The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]! 1 By the grace of your Lord, you are not a mad man. 2 Surely thou shalt have a wage unfailing; 3 And indeed you possess an exemplary character. 4 So you will see and they will see 5 which of you is a prey to madness. 6 Your Lord knows best who has fallen by the wayside, and who has remained on the true path. 7 So obey thou not those who cry lies. 8 they would like thee to be soft [with them,] so that they might be soft [with thee]. 9 Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths, 10 Or backbiter, calumniator, slanderer, 11 Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful, 12 moreover ignoble, 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore. 15 Soon shall We brand him on his snout. 16 Now We have tried them, even as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck in the morning 17 And they did not say, “If Allah wills”. 18 Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping. 19 Then in the morning it became as though it had been reaped. 20 Then they cried out unto each other in the morning. 21 "Go early to your farms, if you want to pluck the fruits". 22 So they set out, while lowering their voices, 23 "Let no needy person come to you within it today." 24 They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "We must have lost our way. 26 Rather, we have been deprived." 27 (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)' 28 They cried out: “Glory be to our Lord! Certainly we were sinners.” 29 Then they began to reproach one another. 30 They said: "Woe to us! Verily, we were Taghun (transgressors and disobedient, etc.) 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 chastisement; and the chastisement of the world to come, is assuredly greater, did they but know. 33