An-Najm: Difference between revisions

The first eighteen verses of this surah are considered to be some of the earliest revelations of the [[Quran]]. These verses address the legitimacy of Muhammad's prophetic visions. The surah begins with the divine voice swearing by the collapsing star that "Your companion," referring to Muhammad, has not gone mad, nor does he speak out of his desire. The passage evokes the process of vision by tracing the movement along the highest horizon and then coming down and drawing near to the distance of "two bows" length. The passage ends with the affirmation of the validity of the vision by stating that the heart of the prophet "did not lie in what it saw."

 

The surah is also known for referencing the star [[Sirius]] in verse 49, where it is given the name {{lang|ar|الشِّعْرَى}} (transliteration: ''aš-ši‘rā'' or ''ash-shira''; the leader).<ref name="Staff2007">{{cite web | author=Staff | date=2007 | url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9067991/Sirius | title=Sirius | publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia | access-date=10 September 2007}}</ref> The verse is: "{{lang|ar|وأنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَى}}", "That He is the Lord of Sirius (the Mighty Star)."<ref name="Quran">{{cite web|title=An-Najm (The Star), Surah 53 |date=2007 |work=Translations of the Qur'an |url=http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/053.qmt.html |publisher=University of Southern California, Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement |access-date=2009-08-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424083652/http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/053.qmt.html |archive-date=2009-04-24 }}</ref>