Adapted from a benefit mentioned by Shaykh Saalih Ala ash-Shaykh حفظه الله.

وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ (1) مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ (2) وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ (3) إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ (4)

“By the star when it descends,

Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,

Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.

It is not but a revelation revealed…”

Why does Allah begin the chapter making an oath by the star but then switches topic in the next verses to defend the Messenger and affirm that he has been given revelation?

What’s the relation between these verses?

The relation is that the stars are a means of protection for revelation.

This is why we have “shooting stars” which are Shayaateen who are punished for trying to listen to a piece of the Qadr being shared in the heavens.

This is a very important principle in Tafsir and Arabic: Whenever Allah makes an oath by something, then there is a direct relationship between that and the following verses.