The Pen (Al-Qalam)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith), 1 By your Lord's Grace, you are not afflicted with madness, 2 Indeed, there is an unfailing wage for you. 3 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life; 4 and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see, 5 Which of you is the demented. 6 Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise. 9 And yield not to any mean swearer 10 or to any defamer or one who spreads slander, 11 Who hinders men from (doing) good, the transgressor, the iniquitous, 12 moreover ignoble, 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 shall brand him on the nose. 16 We have tried them as we tried the owners of a certain orchard, who vowed to harvest all its fruits the next morning, 17 But did not add: "If God may please." 18 Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep. 19 So by the morning it seemed as though picked clean. 20 And they called out to each other in the morning, 21 'Come out to your tillage if you want to reap' 22 Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another, 23 "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day." 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But when they saw the (garden), they said: "Verily, we have gone astray," 26 (No, we are not lost.) In fact, we have been deprived of everything". 27 Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'" 28 'Exaltations to Allah, our Lord' they said, 'We were truly harmdoers' 29 Then they started blaming one another, 30 They said 'Woe to us, truly we were insolent' 31 It may be that our Lord will give us better than it in exchange. To our Lord we humbly turn' 32 Such is the punishment; and indeed the punishment of the Hereafter is the greatest, if only they knew! 33