The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Noon. By the Pen and that (the angels) write, 1 You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman. 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature. 4 Anon thou wilt see and they will see. 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided. 7 Do not, then, yield to those who reject the Truth, decrying it as false; 8 They want you to make concessions to them and then they will reciprocate. 9 And yield not to any mean swearer 10 A slanderer, going about with calumnies, 11 (Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin, 12 Cruel, after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth), 13 (who so acts) simply 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 (the beast) on the 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 without saying, "If it be God's will." 18 Then there passed by on the (garden) something (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while they were asleep. 19 and in the morning it was if the garden had been reaped. 20 And they cried out one unto another in the morning, 21 'Come forth betimes upon your tillage, if you would pluck!' 22 So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)- 23 “No destitute person shall enter it today.” 24 They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error! 26 No, rather, we have been prevented' 27 The most moderate of them said: said I not unto you, wherefore hallow him ye not! 28 They said, "Glory be to God, our Lord. We have surely done wrong." 29 Then they approached one another, blaming each other. 30 Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate: 31 Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous." 32 Such is the chastisement; and the chastisement of the world to come, is assuredly greater, did they but know. 33