Al Qalam

1 Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe,

1 In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),

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

2 Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.

3 And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

3 And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.

4 And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

4 And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

5 So you will see and they will see

5 And thou wilt see and they will see

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

6 Which of you is the demented.

7 Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.

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 Then do not obey the deniers.

8 Therefor obey not thou the rejecters

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

9 Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.

10 And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

10 Neither obey thou each feeble oath - monger,

11 [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

11 Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,

12 A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

12 Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor

13 Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

13 Greedy therewithal, intrusive.

14 Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

14 It is because he is possessed of wealth and children

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

15 That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.

16 We will brand him upon the snout.

16 We shall brand him on the nose.

17 Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

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 Without making exception.

18 And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

19 So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.

19 Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

20 And it became as though reaped.

20 And in the morning it was as if plucked.

21 And they called one another at morning,

21 And they cried out one unto another in the morning,

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

22 Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).

23 So they set out, while lowering their voices,

23 So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:

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

24 No needy man shall enter it to - day against you.

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

25 They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

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

26 But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!

27 Rather, we have been deprived."

27 Nay, but we are desolate!

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

28 The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah) ?

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

29 They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong - doers.

30 Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

30 Then some of them drew near unto others, self - reproaching.

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

31 They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.

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

32 It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.

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

33 Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.

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

34 Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.

35 Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

35 Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty ?

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

36 What aileth you ? How foolishly ye judge!

37 Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

37 Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn

38 That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

38 That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose ?

39 Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?

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

40 Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!

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

41 Or have they other gods ? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful

42 The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,

42 On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,

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

43 With eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.

44 So leave Me, [O Muhammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies the Qur'an. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.

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

45 Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.

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

46 Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed ?

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

47 Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof) ?

48 Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muhammad], and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed.

48 But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.

49 If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.

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

50 But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

51 And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."

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 But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.

52 When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.