The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]! 1 You are not demented by the grace of your Lord. 2 Indeed, there is an unfailing wage for you. 3 surely thou art upon a mighty morality. 4 You shall see and they will see 5 Which of you is the demented. 6 Surely your Lord knows well those who have strayed from His Way just as He knows well those who are on the Right Way. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 They want you to make concessions to them and then they will reciprocate. 9 Do not yield to one persistent in swearing, 10 A slanderer, going about with calumnies, 11 Who hinders men from (doing) good, the transgressor, the iniquitous, 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore. 15 We shall brand him on his nose. 16 Verily We! We have proved them even as We proved the fellows of a garden when they sware that they would surely reap it in the morning. 17 Without saying: Insha' Allah (If Allah will). 18 Then a calamity from your Lord fell upon it, but they remained fast asleep. 19 So it became as black, barren land. 20 They then called out to each other at daybreak. 21 Saying: "Go to your tilth in the morning, if you would pluck the fruits." 22 So they went off speaking to each other in a low voice. 23 "Be sure to stop any poor person from entering the orchard today." 24 And they went out early, determined in their resolve. 25 But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!" 26 Aye! it is we who are deprived! 27 The most moderate of them said: said I not unto you, wherefore hallow him ye not! 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other. 30 They said, "Alas for us, our behaviour was beyond the pale. 31 Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition. 32 Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know! 33