Chapter 68, 52 verses
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ن ۚ والقلم وما يسطرون
Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.
ما أنت بنعمة ربك بمجنون
And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.
وإن لك لأجرا غير ممنون
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم
And thou wilt see and they will see
فستبصر ويبصرون
Which of you is the demented.
بأييكم المفتون
Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.
إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو أعلم بالمهتدين
Therefor obey not thou the rejecters
فلا تطع المكذبين
Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.
ودوا لو تدهن فيدهنون
Neither obey thou each feeble oath - monger,
ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين
Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,
هماز مشاء بنميم
Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor
مناع للخير معتد أثيم
Greedy therewithal, intrusive.
عتل بعد ذلك زنيم
It is because he is possessed of wealth and children
أن كان ذا مال وبنين
That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.
إذا تتلى عليه آياتنا قال أساطير الأولين
We shall brand him on the nose.
سنسمه على الخرطوم
Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,
إنا بلوناهم كما بلونا أصحاب الجنة إذ أقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين
And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);
ولا يستثنون
Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept
فطاف عليها طائف من ربك وهم نائمون
And in the morning it was as if plucked.
فأصبحت كالصريم
And they cried out one unto another in the morning,
فتنادوا مصبحين
Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).
أن اغدوا على حرثكم إن كنتم صارمين
So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:
فانطلقوا وهم يتخافتون
No needy man shall enter it to - day against you.
أن لا يدخلنها اليوم عليكم مسكين
They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.
وغدوا على حرد قادرين
But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!
فلما رأوها قالوا إنا لضالون
Nay, but we are desolate!
بل نحن محرومون
The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah) ?
قال أوسطهم ألم أقل لكم لولا تسبحون
They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong - doers.
قالوا سبحان ربنا إنا كنا ظالمين
Then some of them drew near unto others, self - reproaching.
فأقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلاومون
They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.
قالوا يا ويلنا إنا كنا طاغين
It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.
عسى ربنا أن يبدلنا خيرا منها إنا إلى ربنا راغبون
Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.
كذلك العذاب ۖ ولعذاب الآخرة أكبر ۚ لو كانوا يعلمون
Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.
إن للمتقين عند ربهم جنات النعيم
Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty ?
أفنجعل المسلمين كالمجرمين
What aileth you ? How foolishly ye judge!
ما لكم كيف تحكمون
Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn
أم لكم كتاب فيه تدرسون
That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose ?
إن لكم فيه لما تخيرون
Or have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that ye ordain ?
أم لكم أيمان علينا بالغة إلى يوم القيامة ۙ إن لكم لما تحكمون
Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!
سلهم أيهم بذلك زعيم
Or have they other gods ? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful
أم لهم شركاء فليأتوا بشركائهم إن كانوا صادقين
On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,
يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون إلى السجود فلا يستطيعون
With eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.
خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ۖ وقد كانوا يدعون إلى السجود وهم سالمون
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.
فذرني ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث ۖ سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون
Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.
وأملي لهم ۚ إن كيدي متين
Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed ?
أم تسألهم أجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون
Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof) ?
أم عندهم الغيب فهم يكتبون
But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.
فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت إذ نادى وهو مكظوم
Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.
لولا أن تداركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بالعراء وهو مذموم
But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.
فاجتباه ربه فجعله من الصالحين
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;
وإن يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون
When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.
وما هو إلا ذكر للعالمين