The Pen (Al-Qalam)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 By your Lord's Grace, you are not afflicted with madness, 2 And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. 3 For you are verily born of sublime nature. 4 Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, 5 Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]. 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 Then do not obey the deniers. 8 Fain would they that thou shouldst be pliant, so that they will be pliant. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 Cruel, after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth), 13 It is because he is possessed of wealth and children 14 When Our signs are recited to him, he says, 'Fairy-tales of the ancients!' 15 We shall brand him on the nose. 16 Verily We! We have proved them even as We proved the fellows of a garden when they sware that they would surely reap it in the morning. 17 And they made not the exception. 18 Wherefore an encircling visitation visited it even as they slept on. 19 So in the morning it became as if harvested. 20 In the morning they called out to one another, 21 "If you want to gather the fruits, let us go early to the plantation." 22 They all left, whispering to one another, 23 "Be sure to stop any poor person from entering the orchard today." 24 And they left at early morn, assuming they were in control of their purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said, 'Surely we are gone astray; 26 rather, we are utterly ruined.” 27 The best among them said, “Did I not tell you, ‘Why do you not proclaim His purity?’” 28 'Exaltations to Allah, our Lord' they said, 'We were truly harmdoers' 29 Then they began to reproach one another. 30 They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous. 31 Perhaps our Lord will replace it with a better garden. We turn in repentance to our Lord". 32 Such is the punishment; and indeed the punishment of the Hereafter is the greatest, if only they knew! 33