The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by that which they inscribe. 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 You have attained a high moral standard. 4 And thou wilt see and they will see 5 which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way. 7 So do not yield to the rejecters. 8 They would like you to relent to them so that they could also relent towards you. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders, 11 Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful, 12 Greedy therewithal, intrusive. 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “These are stories of earlier people.” 15 [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace! 16 We have indeed tested them the way We had tested the owners of the garden when they swore that they would reap its harvest the next morning. 17 And they did not say, “If Allah wills”. 18 A visitor from your Lord circled around the garden during the night while they were asleep 19 and in the morning it was if the garden had been reaped. 20 And they called out to each other in the morning, 21 'Come forth betimes upon your tillage, if you would pluck!' 22 So they set out, while lowering their voices, 23 "Let no needy person come to you within it today." 24 And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray 26 Nay, but we are desolate! 27 One who was temperate among them, said: "Did I not say: 'Why don't you priase God?'" 28 They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers." 29 So they came towards each other, blaming. 30 They said 'Woe to us, truly we were insolent' 31 May be our Lord will give us a better orchard in its stead; we turn to Him." 32 Such is the punishment (in this life), but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew. 33