The Pen

نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ1

Ayah 1

Translation of the meaningNũn. By the pen and what everyone writes

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونࣲ‏2

Ayah 2

Translation of the meaningBy the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونࣲ‏3

Ayah 3

Translation of the meaningYou will certainly have a never-ending reward

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمࣲ‏4

Ayah 4

Translation of the meaningAnd you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ5

Ayah 5

Translation of the meaningSoon you and the pagans will see

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ6

Ayah 6

Translation of the meaningwhich of you is mad

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ7

Ayah 7

Translation of the meaningSurely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ8

Ayah 8

Translation of the meaningSo do not give in to the deniers

وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ9

Ayah 9

Translation of the meaningThey wish you would compromise so they would yield ˹to you˺

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافࣲ مَّهِينٍ10

Ayah 10

Translation of the meaningAnd do not obey the despicable, vain oath-taker

هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمࣲ‏11

Ayah 11

Translation of the meaningslanderer, gossip-monger

مَّنَّاعࣲ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ12

Ayah 12

Translation of the meaningwithholder of good, transgressor, evildoer

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ13

Ayah 13

Translation of the meaningbrute, and—on top of all that—an illegitimate child

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالࣲ وَبَنِينَ14

Ayah 14

Translation of the meaningNow, ˹simply˺ because he has been blessed with ˹abundant˺ wealth and children

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ15

Ayah 15

Translation of the meaningwhenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ16

Ayah 16

Translation of the meaningWe will soon mark his snout

إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ17

Ayah 17

Translation of the meaningIndeed, 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

وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ18

Ayah 18

Translation of the meaningleaving no thought for Allah’s Will

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ19

Ayah 19

Translation of the meaningThen it was struck by a torment from your Lord while they slept

فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ20

Ayah 20

Translation of the meaningso it was reduced to ashes

فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ21

Ayah 21

Translation of the meaningThen by daybreak they called out to each other

أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ22

Ayah 22

Translation of the meaning˹saying,˺ “Go early to your harvest, if you want to pick ˹all˺ the fruit.”

فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ23

Ayah 23

Translation of the meaningSo they went off, whispering to one another

أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينࣱ‏24

Ayah 24

Translation of the meaning“Do not let any poor person enter your garden today.”

وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدࣲ قَٰدِرِينَ25

Ayah 25

Translation of the meaningAnd they proceeded early, totally fixated on their purpose

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ26

Ayah 26

Translation of the meaningBut when they saw it ˹devastated˺, they cried, “We must have lost ˹our˺ way

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ27

Ayah 27

Translation of the meaningIn fact, we have been deprived ˹of our livelihood˺.”

قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ28

Ayah 28

Translation of the meaningThe most sensible of them said, “Did I not urge you to say, ‘Allah willing.’?”

قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ29

Ayah 29

Translation of the meaningThey replied, “Glory be to our Lord! We have truly been wrongdoers.”

فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ30

Ayah 30

Translation of the meaningThen they turned on each other, throwing blame

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ31

Ayah 31

Translation of the meaningThey said, “Woe to us! We have certainly been transgressors

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ32

Ayah 32

Translation of the meaningWe trust our Lord will give us a better garden than this, ˹for˺ we are indeed turning to our Lord with hope.”

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ33

Ayah 33

Translation of the meaningThat is the ˹way of Our˺ punishment ˹in this world˺. But the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly far worse, if only they knew

إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ34

Ayah 34

Translation of the meaningIndeed, the righteous will have the Gardens of Bliss with their Lord

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ35

Ayah 35

Translation of the meaningShould We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked

مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ36

Ayah 36

Translation of the meaningWhat is the matter with you? How do you judge

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبࣱ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ37

Ayah 37

Translation of the meaningOr do you have a scripture, in which you read

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ38

Ayah 38

Translation of the meaningthat you will have whatever you choose

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ39

Ayah 39

Translation of the meaningOr do you have oaths binding on Us until the Day of Judgment that you will have whatever you decide

سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ40

Ayah 40

Translation of the meaningAsk them ˹O Prophet˺ which of them can guarantee all that

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ41

Ayah 41

Translation of the meaningOr do they have associate-gods ˹supporting this claim˺? Then let them bring forth their associate-gods, if what they say is true

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقࣲ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ42

Ayah 42

Translation of the meaning˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of Allah˺ will be bared, and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ43

Ayah 43

Translation of the meaningwith 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˺

فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ44

Ayah 44

Translation of the meaningSo leave to Me ˹O Prophet˺ those who reject this message. We will gradually draw them to destruction in ways they cannot comprehend

وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ45

Ayah 45

Translation of the meaningI ˹only˺ delay their end for a while, but My planning is flawless

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرࣰ ا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمࣲ مُّثۡقَلُونَ46

Ayah 46

Translation of the meaningOr are you asking them for a reward ˹for the message˺ so that they are overburdened by debt

أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ47

Ayah 47

Translation of the meaningOr do they have access to ˹the Record in˺ the unseen, so they copy it ˹for all to see˺

فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومࣱ‏48

Ayah 48

Translation of the meaningSo be patient with your Lord’s decree, and do not be like ˹Jonah,˺ the Man of the Whale, who cried out ˹to Allah˺, in total distress

لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومࣱ‏49

Ayah 49

Translation of the meaningHad he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy

فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ50

Ayah 50

Translation of the meaningThen his Lord chose him, making him one of the righteous

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونࣱ‏51

Ayah 51

Translation of the meaningThe disbelievers would almost cut you down with their eyes when they hear ˹you recite˺ the Reminder, and say, “He is certainly a madman.”

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرࣱ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ52

Ayah 52

Translation of the meaningBut it is simply a reminder to the whole world