Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation by Shabbir Ahmed

نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ

Nuon. The Inkpot. And the Pen, and all that they write, stand witness. (The high domain of knowledge will bear out that)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 1

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ

You (O Messenger), by the Grace of your Lord, are not a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 2

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ

And, behold, yours will be an everlasting reward
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 3

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ

For, verily, you are of the noblest moral character
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 4

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ

And soon you will see and they will see
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 5

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ

Which of you is the demented. (Outstanding knowledge plus sublime character can only be compatible with a great mind)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 6

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

Verily, your Lord knows best him who strays from His Way, and He knows best those who are rightly guided
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 7

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

Hence, pay no heed to the rejecters
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 8

وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ

They wish that you strike a deal with them so that they can strike a deal (and compromise on a middle grounds between Truth and Falsehood (10:15), (11:)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 9

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ

And yield not to any petty oath-monger. (Repetitious swearing hurts the credibility of a person)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 10

هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ

Or to a defamer that goes about spreading slander
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 11

مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

Or to a withholder of the good and of wealth, trespasser of values, low in virtue
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 12

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

Or to one greedy to the extent of insensitivity, and, in addition, worthless to the society
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 13

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ

Or he who because of his riches and party
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 14

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

Says, "Fables of ancient times", whenever Our Messages are conveyed to him
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 15

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ

We shall brand such a person with manifest disgrace! ('Branding the snout' alludes to bringing to visible disgrace a person who chooses to live at the subhuman level)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 16

إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ

Behold, We have tried such people as We tried the owners of the garden who swore that they would pluck its fruit in the morning
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 17

وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ

And made no exception (for the needy poor)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 18

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ

Then a tornado from your Lord struck it while they slept
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 19

فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

So that by the morning it was barren, bleak
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 20

فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ

Now, in the morning, they called out unto one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 21

أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ

Go early to your field if you want to pick the fruit
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 22

فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

So they went off whispering unto one another
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 23

أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ

Let not a single poor come near you today
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 24

وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ

And early they went strong in their resolve (to keep the poor away)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 25

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

But when they saw it, they said, "Behold, we have lost our way
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 26

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ

(Then they realized), "Ah! Now we are destitute
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 27

قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

Said the most balanced among them, "Did I not tell you - why did you not work aright (thinking of the poor)?" ('Sabh' = Swim in strides = Work hard = Labor for a noble cause)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 28

قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

They said, "Glorified is our Lord! Verily, it is we who have been offenders." (Refusing the Divine Right of the needy)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 29

فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

And then they confronted one another, blaming
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 30

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

They said, "Oh, woe unto us! We were trespassers of goodness
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 31

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

It may be that our Lord grants us something better than this. Behold, we turn to our Lord affectionately
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 32

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Such is the suffering! But far greater is the suffering of the Hereafter - if they knew it
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 33

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

Behold, for those who walk aright are Gardens of Bliss with their Lord
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 34

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

Shall We, then, treat those who submit (to Our Laws) like the guilty
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 35

مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ

What is the matter with you? How do you judge (the right and wrong and their logical consequence)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 36

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ

Or do you have a scripture wherein you learn
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 37

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

That you shall indeed get the outcome of your choosing
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 38

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ

Or have you a solemn oath, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours shall be all that you order
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 39

سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

Ask them which of them guarantees it
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 40

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ

Do they have 'partners'? Then let them bring their 'partners' if they are truthful
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 41

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ

On the Day when they are confronted with the stark reality and they are summoned to prostrate, they shall not be able to prostrate. (It will be too late to submit)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 42

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ

Their eyes drooping, humiliation will overwhelm them! And they had been repeatedly invited to prostrate when they were able
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 43

فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

So leave unto Me him who denied this Message (39:23). We shall lead them step by step to a reprisal from directions they had never conceived
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 44

وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ

Though I give them respite, behold, unwavering is My Plan
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 45

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ

Or is it that you ask them any reward so that they are burdened
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 46

أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ

Or is it that theirs is the future that they have written down
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 47

فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ

(O Prophet) Go ahead steadfastly in establishing your Lord's Command. And be not like him (Jonah) of the fish who cried out in distress. (21)
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 48

لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ

If it were not for the Bliss of his Lord, he would have been cast into the wilderness and in the wilderness of thought
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 49

فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

But his Lord had elected him and included him among those who have worked for reform and to actualize their 'Self
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 50

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ

And behold, those who deny the Truth, offend you (O Prophet) with their eyes when they hear the Reminder. And they say, "Behold, he is a madman
Surah Al-Qalam, Verse 51