Al-Qalam

نٓ​ وَالۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُوۡنَۙ‏

Nūn.1 By the pen and what they inscribe,

مَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِـنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُوۡنٍ​ۚ‏

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

وَاِنَّ لَڪَ لَاَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُوۡنٍ​ۚ‏

And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

وَاِنَّكَ لَعَلٰى خُلُقٍ عَظِيۡمٍ‏

And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُوۡنَۙ‏

So you will see and they will see.

بِاَيِّٮكُمُ الۡمَفۡتُوۡنُ‏

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

اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ ضَلَّ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِهٖ وَهُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُهۡتَدِيۡنَ‏

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 الۡمُكَذِّبِيۡنَ‏

Then do not obey the deniers.

وَدُّوۡا لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُوۡنَ‏

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

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِيۡنٍۙ‏

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۢ بِنَمِيۡمٍۙ‏

[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ اَثِيۡمٍۙ‏

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

عُتُلٍّ ۢ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيۡمٍۙ‏

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.1

اَنۡ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَّبَنِيۡنَؕ‏

Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

اِذَا تُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡهِ اٰيٰتُنَا قَالَ اَسَاطِيۡرُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ‏

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

سَنَسِمُهٗ عَلَى الۡخُـرۡطُوۡمِ‏

We will brand him upon the snout.1

اِنَّا بَلَوۡنٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَاۤ اَصۡحٰبَ الۡجَـنَّةِ​ ۚ اِذۡ اَقۡسَمُوۡا لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏

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 يَسۡتَثۡنُوۡنَ‏

Without making exception.1

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآٮِٕفٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآٮِٕمُوۡنَ‏

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

فَاَصۡبَحَتۡ كَالصَّرِيۡمِۙ‏

And it became as though reaped.

فَتَـنَادَوۡا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏

And they called one another at morning,

اَنِ اغۡدُوۡا عَلٰى حَرۡثِكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰرِمِيۡنَ‏

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

فَانۡطَلَقُوۡا وَهُمۡ يَتَخَافَتُوۡنَۙ‏

So they set out, while lowering their voices,

اَنۡ لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا الۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّسۡكِيۡنٌۙ‏

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

وَّغَدَوۡا عَلٰى حَرۡدٍ قٰدِرِيۡنَ‏

And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.1

فَلَمَّا رَاَوۡهَا قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لَـضَآلُّوۡنَۙ‏

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

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُوۡمُوۡنَ‏

Rather, we have been deprived."

قَالَ اَوۡسَطُهُمۡ اَلَمۡ اَقُلۡ لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُوۡنَ‏

The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allāh]?'"1

قَالُوۡا سُبۡحٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيۡنَ‏

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

فَاَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ يَّتَلَاوَمُوۡنَ‏

Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

قَالُوۡا يٰوَيۡلَنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا طٰغِيۡنَ‏

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

عَسٰى رَبُّنَاۤ اَنۡ يُّبۡدِلَـنَا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهَاۤ اِنَّاۤ اِلٰى رَبِّنَا رٰغِبُوۡنَ‏

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."1

كَذٰلِكَ الۡعَذَابُ​ؕ وَلَعَذَابُ الۡاٰخِرَةِ اَكۡبَرُ ​ۘ لَوۡ كَانُوۡا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ 

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

اِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِيۡمِ‏

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

اَفَنَجۡعَلُ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ كَالۡمُجۡرِمِيۡنَؕ‏

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَـكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُوۡنَ​ۚ‏

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

اَمۡ لَـكُمۡ كِتٰبٌ فِيۡهِ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَۙ‏

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

اِنَّ لَـكُمۡ فِيۡهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُوۡنَ​ۚ‏

That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

اَمۡ لَـكُمۡ اَيۡمَانٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَالِغَةٌ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِ​ ۙ اِنَّ لَـكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُوۡنَ​ۚ‏

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

سَلۡهُمۡ اَيُّهُمۡ بِذٰلِكَ زَعِيۡمٌ ۛۚ‏

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

اَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ ۛۚ فَلۡيَاۡتُوۡا بِشُرَكَآٮِٕهِمۡ اِنۡ كَانُوۡا صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ 

Or do they have partners?1 Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَنۡ سَاقٍ وَّيُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَى السُّجُوۡدِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَۙ‏ 

The Day the shin will be uncovered1 and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,

خَاشِعَةً اَبۡصَارُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌ ؕ وَقَدۡ كَانُوۡا يُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَى السُّجُوۡدِ وَهُمۡ سٰلِمُوۡنَ‏

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.1

فَذَرۡنِىۡ وَمَنۡ يُّكَذِّبُ بِهٰذَا الۡحَـدِيۡثِ​ؕ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُمۡ مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَۙ‏

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.1

وَاُمۡلِىۡ لَهُمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ كَيۡدِىۡ مَتِيۡنٌ‏

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

اَمۡ تَسۡـَٔـلُهُمۡ اَجۡرًا فَهُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّغۡرَمٍ مُّثۡقَلُوۡنَ​ۚ‏

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

اَمۡ عِنۡدَهُمُ الۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُوۡنَ‏

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

فَاصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنۡ كَصَاحِبِ الۡحُوۡتِ​ۘ اِذۡ نَادٰى وَهُوَ مَكۡظُوۡمٌؕ‏

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.

لَوۡلَاۤ اَنۡ تَدٰرَكَهٗ نِعۡمَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهٖ لَنُبِذَ بِالۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُوۡمٌ‏

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.1

فَاجۡتَبٰهُ رَبُّهٗ فَجَعَلَهٗ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏

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

وَاِنۡ يَّكَادُ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا لَيُزۡلِقُوۡنَكَ بِاَبۡصَارِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اِنَّهٗ لَمَجۡنُوۡنٌ​ۘ‏

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 اِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏

But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.