The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing. 3 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character. 4 and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see, 5 #NAME? 6 Verily, your Lord knows better, who (among men) has gone astray from His Path, and He knows better those who are guided. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you. 9 And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer 10 [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - 11 A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful, 12 the crude of low character 13 (He was so) because he had wealth and children. 14 When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! 15 Anon We shall brand him on snout. 16 Now We have tried them, even as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore they would pluck in the morning 17 Without saying: Insha' Allah (If Allah will). 18 A calamity from your Lord befell the orchard as they slept. 19 and so by morning the orchard lay as though it had been fully harvested. 20 So they called out to each other at the break of dawn, 21 'Come out to your tillage if you want to reap' 22 So they went off speaking to each other in a low voice. 23 "Let no beggar come to the garden". 24 And they went forth early, determined upon their purpose. 25 When they saw (and did not recognise it) they said: "Surely we have lost the way. 26 "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" 27 (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)' 28 They said: hallowed be Our Lord! verily we have been wrong-doers. 29 And they came blaming one another. 30 Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate: 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