The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed. 2 And verily, thine shall be a reward neverending 3 And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted standard of character. 4 So thou shalt see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is the demented. 6 Verily, your Lord knows better, who (among men) has gone astray from His Path, and He knows better those who are guided. 7 Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth: 8 They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant. 9 Do not heed a contemptible swearer, 10 A defamer, spreader abroad of slander. 11 [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor, 12 Greedy therewithal, intrusive. 13 Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons. 14 When Our signs are recited to him, he says, 'Fairy-tales of the ancients!' 15 Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout! 16 Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning, 17 and they added not the saving words. 18 Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping. 19 So it became as black, barren land. 20 (Then) in the morning they called out to one another, saying: 21 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce). 22 So off they went, whispering to one another: 23 'No needy man shall enter it today against your will.' 24 And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "We must have lost our way. 26 Indeed, we are utterly ruined!" 27 Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'" 28 They said, “Purity is to our Lord – we have indeed been unjust.” 29 And they advanced one upon another, blaming each other. 30 They said, "Woe to us. We have been arrogant. 31 We hope that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this. Truly, we turn to our Lord (wishing for good that He may forgive our sins, and reward us in the Hereafter)." 32 Such is Our chastisement; and the punishment of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew! 33