The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by that which they inscribe. 1 Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed. 2 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: 3 And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality. 4 So very soon, you will see and they too will realise – 5 which of you is a prey to madness. 6 Surely your Lord knows well those who have strayed from His Way just as He knows well those who are on the Right Way. 7 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant. 9 Do not yield to one persistent in swearing, 10 A defamer, spreader abroad of slander. 11 Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 Simply because he possesses wealth and children. 14 When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! 15 [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace! 16 Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning. 17 But did not add: "If God may please." 18 Wherefore an encircling visitation visited it even as they slept on. 19 and so by morning the orchard lay as though it had been fully harvested. 20 In the morning they called to one another, 21 Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit). 22 So off they went, whispering to one another: 23 'No needy person shall set foot in it today' 24 And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve. 25 But when they saw it, they said, 'Surely we are gone astray; 26 Rather, we have been deprived." 27 The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]?' " 28 They said, "All glory belongs to God. We have certainly been unjust". 29 Then they began to heap reproaches on each other. 30 They said: "Woe to us! Verily, we were Taghun (transgressors and disobedient, etc.) 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 Our chastisement; and the punishment of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew! 33