Chapter 68

The PenAl-Qalam (القلم)

52 verses • revealed at Meccan

1 نٓ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ
Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,-
2 مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ
Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.
3 وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ
Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:
4 وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
5 فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ
Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,
6 بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
7 إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance.
8 فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).
9 وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ
Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.
10 وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ
Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths,
11 هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ
A slanderer, going about with calumnies,
12 مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,
13 عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,-
14 أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.
15 إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!
16 سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ
Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!
17 إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ
Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.
18 وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ
But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").
19 فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ
Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
20 فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
21 فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,-
22 أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ
"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."
23 فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)-
24 أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ
"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
25 وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَٰدِرِينَ
And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
26 فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:
27 بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ
"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"
28 قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"
29 قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"
30 فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
31 قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
32 عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
33 كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!
34 إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.
35 أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?
36 مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
37 أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ
Or have ye a book through which ye learn-
38 إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?
39 أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ
Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?
40 سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!
41 أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!
42 يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,-
43 خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَٰلِمُونَ
Their eyes will be cast down,- ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused).
44 فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.
45 وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ
A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.
46 أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ
Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt?-
47 أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?
48 فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ
So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony.
49 لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ
Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.
50 فَٱجْتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.
51 وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ
And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"
52 وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.