The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]! 1 By the grace of your Lord you are not mad. 2 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: 3 You have attained a high moral standard. 4 You will see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Surely thy Lord knows very well those who have gone astray from His way, and He knows very well those who are guided. 7 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 They want you to make concessions to them and then they will reciprocate. 9 And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer 10 A defamer, spreader abroad of slander. 11 those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor, 12 Crude, and above all, mean and infamous, 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When you recite Our revelations to him, he says: "These are fables of long ago." 15 Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout! 16 We have put them [i.e., the Makkans] to test even as We put to test the owners of the orchard when they vowed that they would gather the fruit of their orchard in the morning, 17 And made no exception (for the Will of Allah); 18 Wherefore an encircling visitation visited it even as they slept on. 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,- 21 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce). 22 Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another, 23 No needy man shall enter it to-day against you. 24 And they went in the morning with strong intention, thinking that they have power (to prevent the poor taking anything of the fruits therefrom). 25 But when they saw the (garden), they said: "Verily, we have gone astray," 26 nay, rather we have been robbed!' 27 The best among them said, “Did I not tell you, ‘Why do you not proclaim His purity?’” 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 And they came blaming one another. 30 They said, “Woe to us – we were indeed rebellious.” 31 Perhaps our Lord will replace it with a better garden. We turn in repentance to our Lord". 32 Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know. 33