Al-Qalam

Noon; walqalami wa maa yasturoon

Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!

Maa anta bini'mati Rabbika bimajnoon

Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!

Wa inna laka la ajran ghaira mamnoon

And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending –

Wa innaka la'alaa khuluqin 'azeem

for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;

Fasatubsiru wa yubsiroon

and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,

Bi ayyikumul maftoon

which of you was bereft of reason.

Innaa Rabbaka Huwa a'lamu biman dalla 'an sabeelihee wa Huwa a'lamu bilmuhtadeen

Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, Just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way.

Falaa tuti'il mukazzibeen

Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:

Waddoo law tudhinu fa-yudhinoon

they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].

Wa laa tuti' kulla hallaa fim maheen

Furthermore, defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,

Hammaazim mash shaaa'im binameem

[or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,

Mannaa'il lilkhairi mu'tadin aseem

[or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,

'Utullim ba'da zaalika zaneem

[or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men].

An kaana zaa maalinw-wa baneen

Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children

Izaa tutlaa 'alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen

that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?

Sanasimuhoo 'alal khurtoom

[For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace!

Innaa balawnaahum kamaa balawnaaa As-haabal jannati iz 'aqsamoo la-yasri munnahaa musbiheen

[As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow,

Wa laa yastasnoon

and made no allowance [for the will of God]:

Fataafa 'alaihaa taaa'i fum mir rabbika wa hum naaa'imoon

whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep,

Fa asbahat kassareem

so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.

Fatanaadaw musbiheen

Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,

Anighdoo 'alaa harsikum in kuntum saarimeen

"Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"

Fantalaqoo wa hum yatakhaafatoon

Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,

Al laa yadkhulannahal yawma 'alaikum miskeen

"Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"

Wa ghadaw 'alaa hardin qaadireen

– and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.

Falammaa ra awhaa qaalooo innaa ladaaalloon

But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"

Bal nahnu mahroomoon

- [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"

Qaala awsatuhum alam aqul lakum law laa tusabbihoon

Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?’"

Qaaloo subhaana rabbinaaa innaa kunnaa zaalimeen

They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"

Fa aqbala ba'duhum 'alaa ba'diny yatalaawamoon

- and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.

Qaaloo yaa wailanaaa innaa kunnaa taagheen

[In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!

'Asaa rabbunaaa any yubdilanaa khairam minhaaa innaaa ilaa rabbinaa raaghiboon

[But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"

Kazaalikal azaab, wa la'azaabul aakhirati akbar; law kaanoo ya'lamoon

SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it!

Inna lilmuttaqeena 'inda rabbihim jannaatin na'eem

For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:

Afanaj'alul muslimeena kalmujrimeen

or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin?

Maa lakum kaifa tahhkumoon

What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?

Am lakum kitaabun feehi tadrusoon

Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,

Inna lakum feehi lamaa takhaiyaroon

and in which you find all that you may wish to find?

Am lakum aymaanun 'alainaa baalighatun ilaa yawmil qiyaamati inna lakum lamaa tahkumoon

Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]?

Salhum ayyuhum bizaa lika za'eem

Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!

Am lahum shurakaaa'u falyaatoo bishurakaaa 'ihim in kaanoo saadiqeen

Or have they, perchance, any sages to support their views? Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs

Yawma yukshafu 'am saaqinw wa yud'awna ilas sujoodi falaa yastatee'oon

on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone, and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God], and shall be unable to do so:

Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillatunw wa qad kaanoo yud'awna ilassujoodi wa hum saalimoon

downcast will be their eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them - seeing that they had been called upon [in vain] to prostrate themselves [before Him] while they were yet sound [and alive].

Fazarnee wa many yukazzibu bihaazal hadeesi sanastad rijuhum min haisu laa ya'lamoon

Hence, leave Me alone with such as give the lie to this tiding. We shall bring them low, step by step, without their perceiving how it has come about:

Wa umlee lahum; inna kaidee mateen

for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!

Am tas'aluhum ajran fahum mim maghramim musqaloon

Or is it that [they fear lest] thou ask them for a reward, [O Prophet,] so that they would be burdened with debt [if they listened to thee]?

Am 'indahumul ghaibu fahum yaktuboon

Or [do they think] that the hidden reality [of all that exists] is within their grasp, so that [in time] they can write it down?

Fasbir lihkmi rabbika wa laa takun kasaahibil boot; iz naadaa wa huwa makzoom

BEAR THEN with patience thy Sustainer's will and be not like him of the great fish, who cried out [in distress] after having given in to anger.

Law laaa an tadaara kahoo ni'matum mir rabbihee lanubiza bil'araaa'i wa huwa mazmoom

[And remember:] had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren shore in a state of disgrace:

Fajtabaahu rabbuhoo faja'alahoo minas saaliheen

but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous.

Wa iny-yakaadul lazeena kafaroo la-yuzliqoonaka biabsaarihim lammaa saml'uz-Zikra wa yaqooloona innahoo lamajnoon

Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Muhammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman!"

Wa maa huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen

[Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind.