English - Chapter 68 - Al-Qalam

Nun. By the Pen and what they write down

You will have a wage which never-fails

Indeed you are truly vast in character

So you will see and they will see

which of you is mad

Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His Way and He knows best those who are guided

So do not obey those who deny the truth

They wish that you would conciliate them, then they too would be conciliating

But do not obey any vile swearer of oaths

any backbiter, slandermonger

impeder of good, evil aggressor

gross, coarse and furthermore, despicable

simply because he possesses wealth and sons

When Our Signs are recited to him, he says, ´Just myths of previous peoples!´

We will brand him on the snout

We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they swore that they would harvest in the morning

but did not say the redeeming words, ´If Allah wills´

So a visitation from your Lord came upon it while they slept

and in the morning it was like burnt land stripped bare

In the morning they called out to one another

´Leave early for your land if you want to pick the fruit.´

So they set off, quietly saying to one another

´Do not let any poor man into it today while you are there.´

They left early, intent on carrying out their scheme

But when they saw it, they said, ´We must have lost our way

No, the truth is we are destitute!´

The best of them said, ´Did I not say to you, "Why do you not glorify Allah?"´

They said, ´Glory be to our Lord! Truly we have been wrongdoers.´

They turned to face each other in mutual accusation

They said, ´Woe to us! We were indeed inordinate

Maybe our Lord will give us something better than it in exchange. We entreat our Lord.´

Such is the punishment. And the punishment of the Next World is much greater if they only knew

The people who have taqwa will have Gardens of Delight with their Lord

Would We make the Muslims the same as the evildoers

What is the matter with you? On what basis do you judge

Or do you have a Book which you study

so that you may have anything in it you choose

Or do you have oaths which bind Us, extending to the Day of Rising, that you will have whatever you decide

Ask them which of them stands as guarantor for that

Or do they have Divine partners? Then let them produce their partners if they are telling the truth

On the Day when legs are bared and they are called on to prostrate, they will not be able to do so

Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement; for they were called on to prostrate when they were in full possession of their faculties

So leave anyone who denies this discourse to Me! We will lead them, step by step, into destruction from where they do not know

I will allow them more time. My subterfuge is sure

Or do you ask them for a wage so they are weighed down with debt

Or is the Unseen in their hands, so they can write out what is to happen

So wait steadfastly for the judgement of your Lord. Do not be like the Companion of the Fish when he called out in absolute despair

Had a blessing from his Lord not overtaken him, he would have been thrown up on the naked shore, for he was at fault

But his Lord chose him and made him one of the righteous

Those who are kafir all but strike you down with their evil looks when they hear the Reminder and say, ´He is quite mad.´

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