68. al-Qalam: The Pen
1 Nun. By the pen and that which
they write (therewith),
2 Thou art not, for thy Lord's
favour unto thee, a madman.
3 And lo! thine verily will
be a reward unfailing.
4 And lo! thou art of a tremendous
nature.
5 And thou wilt see and they
will see
6 Which of you is the demented.
7 Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware
of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.
8 Therefor obey not thou the
rejecters
9 Who would have had thee compromise,
that they may compromise.
10 Neither obey thou each feeble
oath-monger,
11 Detracter, spreader abroad
of slanders,
12 Hinderer of the good, transgressor,
malefactor
13 Greedy therewithal, intrusive.
14 It is because he is possessed
of wealth and children
15 That, when Our revelations
are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.
16 We shall brand him on the
nose.
17 Lo! We have tried them as
We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit
next morning,
18 And made no exception (for
the Will of Allah);
19 Then a visitation from thy
Lord came upon it while they slept
20 And in the morning it was
as if plucked.
21 And they cried out one unto
another in the morning,
22 Saying: Run unto your field
if ye would pluck (the fruit).
23 So they went off, saying
one unto another in low tones:
24 No needy man shall enter
it to-day against you.
25 They went betimes, strong
in (this) purpose.
26 But when they saw it, they
said: Lo! we are in error!
27 Nay, but we are desolate!
28 The best among them said:
Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah) ?
29 They said: Glorified be our
Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers.
30 Then some of them drew near
unto others, self-reproaching.
31 They said: Alas for us! In
truth we were outrageous.
32 It may be that our Lord will
give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.
33 Such was the punishment.
And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.
34 Lo! for those who keep from
evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.
35 Shall We then treat those
who have surrendered as We treat the guilty ?
36 What aileth you ? How foolishly
ye judge!
37 Or have ye a scripture wherein
ye learn
38 That ye shall indeed have
all that ye choose ?
39 Or have ye a covenant on
oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that
ye ordain ?
40 Ask them (O Muhammad) which
of them will vouch for that!
41 Or have they other gods ?
Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful
42 On the day when it befalleth
in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,
43 With eyes downcast, abasement
stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were
yet unhurt.
44 Leave Me (to deal) with those
who give the lie to this pronouncement. We shall lead them on by steps from whence
they know not.
45 Yet I bear with them, for
lo! My scheme is firm.
46 Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask
a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed ?
47 Or is the Unseen theirs that
they can write (thereof) ?
48 But wait thou for thy Lord's
decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.
49 Had it not been that favour
from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while
he was reprobate.
50 But his Lord chose him and
placed him among the righteous.
51 And lo! those who disbelieve
would fain disconcert thee with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they
say: Lo! he is indeed mad;
52 When it is naught else than
a Reminder to creation.
