The Pen (Al-Qalam)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
۞ NUN. I CALL to witness the pen and what they inscribe, 1 By your Lord's Grace, you are not afflicted with madness, 2 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off. 3 And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality. 4 You shall see and they will see 5 Who is distracted. 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 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters 8 Fain would they that thou shouldst be pliant, so that they will be pliant. 9 And obey not thou any swearer ignominous. 10 back-biting, gossiping, 11 Who hinders men from (doing) good, the transgressor, the iniquitous, 12 moreover ignoble, 13 Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children 14 and whenever Our verses are rehearsed to him, he says: “These are fairy- tales of times gone by.” 15 We will brand him upon the snout. 16 We have put them [i.e., the Makkans] to test even as We put to test the owners of the orchard when they vowed that they would gather the fruit of their orchard in the morning, 17 But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will"). 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 Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit). 22 So they went off speaking to each other in a low voice. 23 "Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares,]" 24 They were resolved to repel the beggars. 25 But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!" 26 “In fact, we are unfortunate.” 27 The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)? 28 'Exaltations to Allah, our Lord' they said, 'We were truly harmdoers' 29 Some of them started to blame others. 30 They said: “Woe to us! We had indeed transgressed. 31 Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition. 32 Such is the punishment (in this life), but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew. 33