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Surah Al-Qalam

سُورَةُ القَلَمِ
The Pen 52 Ayahs Meccan Juz 29

Surah Al-Qalam defends the Prophet's character against accusations of madness. It tells the story of the garden owners who refused to share their harvest.

1
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِیمِ نۤۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا یَسۡطُرُونَ
English

Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe,

2
مَاۤ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونࣲ
English

You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.

3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَیۡرَ مَمۡنُونࣲ
English

And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِیمࣲ
English

And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

5
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَیُبۡصِرُونَ
English

So you will see and they will see

6
بِأَییِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ
English

Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].

7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِیلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِینَ
English

Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.

8
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِینَ
English

Then do not obey the deniers.

9
وَدُّوا۟ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَیُدۡهِنُونَ
English

They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].

10
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافࣲ مَّهِینٍ
English

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

11
هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّاۤءِۭ بِنَمِیمࣲ
English

[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -

12
مَّنَّاعࣲ لِّلۡخَیۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِیمٍ
English

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

13
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ زَنِیمٍ
English

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

14
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالࣲ وَبَنِینَ
English

Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

15
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ ءَایَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِیرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ
English

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."

16
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ
English

We will brand him upon the snout.

17
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَـٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَاۤ أَصۡحَـٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُوا۟ لَیَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِینَ
English

Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

18
وَلَا یَسۡتَثۡنُونَ
English

Without making exception.

19
فَطَافَ عَلَیۡهَا طَاۤىِٕفࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَاۤىِٕمُونَ
English

So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.

20
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِیمِ
English

And it became as though reaped.

21
فَتَنَادَوۡا۟ مُصۡبِحِینَ
English

And they called one another at morning,

22
أَنِ ٱغۡدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰرِمِینَ
English

[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."

23
فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمۡ یَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ
English

So they set out, while lowering their voices,

24
أَن لَّا یَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡیَوۡمَ عَلَیۡكُم مِّسۡكِینࣱ
English

[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."

25
وَغَدَوۡا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدࣲ قَـٰدِرِینَ
English

And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.

26
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّا لَضَاۤلُّونَ
English

But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;

27
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ
English

Rather, we have been deprived."

28
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
English

The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]?' "

29
قَالُوا۟ سُبۡحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِینَ
English

They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."

30
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ یَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ
English

Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

31
قَالُوا۟ یَـٰوَیۡلَنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِینَ
English

They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.

32
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَاۤ أَن یُبۡدِلَنَا خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهَاۤ إِنَّاۤ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَ ٰ⁠غِبُونَ
English

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."

33
كَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُوا۟ یَعۡلَمُونَ
English

Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

34
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِینَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِیمِ
English

Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.

35
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِینَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِینَ
English

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

36
مَا لَكُمۡ كَیۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ
English

What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?

37
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَـٰبࣱ فِیهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ
English

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

38
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِیهِ لَمَا تَخَیَّرُونَ
English

That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

39
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَیۡمَـٰنٌ عَلَیۡنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ
English

Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?

40
سَلۡهُمۡ أَیُّهُم بِذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ زَعِیمٌ
English

Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.

41
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَاۤءُ فَلۡیَأۡتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَاۤىِٕهِمۡ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِینَ
English

Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.

42
یَوۡمَ یُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقࣲ وَیُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا یَسۡتَطِیعُونَ
English

The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,

43
خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُوا۟ یُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَـٰلِمُونَ
English

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.

44
فَذَرۡنِی وَمَن یُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِیثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ
English

So leave Me, [O Muhammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies the Qur'an. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.

45
وَأُمۡلِی لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَیۡدِی مَتِینٌ
English

And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.

46
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرࣰا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمࣲ مُّثۡقَلُونَ
English

Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?

47
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَیۡبُ فَهُمۡ یَكۡتُبُونَ
English

Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?

48
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومࣱ
English

Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muhammad], and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed.

49
لَّوۡلَاۤ أَن تَدَ ٰ⁠رَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَاۤءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومࣱ
English

If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.

50
فَٱجۡتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَ
English

And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.