Chapter 68, 52 verses
Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write, -
Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe,
Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write,
Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.
You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.
By the grace of your Lord you are not mad.
Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off.
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality.
Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,
So you will see and they will see
So you shall see, and they (too) shall see,
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
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.
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course.
So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).
Then do not obey the deniers.
So do not yield to the rejecters.
Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.
They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].
They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant.
Heed not the type of despicable men, - ready with oaths,
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer
And yield not to any mean swearer
A slanderer, going about with calumnies,
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
Defamer, going about with slander
(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful,
Violent (and cruel), - with all that, base - born, -
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.
Ignoble, besides all that, base - born;
Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
Because he possesses wealth and sons.
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore.
Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!
We will brand him upon the snout.
We will 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.
Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning
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,
But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").
Without making exception.
And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor).
Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.
Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping.
So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
And it became as though reaped.
So it became as black, barren land.
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another, -
And they called one another at morning,
And they called out to each other in the morning,
"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."
[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."
Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce).
So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying) -
So they set out, while lowering their voices,
So they went, while they consulted together secretly,
"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."
Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you.
And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.
And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent.
But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:
But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;
But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray
"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"
Rather, we have been deprived."
Nay! we are made to suffer privation.
Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"
The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]?' "
The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)?
They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"
They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust.
Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
Then they approached one another, blaming each other.
Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other.
They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.
Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate:
"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."
Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition.
Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter, - if only they knew!
Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know!
Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.
Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.
Surely those who guard (against evil) shall have with their Lord gardens of bliss.
Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?
Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?
What! shall We then make (that is, treat) those who submit as the guilty?
What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?
What has happened to you? How do you judge?
Or have ye a book through which ye learn -
Or do you have a scripture in which you learn
Or have you a book wherein you read,
That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?
That indeed for you is whatever you choose?
That you have surely therein what you choose?
Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?
Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?
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?
Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!
Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.
Ask them which of them will vouch for that,
Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!
Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.
Or have they associates 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, -
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,
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,
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).
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.
Their looks cast down, abasement shall overtake them; and they were called upon to make obeisance indeed while yet they were safe.
Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.
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.
So leave Me and him who rejects this announcement; We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not:
A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.
And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.
And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm.
Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt? -
Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
Or do you ask from them a reward, so that they are burdened with debt?
Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
Or have they (the knowledge of) the unseen, so that they write (it) down?
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.
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.
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.
Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.
If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.
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.
Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.
And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.
Then his Lord chose him, and He made him of the good.
And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"
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."
And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say: Most surely he is mad.
But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.
And it is naught but a reminder to the nations.