Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen) سُورَة القلم

Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,- ⁽¹⁾

Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed. ⁽²⁾

Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: ⁽³⁾

And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character. ⁽⁴⁾

Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, ⁽⁵⁾

Which of you is afflicted with madness. ⁽⁶⁾

Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance. ⁽⁷⁾

So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). ⁽⁸⁾

Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant. ⁽⁹⁾

Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths, ⁽¹⁰⁾

A slanderer, going about with calumnies, ⁽¹¹⁾

(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin, ⁽¹²⁾

Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,- ⁽¹³⁾

Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons. ⁽¹⁴⁾

When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! ⁽¹⁵⁾

Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout! ⁽¹⁶⁾

Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning. ⁽¹⁷⁾

But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will"). ⁽¹⁸⁾

Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep. ⁽¹⁹⁾

So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered). ⁽²⁰⁾

As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,- ⁽²¹⁾

"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits." ⁽²²⁾

So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)- ⁽²³⁾

"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day." ⁽²⁴⁾

And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve. ⁽²⁵⁾

But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way: ⁽²⁶⁾

"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" ⁽²⁷⁾

Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'" ⁽²⁸⁾

They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!" ⁽²⁹⁾

Then they turned, one against another, in reproach. ⁽³⁰⁾

They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed! ⁽³¹⁾

"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!" ⁽³²⁾

Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew! ⁽³³⁾

Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. ⁽³⁴⁾

Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin? ⁽³⁵⁾

What is the matter with you? How judge ye? ⁽³⁶⁾

Or have ye a book through which ye learn- ⁽³⁷⁾

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose? ⁽³⁸⁾

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand? ⁽³⁹⁾

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that! ⁽⁴⁰⁾

Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful! ⁽⁴¹⁾

The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,- ⁽⁴²⁾

Their eyes will be cast down,- ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused). ⁽⁴³⁾

Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not. ⁽⁴⁴⁾

A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan. ⁽⁴⁵⁾

Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt?- ⁽⁴⁶⁾

Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down? ⁽⁴⁷⁾

So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony. ⁽⁴⁸⁾

Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace. ⁽⁴⁹⁾

Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous. ⁽⁵⁰⁾

And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!" ⁽⁵¹⁾

But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds. ⁽⁵²⁾