The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
۞ Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write, 1 you are not, because of the favor of your Lord, mad. 2 and surely yours shall be a never-ending reward, 3 And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted standard of character. 4 You will see, and they will see, 5 which of you is a prey to madness. 6 Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course. 7 Do not, then, yield to those who reject the Truth, decrying it as false; 8 they would like thee to be soft [with them,] so that they might be soft [with thee]. 9 And yield not to any mean swearer 10 A slanderer, going about with calumnies, 11 Who hinders men from (doing) good, the transgressor, the iniquitous, 12 Gross, and therewithal ignoble. 13 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 shall We brand him on his snout. 16 Verily We! We have proved them even as We proved the fellows of a garden when they sware that they would surely reap it in the morning. 17 without adding ("if God wills"). 18 whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep, 19 and in the morning it was if the garden had been reaped. 20 In the morning they called to one another, 21 “Hurry to your orchard if you would gather its fruit.” 22 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones: 23 No needy man shall enter it to-day against you. 24 They left early in the morning bent on this purpose. 25 But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!" 26 rather, we are utterly ruined.” 27 Said the most moderate of them, 'Did I not say to you, "Why do you not give glory?"' 28 They said: hallowed be Our Lord! verily we have been wrong-doers. 29 Then they turned, one against another, in reproach. 30 They said, "Woe to us. We have been arrogant. 31 Maybe our Lord will give us a better orchard in its place; to our Lord do we penitently turn.” 32 Such is the torment. And the torment of the Hereafter is far greater; if they but knew. 33