Surah An-Najm (The Star)

60 verses, Meccan

{ وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ }

By the star when it descends (or sets).

Surah An-Najm (The Star): Verse 1

1. وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ (By the star when it descends/sets)

Preliminary Issues (Masā'il)

The beginning of this Surah (An-Najm) is connected to the end of the preceding Surah (At-Tur) both in wording and meaning.

• Wording: At-Tur concludes with mention of the stars (وَإِدْبَارَ النُّجُومِ), and An-Najm begins with an oath by the star (وَالنَّجْمِ).
• Meaning: Since Allah commanded the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in At-Tur: "And during a part of the night, glorify Him, and at the setting of the stars" (وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَارَ النُّجُومِ), Allah then clarifies that He has honored the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) by swearing by the star, immediately following this with the declaration: "Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor is he misguided" (مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ).

The Surahs preceding this one began with oaths sworn by specific entities (not letters): As-Saffat, Adh-Dhariyat, and At-Tur. This Surah (An-Najm) follows a sequence related to the three fundamental principles of faith:

1. As-Saffat: Oath to establish Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), as seen in: "Indeed, your God is One" (إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمْ لَوَاحِدٌ).
2. Adh-Dhariyat: Oath concerning the Resurrection (Hashr), as seen in: "Indeed, what you are promised is true, and indeed, the judgment will occur" (إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ * وَإِنَّ الدِّينَ لَوَاقِعٌ).
3. At-Tur: Oath regarding the permanence of punishment after it occurs: "Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will occur. There is none to repel it" (إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ لَوَاقِعٌ * مَا لَهُ مِن دَافِعٍ).
4. An-Najm (This Surah): Oath concerning the Prophethood (Nubuwwah) of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Thus, these Surahs complete the establishment of the three core principles: Oneness, Resurrection, and Prophethood.

Allah did not frequently swear by entities to prove Tawhid or Nubuwwah:

• Tawhid: He swore by one entity (in As-Saffat).
• Nubuwwah: He swore by one entity in this Surah, and two entities in Surah Ad-Duha.

However, He swore frequently regarding the Resurrection and related matters (e.g., وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ, وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا, وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ).

Reasoning:

• The proofs for Tawhid are numerous and primarily intellectual/rational (as stated: "And in everything there is a sign that indicates He is One").
• The proofs for Nubuwwah are also numerous, being the well-known and frequently transmitted miracles.
• The possibility of the Resurrection can be established rationally, but its occurrence can only be proven by revelation (Sam'i). Therefore, oaths are used frequently concerning the Resurrection to firmly establish this belief in the obligated person (al-mukallaf) with absolute certainty.

Exegesis (Tafsir) of the Verse

The Wāw (and) in وَالنَّجْمِ is either an oath by the star itself, or an oath by the Lord of the star. The former is more apparent.

Discussion on the Origin of Oath Particles (Bā' and Wāw):

1. Original State: The particle for an oath (qasam) originally has no specific letter. The Bā' and Wāw are used due to an accompanying circumstance.
2. The Bā': Originally, the Bā' signifies attachment or seeking aid (e.g., "I seek help by Allah" (استعنت بالله), or "I swear by the right of Allah" (أقسمت بحق الله)). It functions like the Bā' in "He wrote with the pen" (كتب بالقلم).
3. Abbreviation: Because swearing became extremely common, the verb "I swear" (أقسم) was often omitted, and the particle (Bā') remained. If someone says, "By the right of Zayd" (بحق زيد), the listener understands an oath because if it were not an oath, the context would require the verb (e.g., "Enter, Zayd," or "Go, by the right of Zayd"). The omission implies the common, understood verb of swearing.
4. The Tā' (in تالله): When the speaker uses بالله (By Allah), the listener pauses, unsure if the speaker intends to follow it with an action verb (e.g., "By Allah, I sought help" (بالله استعنت)) or an oath. To eliminate this ambiguity while maintaining brevity (omitting the verb "I swear"), the Bā' was replaced by Tā' in the specific case of Allah's name (تالله).
5. Why Tā' was used instead of Bā': The Tā' in Arabic can be original, or indicate address (khiṭāb) or feminine agreement. If Tā' were used for an oath with a name like Dā'ī, Rā'ī, or Hādī, it would be confused with the verb form (e.g., تداعى - they called each other). Similarly, if used with names like Rūmān or Tūrān, it could be confused with the future tense marker (تَـ).
6. Why Wāw was used instead of Tā': The Wāw was adopted for oaths because it does not carry the same ambiguity as Tā'. The potential confusion with the original Wāw (as in وَلَّى) is less problematic than the confusion caused by Tā' with address/feminine forms, especially since the Wāw in oaths often implies conjunction (عطف).
7. Why Tā' is restricted to Allah: Although Tā' could theoretically be used for oaths with other nouns where ambiguity is minimal (e.g., تَالرَّحِيمِ), it is reserved for Allah because His name is supremely famous and clear, minimizing the risk of confusion. For other nouns, the potential for confusion (e.g., hearing تَرْحِيم and mistaking it for a verb form) remains higher. Furthermore, Arabs have been reported to say بِرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ (By the Lord of the Ka'bah), confirming that when the verb is present (أقسم بالله), the ambiguity disappears, but when the verb is omitted, Tā' is avoided except for Allah.

The Lām (the) in وَالنَّجْمِ is interpreted in two ways:

1. Lām of Specific Designation (Lām al-'Ahd): Referring to a specific, known star, such as Ath-Thurayya (The Pleiades).
2. Lām of Genus (Lām al-Jins): Referring to stars in general.

Analysis of Interpretations:

• If Ath-Thurayya (The Pleiades): This is the most conspicuous star to the observer, easily identifiable. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was distinguished by clear signs, just as this star is distinct. Furthermore, the rising of Ath-Thurayya in the east at dawn signals the ripening of fruits, and its rising at dusk signals the onset of autumn and the transmission of diseases. When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) appeared, doubt and spiritual ailments diminished, and the fruits of wisdom and understanding ripened.
• If Stars in General (for Guidance): Stars are used for guidance in the wilderness. Allah swears by them due to the similarity between guidance by stars in the physical world and guidance by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the spiritual world.
• If Stars that are Meteors (Rujūm): Stars repel devils from the heavens, just as Prophets repel devils from the people of earth.
• If The Qur'an: This uses the Prophet's miracle (the Qur'an) as proof of his truthfulness and innocence, similar to Surah Ya-Sin (يس * وَالْقُرْآنِ الْحَكِيمِ * إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ).
• If Terrestrial Plants (Nabat): Plants maintain physical strength and well-being; the intellectual faculty is more deserving of maintenance, which is achieved through the Prophets clarifying the paths.

Conclusion: The most apparent interpretation is stars in the sky, as they are most obvious to the listener, especially when linked to the description إِذَا هَوَىٰ (when it descends/sets). The Qur'an is the next most apparent, followed by Ath-Thurayya.

The use of the singular (النجم) is like the use of the singular (الطور) in the preceding Surah, unlike the plural forms used in وَالذَّارِيَاتِ and وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ. (This point refers back to previous discussions.)

Why is the oath restricted by the time when the star descends/sets?

1. Guidance: When a star is high in the middle of the sky, it is too far to be used for navigation, as one cannot distinguish east from west or north from south. When it descends (هوى), its setting reveals the direction of the west from the east, and the south from the north.
2. Prophetic Analogy: Similarly, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was gentle and humble towards the believers (خفض جناحه للمؤمنين) and possessed great character (وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم).
3. Addressing a Counter-Argument: If one argues that guidance is possible when a star is on the eastern horizon just as on the western horizon, the response is that guidance is more significant when the star is descending towards the west because it guides in two paths:
   • The worldly path (physical navigation): As explained above.
   • The religious path (spiritual guidance): As Abraham said concerning the setting sun/star: "I do not love those that set" (لَا أُحِبُّ الْأَفِلِينَ).

Subtle Point: By swearing by the star when it sets, Allah honors it, yet simultaneously qualifies it with a description (هَاوٍ آفل) that shows it has not reached the level of worship, because it is transient and sets.

Verse 2

2. مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُم وَمَا غَوَىٰ (Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor is he misguided.)