68. Al-Qalam

نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ١

Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍۢ ٢

Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍۢ ٣

And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍۢ ٤

And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ ٥

And thou wilt see and they will see

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ ٦

Which of you is the demented.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ ٧

Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ٨

Therefor obey not thou the rejecters

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ ٩

Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍۢ مَّهِينٍ ١٠

Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger,

هَمَّازٍۢ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍۢ ١١

Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,

مَّنَّاعٍۢ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢

Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣

Greedy therewithal, intrusive.

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ ١٤

It is because he is possessed of wealth and children

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ١٥

That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ ١٦

We shall brand him on the nose.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ ١٧

Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ ١٨

And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ ١٩

Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ ٢٠

And in the morning it was as if plucked.

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ ٢١

And they cried out one unto another in the morning,

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ ٢٢

Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ ٢٣

So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌۭ ٢٤

No needy man shall enter it to-day against you.

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍۢ قَٰدِرِينَ ٢٥

They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ ٢٦

But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ ٢٧

Nay, but we are desolate!

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ٢٨

The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah)?

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ٢٩

They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers.

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ ٣٠

Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching.

قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ ٣١

They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ ٣٢

It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٣

Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٣٤

Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.

أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ٣٥

Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ٣٦

What aileth you? How foolishly ye judge!

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَٰبٌۭ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ ٣٧

Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ ٣٨

That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ ٣٩

Or have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that ye ordain?

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ ٤٠

Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ ٤١

Or have they other gods? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍۢ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢

On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣

With eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٤٤

Leave Me (to deal) with those who give the lie to this pronouncement. We shall lead them on by steps from whence they know not.

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ ٤٥

Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.

أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًۭا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍۢ مُّثْقَلُونَ ٤٦

Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed?

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ ٤٧

Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)?

فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌۭ ٤٨

But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.

لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌۭ ٤٩

Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.

فَٱجْتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٥٠

But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌۭ ٥١

And lo! those who disbelieve would fain disconcert thee with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Lo! he is indeed mad;

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٥٢

When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.