The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
۞ Nun. By the Pen, and what they inscribe, 1 By the grace of your Lord, you are not a mad man. 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life; 4 So very soon, you will see and they too will realise – 5 Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]. 6 Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths, 10 Defamer, going about with slander 11 or to one who places obstacles in the way of good being done or to the wicked transgressor, 12 Cruel, after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth), 13 Simply because he possesses wealth and children. 14 When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.” 15 Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout! 16 Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning. 17 and made no allowance [for the will of God]: 18 Then a calamity from your Lord fell upon it, but they remained fast asleep. 19 So the (garden) became black by the morning, like a pitch dark night (in complete ruins). 20 They then called out to each other at daybreak. 21 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce). 22 So they went off, whispering to one another, 23 Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you. 24 And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray 26 (Then they said): "Nay! Indeed we are deprived of (the fruits)!" 27 (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)' 28 They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!" 29 And they came blaming one another. 30 They said: "Woe to us! Verily, we were Taghun (transgressors and disobedient, etc.) 31 Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous." 32 SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it! 33