Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by George Sale
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ
By the pen, and what they write
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ
thou, O Mohammed, through the grace of thy Lord, art not distracted
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ
Verily there is prepared for thee an everlasting reward
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
For thou art of a noble disposition
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ
Thou shalt see, and the infidels shall see
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
which of you are bereaved of your senses
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
Verily thy Lord well knoweth him who wandereth from his path; and He well knoweth those who are rightly directed
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ
Wherefore obey not those who charge thee with imposture
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ
They desire that thou shouldest be easy with them, and they will be easy with thee
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ
But obey not any who is a common swearer, a despicable fellow
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ
a defamer, going about with slander
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
who forbiddeth that which is good, who is also a transgressor, a wicked person
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
cruel, and besides this, of spurious birth
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ
Although he be possessed of wealth and many children
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
When our signs are rehearsed unto him, he saith, they are fables of the ancients
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
We will stigmatize him on the nose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ
Verily We have tried the Meccans, as We formerly tried the owners of the garden; when they swore that they would gather the fruit thereof in the morning
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
and added not the exception, if it please God
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ
Wherefore a surrounding destruction from thy Lord encompassed it, while they slept
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
and in the morning it became like a garden whose fruits had been gathered
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ
And they called the one to the other as they rose in the morning, saying
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ
Go out early to your plantation, if ye intend to gather the fruit thereof
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
So they went on, whispering to one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ
no poor man shall enter the garden upon you, this day
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ
And they went forth early, with a determined purpose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
And when they saw the garden blasted and destroyed, they said, we have certainly mistaken our way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
But when they found it to be their own garden, they cried, verily we are not permitted to reap the fruit thereof
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The worthier of them said, did I not say unto you, will ye not give praise unto God
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They answered, praise be unto our Lord! Verily we have been unjust doers
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
And they began to blame one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
and they said, woe be unto us! Verily we have been transgressors
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
Peradventure our Lord will give us in exchange a better garden than this: And we earnestly beseech our Lord to pardon us
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
Thus is the chastisement of this life: But the chastisement of the next shall be more grievous; if they had known it, they would have taken heed
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Verily for the pious are prepared, with their Lord, gardens of delight
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
Shall we deal with the Moslems, as with the wicked
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
What aileth you that ye judge thus
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
Have ye a book from heaven, wherein ye read
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
that ye are therein promised that which ye shall choose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
Or have ye received oaths which shall be binding upon us to the day of resurrection, that ye shall enjoy what ye imagine
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them, which of them will be the voucher of this
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or have they companions who will vouch for them? Let them produce their companions, therefore, if they speak truth
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
On a certain day the leg shall be made bare; and they shall be called upon to worship, but they shall not be able
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ
Their looks shall be cast down: Ignominy shall attend them: For that they were invited to the worship of God, while they were in safety, but would not hear
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
Let Me alone, therefore, with him who accuseth this new revelation of imposture. We will lead them gradually to destruction, by ways which they know not
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ
And I will bear with them for a long time; for my stratagem is effectual
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
Dost thou ask them any reward for thy preaching? But they are laden with debts
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Are the secrets of futurity with them; and do they transcribe the same from the table of God's decrees
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ
Wherefore patiently wait the judgment of thy Lord: And be not like him who was swallowed by the fish; when he cried unto God, being inwardly vexed
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ
Had not grace from his Lord reached him, he had surely been cast forth on the naked shore, covered with shame
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
But his Lord chose him, and made him one of the righteous
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
It wanteth little but that the unbelievers strike thee down with their malicious looks, when they hear the admonition of the Koran; and they say, he is certainly distracted
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
But it is no other than an admonition unto all creatures
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 52