The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and what the scribes write. 1 By the grace of your Lord you are not mad. 2 And verily, for you (O Muhammad SAW) will be an endless reward. 3 and you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence. 4 So thou shalt see, and they will see, 5 which of you is a prey to madness. 6 Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way. 7 Wherefore obey not thou the beliers. 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 And do not yield to any contemptible swearer, 10 the backbiter who goes about slandering, 11 those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor, 12 Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender. 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.” 15 We will soon singe his pig-nose. 16 Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning 17 without saying, "If it be God's will." 18 A calamity from your Lord befell the orchard as they slept. 19 and in the morning it was as if it were a garden plucked. 20 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another, 21 “Hurry to your orchard if you would gather its fruit.” 22 So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)- 23 "Let no beggar come to the garden". 24 And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent. 25 But when they saw the (garden), they said: "Verily, we have gone astray," 26 [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!" 27 The most moderate of them said: said I not unto you, wherefore hallow him ye not! 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 And they came blaming one another. 30 They said, “Woe to us – we were indeed rebellious.” 31 Maybe our Lord will give us better than this. We turn to our Lord in supplication." 32 Such is the torment. And the torment of the Hereafter is far greater; if they but knew. 33