Skip to content

An-Najm 23

Ayah 23 of 62 · Meccan

إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّآ أَسۡمَآءٞ سَمَّيۡتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمۡ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلۡطَٰنٍۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ٢٣

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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. إِنۡNotin
  2. هِيَtheyhiya
  3. إِلَّآ(are) exceptillā
  4. أَسۡمَآءٞnamesasmāon
  5. سَمَّيۡتُمُوهَآyou have named themsammaytumūhā
  6. أَنتُمۡyouantum
  7. وَءَابَآؤُكُمand your forefatherswaābāukum
  8. مَّآnotmā
  9. أَنزَلَhas Allah sent downanzala
  10. ٱللَّهُhas Allah sent downl-lahu
  11. بِهَاfor itbihā
  12. مِنanymin
  13. سُلۡطَٰنٍۚauthoritysul'ṭānin
  14. إِنNotin
  15. يَتَّبِعُونَthey followyattabiʿūna
  16. إِلَّاexceptillā
  17. ٱلظَّنَّassumptionl-ẓana
  18. وَمَاand whatwamā
  19. تَهۡوَىdesiretahwā
  20. ٱلۡأَنفُسُۖthe(ir) soulsl-anfusu
  21. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainlywalaqad
  22. جَآءَهُمhas come to themjāahum
  23. مِّنfrommin
  24. رَّبِّهِمُtheir Lordrabbihimu
  25. ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓthe guidancel-hudā

Tafsir

These idols are nothing but names without meaning, so they have no share of divine qualities. You and your fathers named them on your own part. Allah did not reveal any proof for them. The idolaters do not follow in their belief except assumption and what their souls desire from what the satan has adorned in their hearts. And the guidance has come to them from their Lord on the tongue of Muhammad (peace be upon him), but they were not guided.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran