The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the Pen, and what they inscribe, 1 By the grace of your Lord, you are not a mad man. 2 You will certainly receive a never-ending reward. 3 For you are truly of a sublime character. 4 Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, 5 which of you is afflicted with madness. 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 Then do not obey the deniers. 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] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales, 11 obstructing virtues, a sinful transgressor, 12 [or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men]. 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old. 15 We will soon singe his pig-nose. 16 Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning, 17 without making any allowance (for the will of Allah). 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept 19 And in the morning it was as if plucked. 20 At daybreak they called out to one another: 21 “Hurry to your orchard if you would gather its fruit.” 22 So they departed, talking in low voices: 23 "Let no beggar come to the garden". 24 And they left at early morn, assuming they were in control of their purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost; 26 "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" 27 A reasonable one among them said, "Did I not tell you that you should glorify God?" 28 They said, "All glory belongs to God. We have certainly been unjust". 29 And they advanced one upon another, blaming each other. 30 They said, "Woe to us. We have been arrogant. 31 Maybe our Lord will give us a better orchard in its place; to our Lord do we penitently turn.” 32 Such is the punishment (in this life), but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew. 33