The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nuun* – by oath of the pen and by oath of what is written by it. (Alphabet of the Arabic language; Allah and to whomever He reveals, know their precise meanings.) 1 You are not insane, by the munificence of your Lord. 2 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: 3 For you are verily born of sublime nature. 4 So you will see, and they will realise, 5 Which of you is afflicted with madness. 6 Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright. 7 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth). 8 they would wish you to be pliant so that they too may be pliant. 9 And do not yield to any contemptible swearer, 10 the fault-finder who goes around slandering, 11 those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor, 12 Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,- 13 (He was so) because he had wealth and children. 14 that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"? 15 [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace! 16 We have tested them in the same way as we tested the dwellers of the garden (in Yemen) when they swore to pluck all the fruits of the garden in the morning, 17 And they did not say, “If Allah wills”. 18 Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept 19 Then in the morning it became as though it had been reaped. 20 (Then) in the morning they called out to one another, saying: 21 Saying: go out betimes to your tilth if ye would reap. 22 So they set out, while lowering their voices, 23 No needy man shall enter it to-day against you. 24 And they went forth early, determined upon their purpose. 25 But when they saw it, they said, 'Surely we are gone astray; 26 (Then they said): "Nay! Indeed we are deprived of (the fruits)!" 27 Said the most moderate of them, 'Did I not say to you, "Why do you not give glory?"' 28 They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!" 29 and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches. 30 They said 'Woe to us, truly we were insolent' 31 Perhaps our Lord will replace it with a better garden. We turn in repentance to our Lord". 32 Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know! 33