The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 Surely thou shalt have a wage unfailing; 3 And indeed you possess an exemplary character. 4 So you will see, and they will realise, 5 which of you has been afflicted by insanity. 6 Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided. 7 Therefore do not listen to the deniers. 8 They wish that thou shouldst compromise, then they would compromise. 9 And obey not thou any swearer ignominous. 10 Or backbiter, calumniator, slanderer, 11 Hinderer of the good, trespasser; sinner. 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 just because he has wealth and sons, 14 When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, "These are ancient legends". 15 [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace! 16 We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden who had sworn that in the morning they would reap it, 17 without saying, "If it be God's will." 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it, while they were sleeping, 19 So it became as black, barren land. 20 (Then) in the morning they called out to one another, saying: 21 saying, "Be quick to reach your orchard, if you want to gather all your fruits." 22 So they went off, whispering to one another, 23 "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day." 24 They set out early in the morning, thinking they had the power to prevent. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "We must have lost our way. 26 nay, rather we have been robbed!' 27 Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'" 28 They said, "All glory belongs to God. We have certainly been unjust". 29 Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other. 30 Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate: 31 Perhaps our Lord will replace it with a better garden. We turn in repentance to our Lord". 32 Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. 33