The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,- 1 You (O Muhammad SAW) are not, by the Grace of your Lord, a madman. 2 And verily, for you (O Muhammad SAW) will be an endless reward. 3 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life; 4 You shall see and they will see 5 which of you is the demented. 6 Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright. 7 Therefore, do not obey those who belie, 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger, 10 the backbiter who goes about slandering, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 the crude of low character 13 (He was so) because he had wealth and children. 14 When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore. 15 We shall mark him upon his nose! 16 We have tested them in the same way as we tested the dwellers of the garden (in Yemen) when they swore to pluck all the fruits of the garden in the morning, 17 And made no exception (for the Will of Allah); 18 Wherefore an encircling visitation visited it even as they slept on. 19 So the (garden) became black by the morning, like a pitch dark night (in complete ruins). 20 At daybreak they called to each other: 21 "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits." 22 Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another, 23 'No needy person shall set foot in it today' 24 – and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray 26 "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" 27 The most moderate of them said: said I not unto you, wherefore hallow him ye not! 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 Then they turned, one against another, in blaming. 30 They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous. 31 "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!" 32 Such was their punishment, [in this life]. But the punishment of the life to come is much more severe, if only they knew it! 33