The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,- 1 By your Lord's Grace, you are not afflicted with madness, 2 And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. 3 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life; 4 You will see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is the demented. 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 Then do not obey the deniers. 8 They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you]. 9 Do not yield to one persistent in swearing, 10 the backbiter who goes about slandering, 11 [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor, 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"? 15 Soon shall We brand him on his snout. 16 We have tested them in the same way as we tested the dwellers of the garden (in Yemen) when they swore to pluck all the fruits of the garden in the morning, 17 and made no allowance [for the will of God]: 18 A calamity from your Lord befell the orchard as they slept. 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 At daybreak they called out to one another: 21 'Come out to your tillage if you want to reap' 22 So they went off, whispering to one another, 23 'No needy man shall enter it today against your will.' 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "We must have lost our way. 26 Aye! it is we who are deprived! 27 A reasonable one among them said, "Did I not tell you that you should glorify God?" 28 They said, “Purity is to our Lord – we have indeed been unjust.” 29 So they came towards each other, blaming. 30 They said, "Woe to us. 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 Our chastisement; and the punishment of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew! 33