Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by Ali Unal
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ
Nun. By the Pen and what they write with it line by line
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ
You are not, by the grace of your Lord, a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ
And yours for sure is a reward constant and beyond measure
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
You are surely of a sublime character and do act by a sublime pattern of conduct
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ
Soon you will see and they will see
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
Which of you is afflicted with madness
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
Surely your Lord is He Who knows best who is astray from His way, and He knows best those who are rightly guided
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ
So pay no heed to (the desires of) those who persistently deny (God’s Message)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ
They wish you to compromise (with them in matters of faith), so they would compromise (with you)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ
Pay no heed to any contemptible oath-maker (who swears much with no consideration of truth, and no will to act on his word)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ
A defamer, circulating slander (in all directions)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
Who hinders the doing of good, transgressor of all bounds (of sense or decency), one addicted to sinning
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
Cruel and ignoble, and in addition to all that, morally corrupt
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ
Because he has wealth and many sons
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
When Our Revelations are recited to him, he says: "Fables of the ancients
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
We will brand him on the nose (to mark indelibly his disgrace)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ
For sure We try them (with drought as they rely on their wealth and children We have granted them and reject Our call), just as We tried the owners of the garden. They swore that they would assuredly harvest its produce the next day
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
They made no allowance (in their oaths, being oblivious of the rights of the needy and oblivious of God’s will)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ
Then a visitation from your Lord encompassed it while they were sleeping
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
So by morning it had become bleak
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ
So they cried out to one another having risen for the morning
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ
Hurry to your cultivated land if you mean to harvest (its produce)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
So they set out, confiding to one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ
(Take care) that no destitute enter there on you today
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ
So early they went, firmly resolved in intent (to collect the harvest and not share it with the destitute)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
But when they saw it, they said: "We have assuredly arrived at the wrong place
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
(Then when they realized that it was indeed their garden:) "No, rather we are made destitute
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The one more equitable among them said: "Did I not say to you: Will you not glorify God
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They said: "All-Glorified is our Lord! Indeed we have done wrong (by regarding ourselves as self-sufficient and not dependent on Him)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
Then they approached one another, reproaching themselves
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
They said: "Oh, woe to us! We were habituated to arrogance and rebellion
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
It may be that our Lord will grant us something better than this instead. Surely to our Lord do we turn with hope
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
That is (an example of) the punishment (such as the ingrate rebellious may be made to endure in the world); and certainly the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
For the God-revering, pious there are Gardens of bounty and blessing with their Lord
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
Do We ever treat those who have submitted to God like the disbelieving criminals (who have submitted only to their own lusts and fancies)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
What is the matter with you (that you can judge so)? How can you judge (that all are valued alike in God’s sight whether they are Muslims or not)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
Or do you have a Book (revealed by God) that you read
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
Wherein you find that you will indeed have whatever you prefer (to have)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
Or do you have a covenant with Us confirmed by Us on oath as binding until the Day of Resurrection, that you will have whatever you judge (should be yours)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them (seeing that they do not have such a covenant) which of them will vouch for that
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or do they have partners (with God who guarantee them whatever they wish for themselves)? Then let them produce their partners if they are truthful (in their claim)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
On the Day when the truth will be manifest and they are in trouble, and being called to prostrate, they will be incapable of it
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ
Downcast will be their eyes, with abasement overwhelming them. Assuredly they were called to prostrate while they were yet safe and whole (in this world, but they did not)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
So leave Me with such as deny this Word (the Qur’an). We will lead them on to perdition step by step from where they do not know
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ
But I grant respite to them (so that they may mend their ways). My scheme (all that is willed for them) is firm and unfailing
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
Or is it that you ask them for a wage (in return for your calling them to Our Word), and so they are weighed down with debt
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Or is the Unseen within their reach that they write down (prescribing and stipulating what is to come, and how they are to be judged)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ
So wait patiently for your Lord’s judgment, and do not be like the companion of the fish, when he called out choking inwardly (with distress)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ
If there had not reached him grace from his Lord (Who accepted his repentance), he would indeed have been cast forth on the desert shore, being reproached
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
But his Lord chose him and enabled him to be among the specially chosen, righteous servants
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
Those who disbelieve would (if they could) strike you down with their looks because of hatred and enmity, when they hear the Reminder, and they say: "Surely he is a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
But it is not other than a Reminder for all beings
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 52