Al Qalam

Yusuf Ali

1 Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write, -

Shakir

1 Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write,

Yusuf Ali

2 Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.

Shakir

2 By the grace of your Lord you are not mad.

Yusuf Ali

3 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:

Shakir

3 And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off.

Yusuf Ali

4 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.

Shakir

4 And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality.

Yusuf Ali

5 Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,

Shakir

5 So you shall see, and they (too) shall see,

Yusuf Ali

6 Which of you is afflicted with madness.

Shakir

6 Which of you is afflicted with madness.

Yusuf Ali

7 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.

Shakir

7 Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course.

Yusuf Ali

8 So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).

Shakir

8 So do not yield to the rejecters.

Yusuf Ali

9 Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.

Shakir

9 They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant.

Yusuf Ali

10 Heed not the type of despicable men, - ready with oaths,

Shakir

10 And yield not to any mean swearer

Yusuf Ali

11 A slanderer, going about with calumnies,

Shakir

11 Defamer, going about with slander

Yusuf Ali

12 (Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,

Shakir

12 Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful,

Yusuf Ali

13 Violent (and cruel), - with all that, base - born, -

Shakir

13 Ignoble, besides all that, base - born;

Yusuf Ali

14 Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

Shakir

14 Because he possesses wealth and sons.

Yusuf Ali

15 When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!

Shakir

15 When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore.

Yusuf Ali

16 Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!

Shakir

16 We will brand him on the nose.

Yusuf Ali

17 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.

Shakir

17 Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning,

Yusuf Ali

18 But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").

Shakir

18 And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor).

Yusuf Ali

19 Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.

Shakir

19 Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping.

Yusuf Ali

20 So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).

Shakir

20 So it became as black, barren land.

Yusuf Ali

21 As the morning broke, they called out, one to another, -

Shakir

21 And they called out to each other in the morning,

Yusuf Ali

22 "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."

Shakir

22 Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce).

Yusuf Ali

23 So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying) -

Shakir

23 So they went, while they consulted together secretly,

Yusuf Ali

24 "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."

Shakir

24 Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you.

Yusuf Ali

25 And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.

Shakir

25 And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent.

Yusuf Ali

26 But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:

Shakir

26 But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray

Yusuf Ali

27 "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"

Shakir

27 Nay! we are made to suffer privation.

Yusuf Ali

28 Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"

Shakir

28 The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)?

Yusuf Ali

29 They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"

Shakir

29 They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust.

Yusuf Ali

30 Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.

Shakir

30 Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other.

Yusuf Ali

31 They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!

Shakir

31 Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate:

Yusuf Ali

32 "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"

Shakir

32 Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition.

Yusuf Ali

33 Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter, - if only they knew!

Shakir

33 Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know!

Yusuf Ali

34 Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.

Shakir

34 Surely those who guard (against evil) shall have with their Lord gardens of bliss.

Yusuf Ali

35 Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?

Shakir

35 What! shall We then make (that is, treat) those who submit as the guilty?

Yusuf Ali

36 What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

Shakir

36 What has happened to you? How do you judge?

Yusuf Ali

37 Or have ye a book through which ye learn -

Shakir

37 Or have you a book wherein you read,

Yusuf Ali

38 That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?

Shakir

38 That you have surely therein what you choose?

Yusuf Ali

39 Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?

Shakir

39 Or have you received from Us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand?

Yusuf Ali

40 Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!

Shakir

40 Ask them which of them will vouch for that,

Yusuf Ali

41 Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!

Shakir

41 Or have they associates if they are truthful.

Yusuf Ali

42 The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able, -

Shakir

42 On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able,

Yusuf Ali

43 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).

Shakir

43 Their looks cast down, abasement shall overtake them; and they were called upon to make obeisance indeed while yet they were safe.

Yusuf Ali

44 Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.

Shakir

44 So leave Me and him who rejects this announcement; We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not:

Yusuf Ali

45 A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.

Shakir

45 And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm.

Yusuf Ali

46 Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt? -

Shakir

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

Yusuf Ali

47 Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?

Shakir

47 Or have they (the knowledge of) the unseen, so that they write (it) down?

Yusuf Ali

48 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.

Shakir

48 So wait patiently for the judgment of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish, when he cried while he was in distress.

Yusuf Ali

49 Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.

Shakir

49 Were it not that favor from his Lord had overtaken him, he would certainly have been cast down upon the naked Found while he was blamed.

Yusuf Ali

50 Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.

Shakir

50 Then his Lord chose him, and He made him of the good.

Yusuf Ali

51 And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"

Shakir

51 And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say: Most surely he is mad.

Yusuf Ali

52 But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.

Shakir

52 And it is naught but a reminder to the nations.