The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the Pen, and what they inscribe, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. 3 You have attained a high moral standard. 4 And thou wilt see and they will see 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path and who is rightly guided. 7 Do not give in to the deniers of truth. 8 Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise. 9 Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger, 10 [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - 11 Hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful, 12 Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender. 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old. 15 Soon We will brand him on the nose. 16 [As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow, 17 And they made not the exception. 18 So an envoy from your Lord completed his round upon the garden, whilst they were sleeping. 19 So by the morning it seemed as though picked clean. 20 And they called out to each other in the morning, 21 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce). 22 So they went off, whispering to one another, 23 Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you. 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But when they saw it they said: 'We have surely gone astray. 26 nay, rather we have been robbed!' 27 (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)' 28 They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust. 29 Some of them started to blame others. 30 They said, “Woe to us – we were indeed rebellious.” 31 It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord. 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