The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith), 1 You are not insane, by the munificence of your Lord. 2 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: 3 And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality. 4 You will see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Your Lord knows best who has fallen by the wayside, and who has remained on the true path. 7 Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth: 8 They wish that thou shouldst compromise, then they would compromise. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 A slanderer, going about with calumnies, 11 [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor, 12 Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender. 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 When you recite Our revelations to him, he says: "These are fables of long ago." 15 Soon We will brand him on 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 added not the saving words. 18 Then there passed by on the (garden) something (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while they were asleep. 19 and so by morning the orchard lay as though it had been fully harvested. 20 At daybreak they called to each other: 21 Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit). 22 So they departed, talking in low voices: 23 'No needy person shall set foot in it today' 24 And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve. 25 When they saw (and did not recognise it) they said: "Surely we have lost the way. 26 Nay! we are made to suffer privation. 27 (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)' 28 They said, "All glory belongs to God. We have certainly been unjust". 29 Then they began to reproach one another. 30 Saying: "Alas the woe, we were iniquitous. 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 was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know. 33