68. Al-Qalam سُورَةُ القَلَمِ

Yusuf AliNun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write

Saheeh InternationalNun. By the pen and what they inscribe

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

Saheeh InternationalYou are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman

Yusuf AliNay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing

Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted

Yusuf AliAnd thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character

Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, you are of a great moral character

Yusuf AliSoon wilt thou see, and they will see

Saheeh InternationalSo you will see and they will see

Yusuf AliWhich of you is afflicted with madness

Saheeh InternationalWhich of you is the afflicted [by a devil]

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

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

Yusuf AliSo hearken not to those who deny (the Truth)

Saheeh InternationalThen do not obey the deniers

Yusuf AliTheir desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant

Saheeh InternationalThey wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you]

Yusuf AliHeed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths

Saheeh InternationalAnd do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

Yusuf AliA slanderer, going about with calumnies

Saheeh International[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip

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

Saheeh InternationalA preventer of good, transgressing and sinful

Yusuf AliViolent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born

Saheeh InternationalCruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender

Yusuf AliBecause he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons

Saheeh InternationalBecause he is a possessor of wealth and children

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

Saheeh InternationalWhen Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples

Yusuf AliSoon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout

Saheeh InternationalWe will brand him upon the snout

Yusuf AliVerily 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

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

Yusuf AliBut made no reservation, ("If it be God's Will)

Saheeh InternationalWithout making exception

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

Saheeh InternationalSo there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep

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

Saheeh InternationalAnd it became as though reaped

Yusuf AliAs the morning broke, they called out, one to another

Saheeh InternationalAnd they called one another at morning

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

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

Yusuf AliSo they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)

Saheeh InternationalSo they set out, while lowering their voices

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

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

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

Saheeh InternationalAnd they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able

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

Saheeh InternationalBut when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost

Yusuf AliIndeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)

Saheeh InternationalRather, we have been deprived

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

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

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

Saheeh InternationalThey said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers

Yusuf AliThen they turned, one against another, in reproach

Saheeh InternationalThen they approached one another, blaming each other

Yusuf AliThey said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed

Saheeh InternationalThey said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors

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

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

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

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

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

Saheeh InternationalIndeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure

Yusuf AliShall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin

Saheeh InternationalThen will We treat the Muslims like the criminals

Yusuf AliWhat is the matter with you? How judge ye

Saheeh InternationalWhat is [the matter] with you? How do you judge

Yusuf AliOr have ye a book through which ye learn

Saheeh InternationalOr do you have a scripture in which you learn

Yusuf AliThat ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose

Saheeh InternationalThat indeed for you is whatever you choose

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

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

Yusuf AliAsk thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that

Saheeh InternationalAsk them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible

Yusuf AliOr have they some "Partners" (in Godhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful

Saheeh InternationalOr do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful

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

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

Yusuf AliTheir 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)

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

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

Saheeh InternationalSo 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

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

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

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

Saheeh InternationalOr do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down

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

Saheeh InternationalOr have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down

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

Saheeh InternationalThen 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

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

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

Yusuf AliThus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous

Saheeh InternationalAnd his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous

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

Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad

Yusuf AliBut it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds

Saheeh InternationalBut it is not except a reminder to the worlds