English - Chapter 68 - Al-Qalam

Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write

Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed

Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing

And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character

Soon wilt thou see, and they will see

Which of you is afflicted with madness

Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance

So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth)

Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant

Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths

A slanderer, going about with calumnies

(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin

Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born

Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons

When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries

Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout

Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning

But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will)

Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep

So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered)

As the morning broke, they called out, one to another

Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits

So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)

Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day

And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve

But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way

Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)

Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)

They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong

Then they turned, one against another, in reproach

They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed

It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)

Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew

Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord

Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin

What is the matter with you? How judge ye

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that

Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful

The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able

Their eyes will be cast down,- ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused)

Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not

A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan

Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt

Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down

So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony

Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace

Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous

And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed

But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds