سُورَةُ القَلَمِ

نۤۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا یَسۡطُرُونَ (۱)

Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!

مَاۤ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونࣲ (۲)

Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَیۡرَ مَمۡنُونࣲ (۳)

And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending –

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِیمࣲ (۴)

for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَیُبۡصِرُونَ (۵)

and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,

بِأَییِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ (۶)

which of you was bereft of reason.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِیلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِینَ (۷)

Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way.

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِینَ (۸)

Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:

وَدُّوا۟ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَیُدۡهِنُونَ (۹)

they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافࣲ مَّهِینٍ (۱۰)

Furthermore, defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,

هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّاۤءِۭ بِنَمِیمࣲ (۱۱)

[or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,

مَّنَّاعࣲ لِّلۡخَیۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِیمٍ (۱۲)

[or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ زَنِیمٍ (۱۳)

[or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men].

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالࣲ وَبَنِینَ (۱۴)

Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ ءَایَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِیرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ (۱۵)

that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ (۱۶)

[For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace!

إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَـٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَاۤ أَصۡحَـٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُوا۟ لَیَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِینَ (۱۷)

[As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow,

وَلَا یَسۡتَثۡنُونَ (۱۸)

and made no allowance [for the will of God]:

فَطَافَ عَلَیۡهَا طَاۤىِٕفࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَاۤىِٕمُونَ (۱۹)

whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep,

فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِیمِ (۲۰)

so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.

فَتَنَادَوۡا۟ مُصۡبِحِینَ (۲۱)

Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,

أَنِ ٱغۡدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰرِمِینَ (۲۲)

"Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمۡ یَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ (۲۳)

Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,

أَن لَّا یَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡیَوۡمَ عَلَیۡكُم مِّسۡكِینࣱ (۲۴)

"Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"

وَغَدَوۡا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدࣲ قَـٰدِرِینَ (۲۵)

– and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّا لَضَاۤلُّونَ (۲۶)

But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ (۲۷)

- [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"

قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ (۲۸)

Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?’"

قَالُوا۟ سُبۡحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِینَ (۲۹)

They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"

فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ یَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ (۳۰)

- and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.

قَالُوا۟ یَـٰوَیۡلَنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِینَ (۳۱)

[In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَاۤ أَن یُبۡدِلَنَا خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهَاۤ إِنَّاۤ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَ ٰ⁠غِبُونَ (۳۲)

[But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"

كَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ (۳۳)

SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it!

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِینَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِیمِ (۳۴)

For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِینَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِینَ (۳۵)

or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin?

مَا لَكُمۡ كَیۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ (۳۶)

What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَـٰبࣱ فِیهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ (۳۷)

Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِیهِ لَمَا تَخَیَّرُونَ (۳۸)

and in which you find all that you may wish to find?

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَیۡمَـٰنٌ عَلَیۡنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ (۳۹)

Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]?

سَلۡهُمۡ أَیُّهُم بِذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ زَعِیمٌ (۴۰)

Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَاۤءُ فَلۡیَأۡتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَاۤىِٕهِمۡ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِینَ (۴۱)

Or have they, perchance, any sages to support their views? Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs

یَوۡمَ یُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقࣲ وَیُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا یَسۡتَطِیعُونَ (۴۲)

on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone, and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God], and shall be unable to do so:

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُوا۟ یُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَـٰلِمُونَ (۴۳)

downcast will be their eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them - seeing that they had been called upon [in vain] to prostrate themselves [before Him] while they were yet sound [and alive].

فَذَرۡنِی وَمَن یُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِیثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ (۴۴)

Hence, leave Me alone with such as give the lie to this tiding. We shall bring them low, step by step, without their perceiving how it has come about:

وَأُمۡلِی لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَیۡدِی مَتِینٌ (۴۵)

for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرࣰا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمࣲ مُّثۡقَلُونَ (۴۶)

Or is it that [they fear lest] thou ask them for a reward, [O Prophet,] so that they would be burdened with debt [if they listened to thee]?

أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَیۡبُ فَهُمۡ یَكۡتُبُونَ (۴۷)

Or [do they think] that the hidden reality [of all that exists] is within their grasp, so that [in time] they can write it down?

فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومࣱ (۴۸)

BEAR THEN with patience thy Sustainer's will and be not like him of the great fish, who cried out [in distress] after having given in to anger.

لَّوۡلَاۤ أَن تَدَ ٰ⁠رَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَاۤءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومࣱ (۴۹)

[And remember:] had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren shore in a state of disgrace:

فَٱجۡتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَ (۵۰)

but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous.

وَإِن یَكَادُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَیُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَـٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَیَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونࣱ (۵۱)

Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Muhammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman!"

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرࣱ لِّلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ (۵۲)

[Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind.