Al-Qalam

القلم

The Pen • 52 Ayahs

نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

Noon walqalami wama yasturoon

Nūn.¹ By the pen and what they inscribe,

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

Ma anta biniAAmati rabbika bimajnoon

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

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

Wa-inna laka laajran ghayra mamnoon

And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

Wa-innaka laAAala khuluqin AAatheem

And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

Fasatubsiru wayubsiroon

So you will see and they will see.

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ

Bi-ayyikumu almaftoon

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

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

Inna rabbaka huwa aAAlamu biman dallaAAan sabeelihi wahuwa aAAlamu bilmuhtadeen

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 ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

Fala tutiAAi almukaththibeen

Then do not obey the deniers.

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

Waddoo law tudhinu fayudhinoon

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

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ

Wala tutiAA kulla hallafinmaheen

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ

Hammazin mashsha-in binameem

[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

MannaAAin lilkhayri muAAtadin atheem

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

AAutullin baAAda thalika zaneem

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.¹

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

An kana tha malinwabaneen

Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

Itha tutla AAalayhi ayatunaqala asateeru al-awwaleen

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

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ

Sanasimuhu AAala alkhurtoom

We will brand him upon the snout.¹

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

Inna balawnahum kamabalawna as-haba aljannati ith aqsamoolayasrimunnaha musbiheen

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 يَسْتَثْنُونَ

Wala yastathnoon

Without making exception.¹

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

Fatafa AAalayha ta-ifunmin rabbika wahum na-imoon

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

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

Faasbahat kassareem

And it became as though reaped.

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ

Fatanadaw musbiheen

And they called one another at morning,

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰرِمِينَ

Ani ighdoo AAala harthikum inkuntum sarimeen

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

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ

Fantalaqoo wahum yatakhafatoon

So they set out, while lowering their voices,

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ

An la yadkhulannaha alyawmaAAalaykum miskeen

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

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَـٰدِرِينَ

Waghadaw AAala hardin qadireen

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

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

Falamma raawha qalooinna ladalloon

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

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

Bal nahnu mahroomoon

Rather, we have been deprived."

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

Qala awsatuhum alam aqul lakumlawla tusabbihoon

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

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ

Qaloo subhana rabbinainna kunna thalimeen

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

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ

Faaqbala baAAduhum AAala baAAdinyatalawamoon

Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَ

Qaloo ya waylana innakunna tagheen

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

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

AAasa rabbuna an yubdilanakhayran minha inna ila rabbina raghiboon

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

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

Kathalika alAAathabu walaAAathabual-akhirati akbaru law kanoo yaAAlamoon

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

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

Inna lilmuttaqeena AAinda rabbihim jannatiannaAAeem

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

أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

AfanajAAalu almuslimeena kalmujrimeen

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

Ma lakum kayfa tahkumoon

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

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

Am lakum kitabun feehi tadrusoon

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

Inna lakum feehi lama takhayyaroon

That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

Am lakum aymanun AAalayna balighatunila yawmi alqiyamati inna lakum lama tahkumoon

Or 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

Salhum ayyuhum bithalika zaAAeem

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

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَ

Am lahum shurakao falya/too bishuraka-ihimin kanoo sadiqeen

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

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

Yawma yukshafu AAan saqin wayudAAawnaila assujoodi fala yastateeAAoon

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

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَ

KhashiAAatan absaruhumtarhaquhum thillatun waqad kanoo yudAAawna ilaassujoodi wahum salimoon

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

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Fatharnee waman yukaththibubihatha alhadeethi sanastadrijuhum min haythula yaAAlamoon

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

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

Waomlee lahum inna kaydee mateen

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

أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ

Am tas-aluhum ajran fahum min maghraminmuthqaloon

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

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

Am AAindahumu alghaybu fahum yaktuboon

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

فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

Fasbir lihukmi rabbikawala takun kasahibi alhooti ith nadawahuwa makthoom

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.

لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

Lawla an tadarakahu niAAmatunmin rabbihi lanubitha bilAAara-i wahuwa mathmoom

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

فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

Fajtabahu rabbuhu fajaAAalahumina assaliheen

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

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ

Wa-in yakadu allatheenakafaroo layuzliqoonaka bi-absarihim lamma samiAAooaththikra wayaqooloona innahu lamajnoon

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 ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Wama huwa illa thikrunlilAAalameen

But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.

Translation: Sahih International