The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 By the grace of your Lord you are not mad. 2 There is surely reward unending for you, 3 And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted standard of character. 4 Anon thou wilt see and they will see. 5 which of you has been afflicted by insanity. 6 Indeed, your Lord knows very well those who strayed from His Path, and those who are guided. 7 Do not yield to those who reject the Truth. 8 they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise. 9 Do not heed a contemptible swearer, 10 the fault-finder who goes around slandering, 11 obstructing virtues, a sinful transgressor, 12 the coarse-grained, and above all mean and ignoble; 13 (who so acts) simply because he has wealth and sons, 14 When you recite Our revelations to him, he says: "These are fables of long ago." 15 Anon We shall brand him on snout. 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: Insha' Allah (If Allah will). 18 So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep. 19 and so by morning the orchard lay as though it had been fully harvested. 20 At daybreak they called to each other: 21 Saying: go out betimes to your tilth if ye would reap. 22 So they went off speaking to each other in a low voice. 23 [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person." 24 And they went out betimes determined in purpose. 25 Then when they saw it, they said, “We have indeed strayed.” 26 Nay! we are made to suffer privation. 27 The best among them said: "Did I not tell you: why do you not say: Insha' Allah (If Allah will)." 28 They said: hallowed be Our Lord! verily we have been wrong-doers. 29 Some of them started to blame others. 30 They said, 'Woe, alas for us! Truly, we were insolent. 31 May be our Lord will give us a better orchard in its stead; we turn to Him." 32 Such is the torment. And the torment of the Hereafter is far greater; if they but knew. 33