Surah Al-Qalam

نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ ۝١

Nūn.¹⁷²⁴ By the pen and what they inscribe,

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ ۝٢

You are not, [O Muḥammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ ۝٣

And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ۝٤

And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ ۝٥

So you will see and they will see

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ ۝٦

Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ۝٧

Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ۝٨

Then do not obey the deniers.

وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ ۝٩

They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ ۝١٠

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ ۝١١

[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ۝١٢

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ۝١٣

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.¹⁷²⁵

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ ۝١٤

Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ۝١٥

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ ۝١٦

We will brand him upon the snout.¹⁷²⁶

إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ ۝١٧

Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ ۝١٨

Without making exception.¹⁷²⁷

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ ۝١٩

So there came upon it [i.e., the garden] an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.

فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ ۝٢٠

And it became as though reaped.

فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ ۝٢١

And they called one another at morning,

أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ ۝٢٢

[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."

فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ ۝٢٣

So they set out, while lowering their voices,

أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ ۝٢٤

[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."

وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ ۝٢٥

And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.¹⁷²⁸

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ ۝٢٦

But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ ۝٢٧

Rather, we have been deprived."

قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ۝٢٨

The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allāh]?'"¹⁷²⁹

قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ۝٢٩

They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."

فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ ۝٣٠

Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ ۝٣١

They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ ۝٣٢

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."¹⁷³⁰

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٣

Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ۝٣٤

Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ۝٣٥

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ ۝٣٦

What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ ۝٣٧

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ ۝٣٨

That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ ۝٣٩

Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?

سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ ۝٤٠

Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ ۝٤١

Or do they have partners?¹⁷³¹ Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ۝٤٢

The Day the shin will be uncovered¹⁷³² and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ ۝٤٣

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.¹⁷³³

فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٤٤

So leave Me, [O Muḥammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies this statement [i.e., the Qur’ān]. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.¹⁷³⁴

وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ۝٤٥

And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ ۝٤٦

Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?

أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ ۝٤٧

Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?

فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ ۝٤٨

Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muḥammad], and be not like the companion of the fish [i.e., Jonah] when he called out while he was distressed.

لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ ۝٤٩

If not that a favor [i.e., mercy] from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.¹⁷³⁵

فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ۝٥٠

And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ۝٥١

And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ۝٥٢

But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.