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, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman. 2 Most surely, you will have a never ending reward. 3 And indeed, you are of a great moral character. 4 Soon you will see, as will they, 5 Who is distracted. 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 Therefore, do not obey those who belie, 8 they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 or to any defamer or one who spreads slander, 11 Hinderer of the good, trespasser; sinner. 12 the crude of low character 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When Our revelations are rehearsed unto him, he saith: fables of the ancients. 15 Soon shall We brand him on his snout. 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 without adding to their swearing, (Allah willing, InshaAllah). 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it, while they were sleeping, 19 and the garden was turned into a barren desert. 20 In the morning they called out to one another, 21 Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit). 22 So off they went, whispering to one another: 23 'No needy person shall set foot in it today' 24 And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able. 25 Then when they saw it, they said, “We have indeed strayed.” 26 Nay, but we are desolate! 27 The best among them said: "Did I not tell you: why do you not say: Insha' Allah (If Allah will)." 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 Some of them started to blame others. 30 They said 'Woe to us, truly we were insolent' 31 "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!" 32 Such is the torment if only they knew that the torment in the life hereafter will certainly be greater. 33