Surah An-Najm, Ayah 23 (53:23)

ٱلنَّجْم

إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن …

Quran 53:23 is ayah 23 of Surah An-Najm (“The Star”), a Meccan surah of 62 ayahs. It is in Juz 27, on page 526 of the Madani Mushaf.

53:23
إِنْهِىَإِلَّآأَسْمَآءٌسَمَّيْتُمُوهَآأَنتُمْوَءَابَآؤُكُممَّآأَنزَلَٱللَّهُبِهَامِنسُلْطَٰنٍ ۚإِنيَتَّبِعُونَإِلَّاٱلظَّنَّوَمَاتَهْوَىٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖوَلَقَدْجَآءَهُممِّنرَّبِّهِمُٱلْهُدَىٰٓ٢٣
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

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.(23)

Word by word

  1. إِنْinNot
  2. هِىَhiyathey
  3. إِلَّآillā(are) except
  4. أَسْمَآءٌasmāonnames
  5. سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآsammaytumūhāyou have named them
  6. أَنتُمْantumyou
  7. وَءَابَآؤُكُمwaābāukumand your forefathers
  8. مَّآmānot
  9. أَنزَلَanzalahas Allah sent down
  10. ٱللَّهُl-lahuhas Allah sent down
  11. بِهَاbihāfor it
  12. مِنminany
  13. سُلْطَٰنٍ ۚsul'ṭāninauthority
  14. إِنinNot
  15. يَتَّبِعُونَyattabiʿūnathey follow
  16. إِلَّاillāexcept
  17. ٱلظَّنَّl-ẓanaassumption
  18. وَمَاwamāand what
  19. تَهْوَىtahwādesire
  20. ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖl-anfusuthe(ir) souls
  21. وَلَقَدْwalaqadAnd certainly
  22. جَآءَهُمjāahumhas come to them
  23. مِّنminfrom
  24. رَّبِّهِمُrabbihimutheir Lord
  25. ٱلْهُدَىٰٓl-hudāthe guidance

Tafsir (commentary) of 53:23

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 53:19–26 together.

Read the English tafsir of 53:19–26 →

Read the full Surah An-Najm