وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ (49)
(53:49) that He is the Lord of Sirius, *44
*44) Shi ra is the brightest star in the heavens, which is also known by the names of Mirzam al- Jawza `, al-Kalb al-Akbar, al-Kalb al-Jabbar, Ash-Shi 'ra al-'Abur, etc. In English it is called Sirius, Dog Star and Canis Majoris. It is 23 tunes as luminous as the Sun, but as it shines over eight light-years away from the earth, it appears to be smaller and less luminous than the Sun. The Egyptians worshipped it, for it made its appearance at about the time of the season when the annual floods were beginning in the Nile; the Egyptians believed that Sirius caused the Nile floods. The pagan Arabs also held the belief that this star influenced human destinies. That is why they worshipped it as a deity, and the Bani Khuza`ah, the neighbouring tribe of the Quraish, were particularly well-known for being its devotees. What Allah says means: 'Your destinies are not made and controlled by Shi is but by the Lord of Shi'ra.