Surah An-Najm 53:23 — translation and meaning

النجم · Verse 23 / 62 · Page 526

ۚ ۖ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى

Word by Word

ۚ
ۖ
إِنْ
in
Not
هِيَ
hiya
they
إِلَّا
illa
(are) except
أَسْمَاءٌ
asmaon
names
سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا
sammaytumuha
you have named them
أَنتُمْ
antum
you
وَآبَاؤُكُم
waabaukum
and your forefathers
مَّا
ma
not
أَنزَلَ
anzala
has Allah sent down
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
has Allah sent down
بِهَا
biha
for it
مِن
min
any
سُلْطَانٍ
sul'tanin
authority
إِن
in
Not
يَتَّبِعُونَ
yattabi'una
they follow
إِلَّا
illa
except
الظَّنَّ
al-zana
assumption
وَمَا
wama
and what
تَهْوَى
tahwa
desire
الْأَنفُسُ
al-anfusu
the(ir) souls
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
جَاءَهُم
jaahum
has come to them
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّهِمُ
rabbihimu
their Lord
الْهُدَى
al-huda
the guidance

Transliteration

In hiya illaaa asmaaa'un sammaitumoohaaa antum wa aabaaa'ukum maaa anzalal laahu bihaa min sultaan; inyyattabi'oona illaz zanna wa maa tahwal anfusu wa laqad jaaa'ahum mir Rabbihimul hudaa

Translation

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.

Verse interpretation (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.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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