Sūrah Najm is the dual counterpart of Sūrah Toor, the previous Sūrah. It can be divided into the following five sections.
SECTION I (1-18)
In this introductory part, it has been elaborated that the Qur’ān is not the work of a soothsayer or a fortune-teller, as its disbelievers are alleging; the Almighty Himself has revealed it on the Prophet (sws) through his most trusted and dependable angel. All its verses are based on truth and what is stated in them is inevitable; there is not the slightest chance of falsehood in them. No one should have the misconception that the observations and experiences the Prophet (sws) is presenting about Wahee and Gabriel are mere illusions or hallucinations. These observations are absolutely true and it is in the well-being of its opponents to profess faith in the Prophet (sws) instead of showing malice and hostility.
SECTION II (19-28)
The idolators of Mecca have been warned that their idols are nothing but a creation of their fancy and have no reality. They are but names which they have invented; neither has the Almighty ever sanctioned their existence nor can sense and reason, instinct and intellect accept them. These are merely vain conjectures that they are following, even though there has come to them a manifest guidance from their Lord; they must bear in mind that conjectures and suppositions cannot take the place of truth, and false wishes and desires have no basis. They shall not encounter what they desire and shall only encounter the facts about which they are being warned. Hence, they must prepare themselves to face them. They must remember that all the matters of this world and the Hereafter are under the control of the Almighty and no one can interfere in them. There are many angels in the heavens whose intercession shall be of no benefit to anyone. The Almighty alone shall give permission to intercede to whom He wants and for whom He chooses. Therefore, the myth of regarding the angels the daughters of Allah and seeking refuge from the law of retribution and accountability in the Hereafter by basalessly supposing that they shall intercede for them is mere fanciful thinking on their part and shall certainly not be of any benefit to them.
SECTION III (29-32)
The Prophet (sws) has been solaced that he should turn away from those who are showing indifference to the Message of Allah and to leave them to themselves. This is the farthest limit of their knowledge and they have no awareness about the Hereafter. He best knows those who have strayed from His path and those who are rightly guided and He shall give each person his due. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth is under the sole jurisdiction of Allah and no one whosoever can save the evildoers from His punishment nor deprive the righteous of their reward. Only those shall be rewarded who used to abstain from heinous sins and open indecencies save those occasional but minor sins to which they were induced, but never became brave on them---because indeed the Almighty is vast in mercy; He shall forgive them. As far as those proud and rebellious people are concerned who on the basis of their race and creed and on the false pretext of intercession reckon that they shall be granted a high place in the Hereafter, they must not be misled; the Almighty has knowledge of all their stages of creation and is also aware of their deeds.
SECTION IV (33-55)
People who do not even have the spirit to spend in the path of the Almighty or make sacrifices and who vainly reckon that since they are the progeny of two great prophets---Abraham and Moses---they are by birth entitled to paradise are severely condemned on this attitude. Their attention is directed to the teachings and sacrifices of these prophets that their high rank and status are because of the unprecedented sacrifices they gave in the way of Allah and not because of their race or creed. A person's own deeds shall benefit him and they shall be of no use to others.
In this regard, it has also been emphatically explained that Allah alone gives comfort and pain, life and death, daughter and son, wealth and opulence; therefore, one should always attach himself to the Almighty. Nations who remain indifferent to the Message of Allah and get deeply involved in worldly pleasures, inspite of their wealth and grandeur, meet the fate similar to the one met by the Aad and the Thamud. Their remains still exist and everyone should learn a lesson from them.
SECTION V (56-62)
This concluding section of the Sūrah refers to what had been stated in the beginning: the Qur’ān is not the work of fortune-tellers or soothsayers but like previous heavenly scriptures is another Reminder. Now the threatened hour is nigh and it is giving its opponents a timely warning. If they still do not take heed, no one shall be able to save them from Allah. They should not express surprise and wonder at the reality about which this Reminder is warning them. They should not laugh at it; in fact, its consequences are so grave that they should take it very seriously. They must pay heed and prostrate themselves in front of the Almighty.
(Translated from Islahi's "Taddabur-i-Qur’ān") ---Shehzad Saleem