Surah Al-Qalam

نٓ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write,

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

By the grace of your Lord you are not mad.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

So you shall see, and they (too) shall see,

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ

Which of you is afflicted with madness.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course.

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

So do not yield to the rejecters.

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ

And yield not to any mean swearer

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ

Defamer, going about with slander

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful,

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

Ignoble, besides all that, base-born;

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

Because he possesses wealth and sons.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore.

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ

We will brand him on the nose.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

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,

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ

And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor).

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

So it became as black, barren land.

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ

And they called out to each other in the morning,

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ

Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce).

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

So they went, while they consulted together secretly,

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ

Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you.

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَٰدِرِينَ

And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

Nay! we are made to suffer privation.

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)?

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust.

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other.

قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate:

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition.

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know!

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

Surely those who guard (against evil) shall have with their Lord gardens of bliss.

أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

What! shall We then make (that is, treat) those who submit as the guilty?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

What has happened to you? How do you judge?

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

Or have you a book wherein you read,

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

That you have surely therein what you choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

Or have you received from Us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand?

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

Ask them which of them will vouch for that,

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ

Or have they associates if they are truthful.

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَٰلِمُونَ

Their looks cast down, abasement shall overtake them; and they were called upon to make obeisance indeed while yet they were safe.

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

So leave Me and him who rejects this announcement; We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not:

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm.

أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ

Or do you ask from them a reward, so that they are burdened with debt?

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

Or have they (the knowledge of) the unseen, so that they write (it) down?

فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

So wait patiently for the judgment of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish, when he cried while he was in distress.

لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

Were it not that favor from his Lord had overtaken him, he would certainly have been cast down upon the naked Found while he was blamed.

فَٱجْتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

Then his Lord chose him, and He made him of the good.

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ

And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say: Most surely he is mad.

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

And it is naught but a reminder to the nations.