68 · Al-Qalam سورة القلم

ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ۝١

Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,-

مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ ۝٢

Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ ۝٣

Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ۝٤

And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ ۝٥

Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,

بِأَيْيِكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ ۝٦

Which of you is afflicted with madness.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ۝٧

Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance.

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ۝٨

So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ ۝٩

Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ ۝١٠

Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths,

هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ۝١١

A slanderer, going about with calumnies,

مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ۝١٢

(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ۝١٣

Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,-

أَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ ۝١٤

Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ۝١٥

When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ ۝١٦

Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ ۝١٧

Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ ۝١٨

But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ ۝١٩

Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ ۝٢٠

So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).

فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ ۝٢١

As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,-

أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَارِمِينَ ۝٢٢

"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."

فَانْطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ ۝٢٣

So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)-

أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِسْكِينٌ ۝٢٤

"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."

وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ ۝٢٥

And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ ۝٢٦

But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ ۝٢٧

"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ۝٢٨

Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ۝٢٩

They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ ۝٣٠

Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ ۝٣١

They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ ۝٣٢

"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"

كَذَٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ۝٣٣

Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ۝٣٤

Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ ۝٣٥

Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ۝٣٦

What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ ۝٣٧

Or have ye a book through which ye learn-

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ ۝٣٨

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ ۝٣٩

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ ۝٤٠

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ ۝٤١

Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ۝٤٢

The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,-

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ ۝٤٣

Their eyes will be cast down,- ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused).

فَذَرْنِي وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۝٤٤

Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.

وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ ۝٤٥

A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ ۝٤٦

Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt?-

أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ ۝٤٧

Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ ۝٤٨

So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony.

لَوْلَا أَنْ تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ ۝٤٩

Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.

فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ۝٥٠

Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.

وَإِنْ يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ ۝٥١

And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ ۝٥٢

But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.