The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith), 1 By the grace of your Lord, you are not a mad man. 2 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: 3 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character. 4 And thou wilt see and they will see 5 Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]. 6 Verily, your Lord knows better, who (among men) has gone astray from His Path, and He knows better those who are guided. 7 So obey thou not those who cry lies. 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 Do not heed a contemptible swearer, 10 backbiter, going about with slander, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 [or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men]. 13 just because he has wealth and sons, 14 When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! 15 We shall brand him on the muzzle. 16 Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning 17 And they made not the exception. 18 Thereupon a calamity from your Lord passed over it while they were asleep, 19 So in the morning it became as if harvested. 20 So they called out to each other at the break of dawn, 21 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce). 22 So they went, while they consulted together secretly, 23 [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person." 24 – and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose. 25 Then when they beheld it, they said: verily we have strayed. 26 “In fact, we are unfortunate.” 27 The more upright of the two said, "Did I not bid you to glorify God?" 28 They said, “Purity is to our Lord – we have indeed been unjust.” 29 Then they began to reproach one another. 30 They said, 'Woe, alas for us! Truly, we were insolent. 31 Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition. 32 Such was their punishment. But the punishment of the Everlasting Life is much greater, if they but knew. 33