سُورَةُ القَلَمِ
The Pen
68:1
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ ١
Nūn.1By the Pen and the [Record] which [people] write,
68:2
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ ٢
you are not [O Prophet], by the Grace of your Lord, bewitched.
68:3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ ٣
Verily, for you is a Reward complete [and limitless].
68:4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤
And surely you have sublime morals.
68:5
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ ٥
Soon will you see, and they [too] will see,
68:6
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ ٦
in whose ranks is the one afflicted with madness.1
68:7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ٧
Verily, it is your Lord who knows best who [among people] have deviated from His Path, and He knows best those who are [truly] guided.
68:8
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٨
So obey not the disbelievers [of the Message].
68:9
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ ٩
Their desire is that you should conciliate, so they [too] would conciliate [you].1
68:10
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ ١٠
Obey not every mean [habitual] swearer,
68:11
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ ١١
a [habitual] slanderer, going about [spreading] calumnies,
68:12
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢
[habitually] withholding [all] good [from people], violating [limits], deep in sin,
68:13
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣
violent [and cruel in Unbelief], and on top of it, of a doubtful birth,1
68:14
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ ١٤
[only] because he possesses wealth and [numerous] sons.
68:15
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٥
When Our Signs are recited to him, he says, “Fables of the Ancients!”
68:16
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ ١٦
Soon shall We brand him on the snout!
68:17
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ ١٧
Verily, We have tried them as We tried the People of the Orchard, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the [orchard] in the morning,1
68:18
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ ١٨
But made no reservation,1
68:19
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ ١٩
So there came on the [orchard] a visitor from your Lord while they were [still] asleep.
68:20
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ ٢٠
So it [the orchard] became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot [whose fruits had been gathered].
68:21
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ ٢١
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,
68:22
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ ٢٢
“Go you to your tilth [early] in the morning, if you wish to gather [the fruits].”
68:23
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ ٢٣
So they departed, conversing in low tones [saying],
68:24
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ ٢٤
“Let not a single indigent person ever break in upon you into the [orchard] this day.”
68:25
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ ٢٥
And they went out in the morning, strong in resolve.1
68:26
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ ٢٦
But when they saw the [orchard], they said: “We have surely lost our way!
68:27
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ ٢٧
“[No!] but we are deprived [of the fruits of our labour]!”
68:28
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ٢٨
Said one of them, more just [than the rest]: “Did I not say to you, ‘Why not glorify [Allāh]?’”
68:29
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ٢٩
They said: “Glory to our Lord! Verily, we have been wrongdoers!”
68:30
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ ٣٠
Then they turned, reproaching one another.
68:31
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ ٣١
They said: “Woe to us! We have indeed been transgressors!
68:32
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ ٣٢
“It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better [orchard] than this: For we do turn to Him [in repentance]!”
68:33
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٣
Such is the Punishment [in this life]; but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter, only if they knew!
68:34
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٣٤
Verily, for the [God‐]fearing, are Gardens of Delight, with their Lord.
68:35
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٥
Shall We then treat the Submitters [to the Will of Allāh] like the Sinners?
68:36
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ ٣٦
What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
68:37
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ ٣٧
Or have you a Scripture through which you learn,
68:38
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ ٣٨
that you shall have, through it, whatever you choose?
68:39
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۙ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ ٣٩
Or have you Covenants with Us on oath, valid to the Day of Resurrection, [providing] that you shall have whatever you shall command?1
68:40
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ ٤٠
Ask them: which one of them will stand surety1for that!
68:41
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ ٤١
Or do they have some “Partners” [in godhood]? Then let them produce their “partners” if they are truthful!
68:42
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢
The Day that the shin shall be laid bare,1and they shall be called to prostrate, but they shall not be able [to do so],2
68:43
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣
Their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will envelope them, seeing that they had been called aforetime to prostrate, while they were whole [healthy; and yet had refused].
68:44
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٤
So leave Me alone with those who disbelieve this Message: by degrees shall We drag them [little by little], from directions they perceive not.
68:45
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ٤٥
A [long] respite I grant them: [truly] powerful is My Plan.
68:46
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ ٤٦
Or is it that you do ask them for a recompense, so they are burdened with a load of debt?
68:47
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ ٤٧
Or do they have [knowledge of] the Unseen, so they write it down?
68:48
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ ٤٨
So wait with patience for the Command of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,1when he cried out in agony.
68:49
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ ٤٩
Had not Grace from his Lord rescued him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.
68:50
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٥٠
Thus did his Lord choose him and made him one of the Righteous.
68:51
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٥١
And the Rejecters [of Truth] almost tripped you up with their eyes when they heard the Message;1and they say: “Surely he is bewitched!”
68:52
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٥٢
But it is nothing but a Message to [all] the worlds.