Al-Qur'an Surah An-Najm Verse 23

Mufti Taqi Usmani

These are nothing but names you and your fathers have invented; Allah has sent down no authority attached to them. They are following nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire, while guidance from their Lord has surely reached them.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

These ˹idols˺ are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up[[ Meaning, “You call them gods while in fact they are not gods.” ]]—a practice Allah has never authorized. They follow nothing but ˹inherited˺ assumptions and whatever ˹their˺ souls desire, although ˹true˺ guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

Ruwwad Translation Center

These [idols] are no more than names you and your forefathers have made up, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their souls desire, although there has come to them guidance from their Lord.

A. J. Arberry

They are naught but names yourselves have named, and your fathers; God has sent down no authority touching them. They follow only surmise, and what the souls desire; and yet guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Abdul Haleem

these are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. God has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which Allah hath sent down no authority. They follow but their fancy, and that which pleaseth their souls; whereas assuredly there hath come Unto them from their Lord the guidance.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

These are nothing but names which ye have devised,- ye and your fathers,- for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire!- Even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord!

Abul Ala Maududi

These are nothing but names that you and your forefathers have invented, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They are merely following their conjectures and their carnal desires although guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Ahmed Ali

These are only names which you and your fathers have invented. No authority was sent down by God for them. They only follow conjecture and wish-fulfilment, even though guidance had come to them already from their Lord.

Ahmed Raza Khan

They are nothing but some names that you have coined, you and your forefathers – Allah has not sent any proof for them; they follow only guesses and their own desires; whereas the guidance from their Lord has come to them.

Ali Quli Qarai

These are but names, which you have coined—you and your fathers—for which Allah has not sent down any authority. They follow nothing but conjectures and the desires of the [lower] soul, while there has already come to them the guidance from their Lord.

Ali Ünal

They (your false deities) are nothing but made-up names that you and your forefathers have invented; God sent no authority for them. They follow only conjecture and that which they themselves lust after. But now there has certainly come to them guidance from their Lord (Who has created them, and sustains them).

Amatul Rahman Omar

(The fact is that) these are mere names (bearing no significance) which you have coined, you and your forefathers, for which Allâh has revealed no authority (for their being worshipped as gods and goddesses). These (idol-worshippers) follow nothing but mere conjectures and the fancies of (their own) minds. (They do this) even though true guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

English Literal

That truly it is except names, you named it, you and your fathers/forefathers, God did not descend with it from a proof/evidence , that truly they follow except the doubt/suspicion , and what the selves desire/attract , and the guidance had (E) come to them from their Lord.

Faridul Haque

They are nothing but some names that you have coined, you and your forefathers - Allah has not sent any proof for them; they follow only guesses and their own desires; whereas the guidance from their Lord has come to them.

Hamid S. Aziz

They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent for them any authority. They follow naught but conjecture and the low desires which their souls incline to, even though true guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Hilali & Khan

They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the Guidance from their Lord!

Maulana Mohammad Ali

This indeed is an unjust division!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent for them any authority. They follow naught but conjecture and the low desires which (their) souls incline to; and certainly the guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which Allah hath revealed no warrant. They follow but a guess and that which (they) themselves desire. And now the guidance from their Lord hath come unto them.

Muhammad Sarwar

These are only names given by yourselves and your fathers. God has not given them any authority. They, (unbelievers), only follow mere conjecture and the desires of their souls, even though guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They are but names, named by you and your fathers. Allah has not sent down any authority for them. They follow conjecture and their soul's desire, eventhough the guidance of their Lord has come to them.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They are but names which you have named - you and your fathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the guidance from their Lord!

Wahiduddin Khan

these are nothing but names which you yourselves have devised, you and your forefathers. God has sent down no authority for them. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own selves desire, even though guidance has already come to them from their Lord!

Talal Itani

These are nothing but names, which you have devised, you and your ancestors, for which God sent down no authority. They follow nothing but assumptions, and what the ego desires, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Tafsir jalalayn

These, that is, the mentioned [deities], are nothing but names which you have named, by which you have named, you and your fathers, idols that you worship. God has not revealed any warrant, [any] proof or evidence, for them, that is to say, [for] the worship of them. They follow nothing but conjecture, in their worship of them, and that which [ignoble] souls desire, of that which Satan adorned for them, that they may intercede for them before God, exalted be He, even though guidance has already come to them from their Lord, by the tongue of the Prophet (s), with definitive proof; yet they do not desist from their ways.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَابَاوُكُم

They are but names which you have named -- you and your fathers, (of your own desire),

مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ

for which Allah has sent down no authority.

meaning, proof,

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الاَْنفُسُ

They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire,

they have no proof, except their trust in their forefathers who took this false path in the past, as well as, their lusts and desires to become leaders, and thereby gain honor and reverence for their forefathers,

وَلَقَدْ جَاءهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى



whereas there has surely come to them the guidance from their Lord!

meaning, Allah has sent them Messengers with the clear truth and unequivocal evidence. However, they did not adhere to or follow the guidance that came to them through the Prophets.
Wishful Thinking does not earn One Righteousness

Allah the Exalted said,

أَمْ لِلِْنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى