The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 You are not insane, by the munificence of your Lord. 2 And indeed for you is an unlimited reward. 3 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character. 4 And thou wilt see and they will see 5 Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]. 6 Indeed, your Lord knows very well those who strayed from His Path, and those who are guided. 7 Do not yield to those who reject the Truth. 8 They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you. 9 Do not yield to any contemptible swearer of oaths, 10 the fault-finder who goes around slandering, 11 Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor 12 Crude, and above all, mean and infamous, 13 Simply because he possesses wealth and children. 14 When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.” 15 Soon shall We brand him on his snout. 16 We have tested them in the same way as we tested the dwellers of the garden (in Yemen) when they swore to pluck all the fruits of the garden in the morning, 17 And they did not say, “If Allah wills”. 18 A visitor from your Lord circled around the garden during the night while they were asleep 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 At daybreak they called to each other: 21 Saying: "Go to your tilth in the morning, if you would pluck the fruits." 22 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones: 23 "Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares,]" 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost; 26 No, rather, we have been prevented' 27 One who was temperate among them, said: "Did I not say: 'Why don't you priase God?'" 28 They said, "Glory be to God, our Lord. We have surely done wrong." 29 Then they approached one another, blaming each other. 30 They said: "Woe to us! Verily, we were Taghun (transgressors and disobedient, etc.) 31 [But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!" 32 Such was their punishment. But the punishment of the Everlasting Life is much greater, if they but knew. 33