The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ Nun. By the pen and by that which they inscribe. 1 you are not, because of the favor of your Lord, mad. 2 And verily, thine shall be a reward neverending 3 for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life; 4 So you will see, and they will realise, 5 Which of you is the demented. 6 Verily thy Lord! He is the best Knower of him who strayeth from His path, and He is the best Knower of the guided one. 7 Therefore do not listen to the deniers. 8 They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you]. 9 Do not yield to any contemptible swearer of oaths, 10 [or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales, 11 One who excessively forbids the good, transgressor, sinner. 12 Ignoble, besides all that, base-born; 13 Because he* has some wealth and sons. (Walid bin Mugaira, who cursed the Holy Prophet.) 14 When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore. 15 We shall brand him upon the muzzle! 16 Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning, 17 without making any allowance (for the will of Allah). 18 So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep. 19 So by the morning it seemed as though picked clean. 20 Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another, 21 'Come forth betimes upon your tillage, if you would pluck!' 22 So they departed, conversing in secret low tones (saying), 23 "Let no needy person come to you within it today." 24 And they went out early, determined in their resolve. 25 But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost; 26 (No, we are not lost.) In fact, we have been deprived of everything". 27 Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?'" 28 They said: hallowed be Our Lord! verily we have been wrong-doers. 29 Then they began to reproach one another. 30 They said, "Alas for us, our behaviour was beyond the pale. 31 Belike our Lord may exchange for us better garden than this; verily we are unto our Lord beseechers. 32 Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. 33