Al-Qalam

ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ١

Nun. (Only Allah and the Messenger [blessings and peace be upon him] know the real meaning.) By the pen and by that (subject) which (the angels) write down!

مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ ٢

(O Esteemed Beloved!) By the Grace of your Lord, you are not (at all) insane.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ ٣

And assuredly, for you there is a reward that will never end.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ٤

And assuredly, you are placed high on the Most Glorious and Exalted (seat of) character (i.e., adorned with the Qur’anic morality and endowed with the character traits of Allah).

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ ٥

Soon you will see and they (too) will see,

بِأَييِّكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ ٦

As to which of you is mad.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ٧

Surely, your Lord knows him best who has strayed from the straight path and (also) knows best those who are rightly guided.

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ٨

So do not agree with what the beliers say.

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ ٩

They wish that you should become (needlessly) flexible (in the matter of the Din [Religion]). Then they too would show flexibility.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ١٠

And do not agree with any vile, most mean swearer of oaths,

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ١١

(The one who is) a slanderer, fault-finder, mischief-monger, (and) who backbites the people to rouse strife,

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢

(The one who) greatly hinders pious works and is a miser, rebellious transgressor (and) toughened sinner,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣

(The one who is) rude, unmannerly, crooked and moreover of doubtful birth.

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ ١٤

So (do not pay any heed to him) because he is wealthy and has children.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٥

When Our Verses are recited to him, he says: ‘These are the fictitious stories of the bygone people.’

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ ١٦

Now We shall brand him on the snout.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ ١٧

Surely, We will try them (the inhabitants of Mecca in the same way) as We tried (in Yemen) the owners of the garden when they swore that they would surely pluck its fruit the next morning.

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ ١٨

And they did not make any exception (saying ‘if Allah wills’ or for the share of the orphans).

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ ١٩

So a whirl (of disaster) from your Lord went round (that garden during the night) whilst they were asleep,

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ ٢٠

So, that (waving fruit-laden garden) became a harvested field in the morning.