Sourate Al-Qalam (68) with hamza shown

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Benevolent. Nun.i 1

بسم ٱلله ٱلرحمن ٱلرحيم ن

By the pen and what they write! You are not, by the grace of your Guardian, insane. And you shall have a reward that will never end. And you are indeed of a tremendous character.i 4

وٱلقلم وما يسطرون مآ أنت بنعمة ربك بمجنون وإن لك لأجرا غير ممنون وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم

You will see, and they will see, which of you is afflicted with madness. 6

فستبصر ويبصرون بأييكم ٱلمفتون

Your Guardian knows best who has strayed from His path, 7

إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله

and He knows best those who are rightly guided. 7

وهو أعلم بٱلمهتدين

So do not obey the deniers. 8

فلا تطع ٱلمكذبين

They would like you to compromise, so that they too might compromise. 9

ودوا لو تدهن فيدهنون

And do not obey every contemptible swearer of oaths, backbiter, spreader of slander, hinderer of good, transgressor, characterized offender, coarse and, moreover, a social parasite — merely because he has wealth and sons. When Our signs are recited to him, he says: 'Legends of the ancients!'i 15

ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين هماز مشآء بنميم مناع للخير معتد أثيم عتل بعد ذلك زنيم أن كان ذا مال وبنين إذا تتلى عليه ءايتنا قال أسطير ٱلأولين

We will brand him on the snout. 16

سنسمه على ٱلخرطوم

We tried them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore they would gather its fruit in the morning, without exception, 18

إنا بلونهم كما بلونآ أصحب ٱلجنة إذ أقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين ولا يستثنون

and a visitation from your Guardian swept over it while they slept, so that it became like a blackened wasteland. 20

فطاف عليها طآئف من ربك وهم نآئمون فأصبحت كٱلصريم

They called one another in the morning: 'Go out early to your crop, if you mean to harvest it.' 22

فتنادوا مصبحين أن ٱغدوا على حرثكم إن كنتم صرمين

So they set out, whispering to one another: 'Let no destitute person enter it upon you today.' 24

فٱنطلقوا وهم يتخفتون أن لا يدخلنها ٱليوم عليكم مسكين

And they went early, determined, thinking themselves capable. 25

وغدوا على حرد قدرين

But when they saw it, they said: 'We have surely lost our way; rather, we are deprived of everything.' 27

فلما رأوها قالوا إنا لضآلون بل نحن محرومون

The most just among them said: 'Did I not tell you: why do you not glorify [God]?' 28

قال أوسطهم ألم أقل لكم لولا تسبحون

They said: 'Glory be to our Guardian! We have indeed been wrongdoers.' 29

قالوا سبحن ربنآ إنا كنا ظلمين

And they turned to one another, blaming each other. 30

فأقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلومون

They said: 'Woe to us! We have indeed been transgressors. It may be that our Guardian will give us a better one in exchange; to our Guardian we turn in hope.' 32

قالوا يويلنآ إنا كنا طغين عسى ربنآ أن يبدلنا خيرا منهآ إنآ إلى ربنا رغبون

Such is the punishment [of this world]. 33

كذلك ٱلعذاب

But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater still, if only they knew. 33

ولعذاب ٱلءاخرة أكبر لو كانوا يعلمون

For those who are mindful [of God], there are, with their Guardian, the gardens of bliss. 34

إن للمتقين عند ربهم جنت ٱلنعيم

Shall We then treat those true to God alone like the severed? 35

أفنجعل ٱلمسلمين كٱلمجرمين

What is the matter with you? 36

ما لكم

How do you judge? 36

كيف تحكمون

Or do you have a scripture in which you study, wherein you would find whatever you choose?i 38

أم لكم كتب فيه تدرسون إن لكم فيه لما تخيرون

Or do you have oaths binding upon Us, extending to the Day of Appearance, guaranteeing you whatever you decide?i 39

أم لكم أيمن علينا بلغة إلى يوم ٱلقيمة إن لكم لما تحكمون

Ask them which of them stands guarantor for that. 40

سلهم أيهم بذلك زعيم

Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they are truthful. 41

أم لهم شركآء فليأتوا بشركآئهم إن كانوا صدقين

On the day when the true state of things is uncovered, and they are called to prostrate, they will not be able, 42

يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون إلى ٱلسجود فلا يستطيعون

their eyes lowered, humiliation covering them, 43

خشعة أبصرهم ترهقهم ذلة

though they used to be called to prostrate while they were sound [and fully able]. 43

وقد كانوا يدعون إلى ٱلسجود وهم سلمون

So leave Me with whoever denies this discourse. 44

فذرني ومن يكذب بهذا ٱلحديث

We will draw them gradually [toward ruin] from where they do not know, and I grant them respite. 45

سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون وأملي لهم

My plan is firm. 45

إن كيدي متين

Or do you ask them for a payment, so that they are burdened with debt? 46

أم تسلهم أجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون

Or do they possess what escapes the senses, so that they write it down?i 47

أم عندهم ٱلغيب فهم يكتبون

So be patient with the judgment of your Guardian, and do not be like the companion of the fish, when he called out while distressed.i 48

فٱصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب ٱلحوت إذ نادى وهو مكظوم

Had a grace from his Guardian not reached him, he would have been cast onto the bare shore, blamed. 49

لولآ أن تدركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بٱلعرآء وهو مذموم

But his Guardian chose him and made him one of the righteous. 50

فٱجتبه ربه فجعله من ٱلصلحين

Those who deny would almost strike you down with their glances when they hear the Reminder, and they say: 'He is certainly insane.'i 51

وإن يكاد ٱلذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصرهم لما سمعوا ٱلذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون

Yet it is nothing but a Reminder for all beings.i 52

وما هو إلا ذكر للعلمين