The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by that which they inscribe. 1 You are not insane, by the munificence of your Lord. 2 And indeed for you is an unlimited reward. 3 and you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence. 4 You will 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 Do not yield to those who reject the Truth. 8 They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant. 9 And do not obey every mean swearer, 10 Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 ill-mannered, and moraly corrupt 13 just because he has wealth and sons, 14 and whenever Our verses are rehearsed to him, he says: “These are fairy- tales of times gone by.” 15 We shall brand him upon the muzzle! 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 And they made not the exception. 18 whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep, 19 And it became as though reaped. 20 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another, 21 "Go early to your farms, if you want to pluck the fruits". 22 So they departed, talking in low voices: 23 No Miskin (poor man) shall enter upon you into it today. 24 They went forth early, believing that they had the power (to gather the fruit). 25 But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error! 26 “In fact, we are unfortunate.” 27 One who was temperate among them, said: "Did I not say: 'Why don't you priase God?'" 28 They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!" 29 Then they turned, one against another, in blaming. 30 Saying: "Alas the woe, we were iniquitous. 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 is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know! 33