The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
۞ Nuun* – by oath of the pen and by oath of what is written by it. (Alphabet of the Arabic language; Allah and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.) 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 You will certainly receive a never-ending reward. 3 For you are verily born of sublime nature. 4 So you will see, and they will realise, 5 which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Indeed your Lord well knows those who have strayed from His path, and He well knows those who are upon guidance. 7 Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth: 8 They only want that you should relent, so that they may come to terms. 9 And do not obey every mean swearer, 10 A defamer, spreader abroad of slander. 11 Hinderer of the good, trespasser; sinner. 12 moreover ignoble, 13 Because he* has some wealth and sons. (Walid bin Mugaira, who cursed the Holy Prophet.) 14 When Our Verses (of the Quran) are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!" 15 We shall brand him over the nose! 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 they did not say, “If Allah wills”. 18 Then there passed by on the (garden) something (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while they were asleep. 19 Then in the morning it became as though it had been reaped. 20 They then called out to each other at daybreak. 21 Saying: go out betimes to your tilth if ye would reap. 22 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones: 23 "Let no needy person come to you within it today." 24 They left early in the morning bent on this purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "We must have lost our way. 26 Aye! it is we who are deprived! 27 The more upright of the two said, "Did I not bid you to glorify God?" 28 They said, "All glory belongs to God. We have certainly been unjust". 29 And they came blaming one another. 30 They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors. 31 [But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!" 32 Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew! 33