68Al-Qalam

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

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

مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

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

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

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

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,

بِأَيْيِكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ

Which of you is afflicted with madness.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

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.

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

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

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

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

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ

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

هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ

A slanderer, going about with calumnies,

مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

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

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

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

أَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

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

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ

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

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

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

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

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ

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

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ

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

فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ

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

أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَارِمِينَ

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

فَانْطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ

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

أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِسْكِينٌ

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

وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ

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

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ

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

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

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

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

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

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

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ

Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ

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

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ

"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

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

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

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ

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

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

Or have ye a book through which ye learn-

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?

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

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

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

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

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ

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

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

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

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ

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

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

وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

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

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ

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

أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

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

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.

لَوْلَا أَنْ تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

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

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

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

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