The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
۞ Nun. By the pen and what the scribes write. 1 You are not demented by the grace of your Lord. 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 and you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence. 4 So you will see and they will see 5 Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]. 6 Verily, your Lord knows better, who (among men) has gone astray from His Path, and He knows better those who are guided. 7 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise. 9 And obey not everyone who swears much, and is considered worthless, 10 [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - 11 those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor, 12 the crude of low character 13 Because he is a possessor of wealth and children, 14 When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, "These are ancient legends". 15 We will soon singe his pig-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 And made no exception (for the Will of Allah); 18 A visitor from your Lord circled around the garden during the night while they were asleep 19 and so by morning the orchard lay as though it had been fully harvested. 20 And they called one another at morning, 21 "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits." 22 So they went off, while whispering to one another. 23 [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person." 24 They went forth early, believing that they had the power (to gather the fruit). 25 But when they saw the (garden), they said: "Verily, we have gone astray," 26 [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!" 27 The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]?' " 28 They said, "Glory be to God, our Lord. We have surely done wrong." 29 Then they turned to each other reproaching. 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 the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it! 33