The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by what you write, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 Indeed, there is an unfailing wage for you. 3 For you are verily born of sublime nature. 4 and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see, 5 which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Surely thy Lord knows very well those who have gone astray from His way, and He knows very well those who are guided. 7 Do not yield to those who reject the Truth. 8 They would like you to relent to them so that they could also relent towards you. 9 And obey thou not every mean swearer, 10 or to any defamer or one who spreads slander, 11 those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor, 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 just because he has wealth and sons, 14 When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! 15 We will soon singe his pig-nose. 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 making exception. 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it, while they were sleeping, 19 so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak. 20 So they called out to each other at the break of dawn, 21 saying, "Be quick to reach your orchard, if you want to gather all your fruits." 22 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones: 23 "Let no needy person come to you within it today." 24 And they went in the morning with strong intention, thinking that they have power (to prevent the poor taking anything of the fruits therefrom). 25 Then when they beheld it, they said: verily we have strayed. 26 "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" 27 The best among them said: “Did I not say to you: why do you not give glory to (your Lord)?” 28 They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust. 29 Then they approached one another, blaming each other. 30 They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous. 31 Belike our Lord may exchange for us better garden than this; verily we are unto our Lord beseechers. 32 Such is Our chastisement; and the punishment of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew! 33