سُوْرَةُ الْقَلَمِ

The Pen

Surah 68verses 52 Revealed in MeccanJuz 29–29

Go to verse

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ

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

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونࣲ‏

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

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونࣲ‏

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

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمࣲ‏

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

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ

Translation of the meaningSoon you and the pagans will see

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ

Translation of the meaningwhich of you is mad

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

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

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

Translation of the meaningSo do not give in to the deniers

وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ

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

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافࣲ مَّهِينٍ

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

هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمࣲ‏

Translation of the meaningslanderer, gossip-monger

مَّنَّاعࣲ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

Translation of the meaningwithholder of good, transgressor, evildoer

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

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

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالࣲ وَبَنِينَ

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

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

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

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ

Translation of the meaningWe will soon mark his snout

إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ

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 يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ

Translation of the meaningleaving no thought for Allah’s Will

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ

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

فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

Translation of the meaningso it was reduced to ashes

فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ

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

أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ

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

فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

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

أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينࣱ‏

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

وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدࣲ قَٰدِرِينَ

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

فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

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

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ

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

قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

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

قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

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

فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

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

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

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

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

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 يَعۡلَمُونَ

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 ٱلنَّعِيمِ

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

أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ

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

مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ

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

أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبࣱ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ

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

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

Translation of the meaningthat you will have whatever you choose

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

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 زَعِيمٌ

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

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ

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 يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ

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 سَٰلِمُونَ

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 يَعۡلَمُونَ

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 مَتِينٌ

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

أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرࣰ ا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمࣲ مُّثۡقَلُونَ

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 يَكۡتُبُونَ

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 مَكۡظُومࣱ‏

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 مَذۡمُومࣱ‏

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 ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

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 لَمَجۡنُونࣱ‏

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 لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

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