Chapter 68, 52 verses
Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write, -
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ن ۚ والقلم وما يسطرون
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),
Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.
ما أنت بنعمة ربك بمجنون
Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.
Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:
وإن لك لأجرا غير ممنون
And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,
فستبصر ويبصرون
And thou wilt see and they will see
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
بأييكم المفتون
Which of you is the demented.
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.
إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو أعلم بالمهتدين
Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.
So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).
فلا تطع المكذبين
Therefor obey not thou the rejecters
Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.
ودوا لو تدهن فيدهنون
Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.
Heed not the type of despicable men, - ready with oaths,
ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين
Neither obey thou each feeble oath - monger,
A slanderer, going about with calumnies,
هماز مشاء بنميم
Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,
(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,
مناع للخير معتد أثيم
Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor
Violent (and cruel), - with all that, base - born, -
عتل بعد ذلك زنيم
Greedy therewithal, intrusive.
Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.
أن كان ذا مال وبنين
It is because he is possessed of wealth and children
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!
إذا تتلى عليه آياتنا قال أساطير الأولين
That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.
Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!
سنسمه على الخرطوم
We shall brand him on the nose.
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.
إنا بلوناهم كما بلونا أصحاب الجنة إذ أقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين
Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,
But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").
ولا يستثنون
And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);
Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
فطاف عليها طائف من ربك وهم نائمون
Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept
So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
فأصبحت كالصريم
And in the morning it was as if plucked.
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another, -
فتنادوا مصبحين
And they cried out one unto another in the morning,
"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."
أن اغدوا على حرثكم إن كنتم صارمين
Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).
So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying) -
فانطلقوا وهم يتخافتون
So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:
"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
أن لا يدخلنها اليوم عليكم مسكين
No needy man shall enter it to - day against you.
And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
وغدوا على حرد قادرين
They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.
But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:
فلما رأوها قالوا إنا لضالون
But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!
"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"
بل نحن محرومون
Nay, but we are desolate!
Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"
قال أوسطهم ألم أقل لكم لولا تسبحون
The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah) ?
They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"
قالوا سبحان ربنا إنا كنا ظالمين
They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong - doers.
Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
فأقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلاومون
Then some of them drew near unto others, self - reproaching.
They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
قالوا يا ويلنا إنا كنا طاغين
They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.
"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
عسى ربنا أن يبدلنا خيرا منها إنا إلى ربنا راغبون
It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.
Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter, - if only they knew!
كذلك العذاب ۖ ولعذاب الآخرة أكبر ۚ لو كانوا يعلمون
Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.
Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.
إن للمتقين عند ربهم جنات النعيم
Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.
Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?
أفنجعل المسلمين كالمجرمين
Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty ?
What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
ما لكم كيف تحكمون
What aileth you ? How foolishly ye judge!
Or have ye a book through which ye learn -
أم لكم كتاب فيه تدرسون
Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn
That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?
إن لكم فيه لما تخيرون
That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose ?
Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?
أم لكم أيمان علينا بالغة إلى يوم القيامة ۙ إن لكم لما تحكمون
Or have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that ye ordain ?
Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!
سلهم أيهم بذلك زعيم
Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!
Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!
أم لهم شركاء فليأتوا بشركائهم إن كانوا صادقين
Or have they other gods ? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful
The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able, -
يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون إلى السجود فلا يستطيعون
On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,
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).
خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ۖ وقد كانوا يدعون إلى السجود وهم سالمون
With eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.
Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.
فذرني ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث ۖ سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون
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.
A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.
وأملي لهم ۚ إن كيدي متين
Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.
Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt? -
أم تسألهم أجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون
Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed ?
Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?
أم عندهم الغيب فهم يكتبون
Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof) ?
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.
فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت إذ نادى وهو مكظوم
But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.
Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.
لولا أن تداركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بالعراء وهو مذموم
Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.
Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.
فاجتباه ربه فجعله من الصالحين
But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.
And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"
وإن يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون
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;
But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.
وما هو إلا ذكر للعالمين
When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.