Al Qalam

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

1 Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe,

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

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

3 Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:

3 And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

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

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

5 Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,

5 So you will see and they will see

6 Which of you is afflicted with madness.

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

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.

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

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

8 Then do not obey the deniers.

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

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

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

10 And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

11 A slanderer, going about with calumnies,

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

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

12 A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

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

13 Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

14 Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

14 Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

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

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

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

16 We will brand him upon the snout.

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.

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

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

18 Without making exception.

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

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

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

20 And it became as though reaped.

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

21 And they called one another at morning,

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

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

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

23 So they set out, while lowering their voices,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

27 Rather, we have been deprived."

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

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

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

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

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

30 Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

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

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

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)!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

35 Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

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

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

37 Or have ye a book through which ye learn -

37 Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

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

38 That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, -

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

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).

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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."

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

52 But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.