Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by Mustafa Khattab God Edition
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ
Nũn. By the pen and what everyone writes
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ
By the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ
You will certainly have a never-ending reward
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ
Soon you and the pagans will see
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
which of you is mad
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ
So do not give in to the deniers
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ
They wish you would compromise so they would yield ˹to you˺
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ
And do not obey the despicable, vain oath-taker
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ
slanderer, gossip-monger
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
withholder of good, transgressor, evildoer
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
brute, and—on top of all that—an illegitimate child
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ
Now, ˹simply˺ because he has been blessed with ˹abundant˺ wealth and children
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ
whenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
We will soon mark his snout
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ
Indeed, We have tested those ˹Meccans˺ as We tested the owners of the garden—when they swore they would surely harvest ˹all˺ its fruit in the early morning
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
leaving no thought for God’s Will
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ
Then it was struck by a torment from your Lord while they slept
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
so it was reduced to ashes
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ
Then by daybreak they called out to each other
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ
˹saying,˺ “Go early to your harvest, if you want to pick ˹all˺ the fruit.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ
So they went off, whispering to one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ
“Do not let any poor person enter your garden today.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ
And they proceeded early, totally fixated on their purpose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
But when they saw it ˹devastated˺, they cried, “We must have lost ˹our˺ way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
In fact, we have been deprived ˹of our livelihood˺.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The most sensible of them said, “Did I not urge you to say, ‘God willing.’?”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They replied, “Glory be to our Lord! We have truly been wrongdoers.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ
Then they turned on each other, throwing blame
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ
They said, “Woe to us! We have certainly been transgressors
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
We trust our Lord will give us a better garden than this, ˹for˺ we are indeed turning to our Lord with hope.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
That is the ˹way of Our˺ punishment ˹in this world˺. But the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly far worse, if only they knew
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Indeed, the righteous will have the Gardens of Bliss with their Lord
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
Should We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
What is the matter with you? How do you judge
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
Or do you have a scripture, in which you read
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
that you will have whatever you choose
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
Or do you have oaths binding on Us until the Day of Judgment that you will have whatever you decide
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ which of them can guarantee all that
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ
Or do they have associate-gods ˹supporting this claim˺? Then let them bring forth their associate-gods, if what they say is true
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of God˺ will be bared, and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ
with eyes downcast, totally covered with disgrace. For they were ˹always˺ called to prostrate ˹in the world˺ when they were fully capable ˹but they chose not to˺
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
So leave to Me ˹O Prophet˺ those who reject this message. We will gradually draw them to destruction in ways they cannot comprehend
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ
I ˹only˺ delay their end for a while, but My planning is flawless
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
Or are you asking them for a reward ˹for the message˺ so that they are overburdened by debt
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Or do they have access to ˹the Record in˺ the unseen, so they copy it ˹for all to see˺
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ
So be patient with your Lord’s decree, and do not be like ˹Jonah,˺ the Man of the Whale, who cried out ˹to God˺, in total distress
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ
Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
Then his Lord chose him, making him one of the righteous
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ
The disbelievers would almost cut you down with their eyes when they hear ˹you recite˺ the Reminder, and say, “He is certainly a madman.”
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
But it is simply a reminder to the whole world
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 52