Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by Muhammad Asad
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ
Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ
Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ
And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending –
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ
and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
which of you was bereft of reason
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ
Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ
they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ
Furthermore, defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ
[or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
[or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
[or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ
Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
[For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ
[As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
and made no allowance [for the will of God]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ
whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ
Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ
Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ
Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ
– and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
[and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?’
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
[In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
[But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
and in which you find all that you may wish to find
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or have they, perchance, anys ages to support their views? Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone, and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God], and shall be unable to do so
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ
downcast will be their eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them - seeing that they had been called upon [in vain] to prostrate themselves [before Him] while they were yet sound [and alive]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
Hence, leave Me alone with such as give the lie to this tiding. We shall bring them low, step by step, without their perceiving how it has come about
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ
for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
Or is it that [they fear lest] thou ask them for a reward, [O Prophet,] so that they would be burdened with debt [if they listened to thee]
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Or [do they think] that the hidden reality [of all that exists] is within their grasp, so that [in time] they can write it down
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ
BEAR THEN with patience thy Sustainer's will and be not like him of the great fish, who cried out [in distress] after having given in to anger
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ
[And remember:] had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren shore in a state of disgrace
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Mubammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
[Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 52