The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by that which they inscribe. 1 (Muhammad), you are not insane, thanks to the bounty of your Lord. 2 There is surely reward unending for you, 3 For you are truly of a sublime character. 4 So you will see and they will see 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance. 7 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you]. 9 And do not obey every mean swearer, 10 A slanderer, going about with calumnies, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 who is ignoble and besides all that, base-born; 13 Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children 14 When Our revelations are rehearsed unto him, he saith: fables of the ancients. 15 We shall brand him on the muzzle. 16 We have indeed tested them the way We had tested the owners of the garden when they swore that they would reap its harvest the next morning. 17 And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor). 18 Then, a visitation from your Lord came down upon it while they slept, 19 So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered). 20 In the morning they called out to one another, 21 saying, "Be quick to reach your orchard, if you want to gather all your fruits." 22 So they departed, talking in low voices: 23 'No needy man shall enter it today against your will.' 24 And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve. 25 But as soon as they beheld the orchard, (they cried out): “We have certainly lost the way; 26 (Then they said): "Nay! Indeed we are deprived of (the fruits)!" 27 The most moderate of them said: said I not unto you, wherefore hallow him ye not! 28 'Exaltations to Allah, our Lord' they said, 'We were truly harmdoers' 29 Then they approached one another, blaming each other. 30 They said: woe unto us! verily we! we have been arrogant. 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 torment. And the torment of the Hereafter is far greater; if they but knew. 33