The Holy Quran : Chapter 68 : Al-Qalam (The Pen)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

 ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

68:1. Nun. By the Pen and by the (Record) which (men) write,-

مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

68:2. You are not, by the Grace of your Lord, mad or possessed.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

68:3. Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

68:4. And surely you have sublime morals.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

68:5. Soon will you see, and they will see,

بِأَيْيِكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ

68:6. Which of you is afflicted with madness
 .

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

68:7. Verily it is your Lord that knows best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knows best those who receive (true) Guidance.

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

68:8. So obey not to those who deny (the Truth).

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

68:9. They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ

68:10. Obey not every mean swearer,

هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ

68:11. A slanderer, going about with calumnies,

مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

68:12. (Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

68:13. Violent (and cruel),- with all that, of a doubtful birth,-

أَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

68:14. Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

68:15. When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ

68:16. Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

68:17. 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.

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ

68:18. But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah´s Will").

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ

68:19. Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from your Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ

68:20. So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).

فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ

68:21. As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,-

أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَارِمِينَ

68:22. "Go you to your till (betimes) in the morning, if you would gather the fruits."

فَانْطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ

68:23. So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)-

أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِسْكِينٌ

68:24. "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."

وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ

68:25. And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ

68:26. But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

68:27. "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labor)!"

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

68:28. Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, ´Why not glorify (Allah)?´"

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ

68:29. They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ

68:30. Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ

68:31. They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ

68:32. "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"

كَذَٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

68:33. Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

68:34. Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, with their Lord.

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ

68:35. Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

68:36. What is the matter with you? How judge you?

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

68:37. Or have you a book through which you learn-

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

68:38. That you shall have, through it whatever you choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

68:39. Or have you Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that you shall have whatever you shall demand?

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

68:40. Ask you of them, which of them will stand surety for that!

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ

68:41. Or have they some "Partners" (in Godhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

68:42. The Day that the Shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able,-

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ

68:43. 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).

فَذَرْنِي وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

68:44. Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We draw them on little by little from directions they perceive not.

وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

68:45. A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ

68:46. Or is it that you dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt?-

أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

68:47. Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

68:48. So wait with patience for the Command of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony.

لَوْلَا أَنْ تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

68:49. Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.

فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

68:50. Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.

وَإِنْ يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ

68:51. And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ

68:52. But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.