Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ
(Nun, and by what it represents and what it stands for as a natural symbol of adoration), and the pen -employed in writing with a pen- and by the pen -the instrument of authorship-, (and by what they commit in writing)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ
That you, Muhammad, are not ungrateful to Allah, your Creator, for the gift He bestowed upon you, nor is the utterance ungrateful to your ear, nor are you uncontrolled by reason or a demoniac possessed by an eviI spirit
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ
And you shall be continually rewarded for relating Allah’s message and for the suffering you endure but - "in your patience possess you your soul
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
And you are a man of distinguished character; excellent repute and distinct mental and moral constitution
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ
Soon shall you see and so shall they -your opponent- who is the stray who has erred and strayed from the path of righteousness
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
And soon shall they know who is uncontrolled by reason and who is of unsound mind
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
Allah your Creator, is He Who knows best those who have wandered from the path of rectitude, and those who have been guided by the spirit of truth into all truth
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ
So conditioned, do not O Muhammad submit to those who deny the truth and suspect you of falsehood
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ
They wish you were flexible and they would come to terms with mutual concessions
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ
Nor listen to the contemptible who always makes an oath to the truth of his statement because he feels he is not taken at his word nor do his actions to his words accord
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ
A gossiper who delights in idle talk, a slanderer who fans the flow of discord
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
Obstructive to all that is good and commendable, a transgressor who goes beyond the limits prescribed by Allah and justifies the forbidden
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
Moreover, cruel, hurtful and callous
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ
His manner of acting as representative of feeling, answers his ingratitude to Allah Who has given him wealth and progeny
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
Whose response to Our Revelations when he applies his ears to them, is: "Tales fabled by those of old
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
We shall impress on him a stigma of infamy and furnish him with a distorted, contemptuous and ugly disproportionate snout
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ
We have put them -your people- O Muhammad to the test as We had tried the owners of the orchard who decided upon picking up all the fruits by the morrow at dawn to escape notice and evade paying the poor their due. They disregarded alms which are but the vehicles of prayer
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
No one did they except and the decision was irrevocable
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ
But the orchard was visited by a divine dispensation which did away with it at one blow while they were asleep
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
So that by morning it stood desolate and bare, and there was nothing left for them to reap
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ
When they woke up they held discourse to hasten the course of action and expedite their desire
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ
Let us go", said one of them, "and do what you have planned to do if you are to serve your purpose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
And so they went onward to their orchard whispering to each other as to how they would accomplish their desire
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ
That no indigent shall have the chance to break in and seek any share to which he might aspire
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ
And thus they finally and firmly resolved not to be moved from their purpose and course of action
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
And when they saw the orchard had been changed out of all recognition and their dreams which they cherished with unreasonable affection were simply a reverie, they said: "We must have missed our way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
But having recognized the calamity, they said : "We have suffered a big loss; we will get no return for our labour and effort, and our expectant waiting has come to a moist mirage in desert eyes
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The moderate among them said : "Would it not have been befitting, as I advised, had we praised Allah and rendered thanks for the benefits that to us, He has given
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
Now, they said, "Glory to You, our Creator; we have been wrongful of the actions we harmfully performed yet we knew they are utterly forbidden
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
Then they turned round on each other in reproach for the ingratitude to Allah and for the idea of evading benevolence to the poor
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
How denunciated shall we be" they said. "We went beyond the limits prescribed by Allah and offended against the poor and it serves us right
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
It is hoped that Allah, our Creator, may compensate us for our losses with what is better". And thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant stood
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
Such is the retributory punishment, here, for those who go beyond the limits prescribed by Allah and say to their money "my Allah art thou " or " you are my god ", and deny the poor what is due, and greater shall be the punishment Hereafter if only people knew
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
But the righteous shall Allah admit in the bliss and the beatitude of His heaven’s realm
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
Or shall We then treat those who entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah, the same as We treat those who do not regard Allah nor His divine law
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
How could you be so bold -you people- as to think beyond all bounds of prudence and discretion
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
Or do you people have a Book which was revealed to you and you use it as a valid reference and you apply the rules which bear upon it
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
And you choose from it what suits you and make use of it as a convenient aid to your intentions
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
Or did you ratify with Us covenants with unquestionable validity until the Day of Resurrection, and you are then judged according to your desire and expected satisfaction
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them O Muhammad "who has championed the idea and shall offer himself as the candidate who presents a firm front and guarantees them against all exactions
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or do they have deities sharing with Allah His divine nature that they incorporate with Him? If so, ask them to bring them over if they are declaring the truth
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
Wait, a Day shall come when the truth comes to light and their records are exposed, and distress, horror and crushing sorrow are imposed and now they are called to prostrate before their Creator but they cannot
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ
They stand drooping their sight and drooping their souls, hollow-eyed, gazing in bewilderment and fear and gazing their souls away, mortified, despaired of hope and discredited by the base and ignominious cover of their quality and conduct; yet they were admonished in life to bow to the ground in adoration when conditions were wholesome but they did not
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
So leave to Me the one who refuses to admit the truth of the Quran. We shall give such persons enough rope and allow them free scope, so that they overreach and commit themselves to an evil line of conduct and be swept away in the general cataclysm
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ
I give them respite and delay My action, but My scheme of action is decisive, conclusive, strict and unfailing, it strikes at the root
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
Or do you invite them O Muhammad and present them with inducements to follow the path of truth and reality for something in return, and so they are charged with a debt that burdens them or brings them under such liability! The truth is that they are obstinate, not that they hold opinions but the opinions hold them
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Or do they, of all people, apprehend and comprehend what is by nature not an object of sight and they commit it to writing
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ
So be patient O Muhammad and forbear their faults and limitations until Allah judges between you and them. Be not like (Zun Nun) (Jonah ) who fled his people because of their hostility and neglected his responsibility toward Allah. He went to the sea only to be swallowed by the fish. And in distress and utter darkness, he invoked Allah’s forgiveness and mercy
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ
And had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah, his Creator, on him, he would have been cast in the open, low on his knees, brought down to a bad and disagreeable condition, discredited with infamy and shame
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
But Allah relented and quit him all His debt, and with divine grace he came to be of the righteous whose deeds were imprinted with wisdom and piety
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
When the infidels hear you O Muhammad recite the Quran they turn their attention to you and their eyes almost breathe vengeance; their ill-will and their hatred forged in their bosoms that their tongues must vent, have vented your accusation of being a demoniac
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
When in effect -the Quran- is but a universal message which people are yet to learn, and an admonition and a counsel of the greatest concern
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 52