Surah 53 · verse 23
An-Najm 53:23
Sign in to listenإِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ
in hiya illa asma' sumtumuha antum wa-aba'ukum ma anzala Allah biha min sultan in yattabi'una illa az-zann wa-ma tahwa al-anfus wa-laqad ja'ahum min rabbihim al-huda
They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allah 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.
Saheeh International translation
Context in the surah
وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ
And Manat, the third - the other one?
Verse 21أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ
Is the male for you and for Him the female?
Verse 22تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ
That, then, is an unjust division.
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ
They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allah 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.
أَمْ لِلْإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ
Or is there for man whatever he wishes?
Verse 25فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ
Rather, to Allah belongs the Hereafter and the first [life].
Verse 26وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.