The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]! 1 By your Lord's Grace, you are not afflicted with madness, 2 Surely thou shalt have a wage unfailing; 3 And verily thou art of a high and noble disposition. 4 You shall see and they will see 5 which of you has been afflicted by insanity. 6 Indeed, your Lord knows very well those who strayed from His Path, and those who are guided. 7 So do not comply with those who deny: 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 or to any defamer or one who spreads slander, 11 obstructing virtues, a sinful transgressor, 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 Simply because he possesses wealth and children. 14 when Our revelations are recited to him, he says, "These are just ancient fables." 15 Soon shall We brand him on his snout. 16 We have put them [i.e., the Makkans] to test even as We put to test the owners of the orchard when they vowed that they would gather the fruit of their orchard in the morning, 17 without adding to their swearing, (Allah willing, InshaAllah). 18 So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep. 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 And they called out to each other in the morning, 21 "Go early to your farms, if you want to pluck the fruits". 22 So they went off, whispering to one another, 23 [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person." 24 They left early in the morning bent on this purpose. 25 When they saw the garden, they said, "Surely we have lost our way. 26 Nay, but we are desolate! 27 A reasonable one among them said, "Did I not tell you that you should glorify God?" 28 They said, “Purity is to our Lord – we have indeed been unjust.” 29 Then they began to heap reproaches on each other. 30 They said, “Woe to us – we were indeed rebellious.” 31 Maybe our Lord will give us a better orchard in its place; to our Lord do we penitently turn.” 32 Such was their punishment. But the punishment of the Everlasting Life is much greater, if they but knew. 33