jāahum min rabbihimu l-hudā
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- They are naught but names yourselves have named, and your fathers; God has sent down no authority touching them. They follow only surmise, and what the souls desire; and yet guidance has come to them from their Lord.
- Muhammad Asad
- These [allegedly divine beings] are nothing but empty names which you have invented - you and your forefathers - [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high. They [who worship them] follow nothing but surmise and their own wishful thinking - although right guidance has now indeed come unto them from their Sustainer.
- Sahih International
- They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allāh has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | إِنْin | Not | — |
| 2 | هِىَhiya | they | — |
| 3 | إِلَّآillā | (are) except | — |
| 4 | أَسْمَآءٌۭasmāon | names | سمو |
| 5 | سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآsammaytumūhā | you have named them | سمو |
| 6 | أَنتُمْantum | you | — |
| 7 | وَءَابَآؤُكُمwaābāukum | and your forefathers | أبو |
| 8 | مَّآmā | not | — |
| 9 | أَنزَلَanzala | has Allah sent down | نزل |
| 10 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | has Allah sent down | أله |
| 11 | بِهَاbihā | for it | — |
| 12 | مِنmin | any | — |
| 13 | سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚsul'ṭānin | authority | سلط |
| 14 | إِنin | Not | — |
| 15 | يَتَّبِعُونَyattabiʿūna | they follow | تبع |
| 16 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 17 | ٱلظَّنَّl-ẓana | assumption | ظنن |
| 18 | وَمَاwamā | and what | — |
| 19 | تَهْوَىtahwā | desire | هوي |
| 20 | ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖl-anfusu | the(ir) souls | نفس |
| 21 | وَلَقَدْwalaqad | And certainly | — |
| 22 | جَآءَهُمjāahum | has come to them | جيأ |
| 23 | مِّنmin | from | — |
| 24 | رَّبِّهِمُrabbihimu | their Lord | ربب |
| 25 | ٱلْهُدَىٰٓl-hudā | the guidance | هدي |