The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 And verily thou art of a high and noble disposition. 4 Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is the demented. 6 Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path and who is rightly guided. 7 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 They wish that thou shouldst compromise, then they would compromise. 9 Do not yield to any contemptible swearer of oaths, 10 back-biting, gossiping, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 Foul mouthed, and in addition to all this, of improper lineage. 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 When Our Verses (of the Quran) are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!" 15 We shall mark him upon his nose! 16 We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden who had sworn that in the morning they would reap it, 17 Without saying: Insha' Allah (If Allah will). 18 Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping. 19 So in the morning it became as if harvested. 20 Then they cried out unto each other in the morning. 21 "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits." 22 So they went off, while whispering to one another. 23 [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person." 24 They set out early in the morning, thinking they had the power to prevent. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error! 26 [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!" 27 One who was temperate among them, said: "Did I not say: 'Why don't you priase God?'" 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches. 30 They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous. 31 Belike our Lord may exchange for us better garden than this; verily we are unto our Lord beseechers. 32 Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know. 33