The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by what you write, 1 Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman! 2 And verily, thine shall be a reward neverending 3 Surely, you (Prophet Muhammad) are of a great morality. 4 You will see and they will also see 5 which of you was bereft of reason. 6 Your Lord knows best who has fallen by the wayside, and who has remained on the true path. 7 So do not comply with those who deny: 8 Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant. 9 Nor ever listen to any excessive oath maker, ignoble person. 10 The excessively insulting one, spreader of spite. 11 or to one who places obstacles in the way of good being done or to the wicked transgressor, 12 Foul mouthed, and in addition to all this, of improper lineage. 13 Because he is a possessor of wealth and children, 14 When you recite Our revelations to him, he says: "These are fables of long ago." 15 We shall mark him upon his nose! 16 Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning, 17 Without saying: Insha' Allah (If Allah will). 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord visited it, while they were sleeping, 19 So in the morning it became as if harvested. 20 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another, 21 "Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!" 22 So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)- 23 'No needy man shall enter it today against your will.' 24 And they went out early, determined in their resolve. 25 But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray 26 No, rather, we have been prevented' 27 The more upright of the two said, "Did I not bid you to glorify God?" 28 They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!" 29 Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching. 30 They said, 'Woe, alas for us! Truly, we were insolent. 31 Belike our Lord may exchange for us better garden than this; verily we are unto our Lord beseechers. 32 Such is the punishment (in this life), but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew. 33