The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ Nun. By the Pen, and what they inscribe, 1 You are not demented by the grace of your Lord. 2 Surely thou shalt have a wage unfailing; 3 And indeed, you are of a great moral character. 4 So you will see and they will see 5 which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise. 9 And do not yield to any contemptible swearer, 10 The excessively insulting one, spreader of spite. 11 or to one who places obstacles in the way of good being done or to the wicked transgressor, 12 who is ignoble and besides all that, base-born; 13 because he has wealth and sons. 14 that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"? 15 We shall brand him on the muzzle. 16 Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning, 17 without adding ("if God wills"). 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it, while they were sleeping, 19 and in the morning it was if the garden had been reaped. 20 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another, 21 “Hurry to your orchard if you would gather its fruit.” 22 So they went off speaking to each other in a low voice. 23 Let there not enter upon you today any needy man. 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost; 26 Nay! we are made to suffer privation. 27 The best among them said, “Did I not tell you, ‘Why do you not proclaim His purity?’” 28 They said, 'Glory be to God, our Lord; truly, we were evildoers.' 29 Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching. 30 They said, "Alas for us, our behaviour was beyond the pale. 31 It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better than it; to our Lord we humbly turn.' 32 Such is Our chastisement; and the punishment of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew! 33