The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ Nuun* – by oath of the pen and by oath of what is written by it. (Alphabet of the Arabic language; Allah and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.) 1 Thou art not, through the grace of thy Lord, mad. 2 Most surely, you will have a never ending reward. 3 And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality. 4 So thou shalt see, and they will see, 5 Who is distracted. 6 Surely thy Lord knows very well those who have gone astray from His way, and He knows very well those who are guided. 7 Do not give in to the deniers of truth. 8 Fain would they that thou shouldst be pliant, so that they will be pliant. 9 Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths, 10 the backbiter who goes about slandering, 11 hinderer of good, guilty aggressor, coarse-grained, 12 ill-mannered, and moraly corrupt 13 Because he is a possessor of wealth and children, 14 and whenever Our verses are rehearsed to him, he says: “These are fairy- tales of times gone by.” 15 We shall brand him on the muzzle. 16 Now We have tried them, even as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck in the morning 17 Without making exception. 18 Wherefore an encircling visitation visited it even as they slept on. 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 (Then) in the morning they called out to one another, saying: 21 "Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!" 22 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones: 23 “No destitute person shall enter it today.” 24 And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able. 25 But when they saw it they said: 'We have surely gone astray. 26 “In fact, we are unfortunate.” 27 The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah)? 28 They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers. 29 So they came towards each other, blaming. 30 They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed! 31 Maybe our Lord will give us better than this. We turn to our Lord in supplication." 32 Such is the chastisement; and the chastisement of the Hereafter is assuredly even greater, if only they knew. 33