68. Al-Qalam

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

ENNun. By the pen and what they inscribe,

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍۢ

ENYou are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍۢ

ENAnd indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍۢ

ENAnd indeed, you are of a great moral character.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

ENSo you will see and they will see

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ

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

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

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

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

ENThen do not obey the deniers.

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

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

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍۢ مَّهِينٍ

ENAnd do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

هَمَّازٍۢ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍۢ

EN[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

مَّنَّاعٍۢ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

ENA preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

ENCruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ

ENBecause he is a possessor of wealth and children,

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

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

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ

ENWe will brand him upon the snout.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

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

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ

ENWithout making exception.

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

ENSo there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

ENAnd it became as though reaped.

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ

ENAnd they called one another at morning,

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ

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

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

ENSo they set out, while lowering their voices,

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌۭ

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

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍۢ قَٰدِرِينَ

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

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

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

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

ENRather, we have been deprived."

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

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

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

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

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

ENThen they approached one another, blaming each other.

قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

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

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

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

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

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

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

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

أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

ENThen will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

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

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَٰبٌۭ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

ENOr do you have a scripture in which you learn

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

ENThat indeed for you is whatever you choose?

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

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

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

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

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ

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

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍۢ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

ENThe Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَٰلِمُونَ

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

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

ENSo leave Me, [O Muhammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies the Qur'an. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

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

أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًۭا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍۢ مُّثْقَلُونَ

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

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

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

فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌۭ

ENThen be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muhammad], and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed.

لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌۭ

ENIf not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.

فَٱجْتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

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

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

ENAnd indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

ENBut it is not except a reminder to the worlds.