The Pen (al-Qalam)

3 minutes • 638 words

¹ Noon. By the pen, and by what they inscribe.

² Mohammad, you are not insane.

³ In fact, you will have a reward that will never end.

⁴ You are of a great moral character.

^5-6 You will see, and they will see which of you is afflicted by the devil.

⁷ Your Lord knows best:

who has strayed from His path, and
who is the well-guided.

⁸ 8. So do not obey the deniers.

⁹ They would like you to compromise, so that they would compromise too.

¹⁰ Do not obey:

any vile swearer.
¹¹ the backbiter, spreader of slander
¹² the cruel, illegitimate pretender

¹⁴ Just because he has money and children, he says that Our Verses are “Myths of the ancients!” ¹⁶ We will brand him on his snout.

^17-18 We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning without any reservation.

¹⁹ This is why a calamity from your Lord came upon the garden while they slept.

And in the morning it was as if picked.
In the morning, they called to one another. early to your plantation, if you are go- ing to harvest.”
So off they went, murmuring to one an- other.
“No poor person is to enter it upon you to- day.”
“Go
And early they went, resolved in intent. when they saw it, they said, “We were wrong.
But
We are now deprived.” The most reasonable of them said, “Did I not say to you, ‘if only you would glorify?’”
They said, “Glory to our Lord—We were indeed in the wrong.”
Then they turned to one another, blaming one another.
They said, “Woe to us—we were indeed domineering.
Perhaps our Lord will give us a better sub- stitute for it. We are turning to our Lord.”
Such is the punishment; but the punish- ment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
For the righteous are Gardens of Delight with their Lord.
Shall We treat the Muslims like the vil- lains?

is the matter with you? How do you judge? 37. Or do you have a scripture in which you study. 38. Wherein there is whatever you choose? do you have oaths from Us, binding un- til the Day of Resurrection, that you will have whatever you demand? 40. Ask them, which of them will guarantee that. 41. Or do they have partners? Then let them produce their partners, if they are truthful. 42. On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called to bow down, but they will be unable. 43. Their eyes subdued, shame will cover them. They were invited to bow down when they were sound. 44. So leave Me to those who reject this dis- course; We will proceed against them gradu- ally, from where they do not know. 45. And I will give them respite. My plan is firm. 46. Or do you ask them for a fee, so they are burdened with debt? 47. Or do they know the future, and so they write it down? 48. So wait patiently for the Decision of your Lord, and do not be like the Fellow of the Fish who cried out in despair. 49. Were it not for his Lord’s favor that reached him, he would have been thrown into the wilderness, fully despised. 50. But his Lord chose him, and made him one of the righteous. 51. Those who disbelieve almost stab you with their glances when they hear the message, and say, “He is crazy!” 52. But it is no less than a reminder to all the Worlds. 39. Or

As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will say, “Here, take my book and read it. 19.