Al-Qalam (القلم)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ
Noon; walqalami wa maa yasturoon
Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!
مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ
Maa anta bini'mati Rabbika bimajnoon
Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ
Wa inna laka la ajran ghaira mamnoon
And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending –
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
Wa innaka la'alaa khuluqin 'azeem
for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;
فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ
Fasatubsiru wa yubsiroon
and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,
بِأَيْيِكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ
Bi ayyikumul maftoon
which of you was bereft of reason.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
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.
فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Falaa tuti'il mukazzibeen
Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:
وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ
Waddoo law tudhinu fa-yudhinoon
they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ
Wa laa tuti' kulla hallaa fim maheen
Furthermore, defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,
هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ
Hammaazim mash shaaa'im binameem
[or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,
مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
Mannaa'il lilkhairi mu'tadin aseem
[or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,
عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
'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].
أَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
An kaana zaa maalinw-wa baneen
Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
Izaa tutlaa 'alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen
that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?
سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ
Sanasimuhoo 'alal khurtoom
[For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace!
إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ
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,
وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ
Wa laa yastasnoon
and made no allowance [for the will of God]:
فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ
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,
فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ
Fa asbahat kassareem
so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.
فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ
Fatanaadaw musbiheen
Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,
أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَارِمِينَ
Anighdoo 'alaa harsikum in kuntum saarimeen
"Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"
فَانْطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ
Fantalaqoo wa hum yatakhaafatoon
Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,
أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِسْكِينٌ
Al laa yadkhulannahal yawma 'alaikum miskeen
"Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"
وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ
Wa ghadaw 'alaa hardin qaadireen
– and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ
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!"
بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ
Bal nahnu mahroomoon
- [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"
قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
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?’"
قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ
Qaaloo subhaana rabbinaaa innaa kunnaa zaalimeen
They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"
فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ
Fa aqbala ba'duhum 'alaa ba'diny yatalaawamoon
- and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.
قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ
Qaaloo yaa wailanaaa innaa kunnaa taagheen
[In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ
'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!"
كَذَٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
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!
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
Inna lilmuttaqeena 'inda rabbihim jannaatin na'eem
For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:
أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ
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?
مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
Maa lakum kaifa tahhkumoon
What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?
أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ
Am lakum kitaabun feehi tadrusoon
Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,
إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
Inna lakum feehi lamaa takhaiyaroon
and in which you find all that you may wish to find?
أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ
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]?
سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Salhum ayyuhum bizaa lika za'eem
Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ
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
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
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:
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ
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].
فَذَرْنِي وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
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:
وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ
Wa umlee lahum; inna kaidee mateen
for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!
أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُونَ
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]?
أَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
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?
فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ
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.
لَوْلَا أَنْ تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ
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:
فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Fajtabaahu rabbuhoo faja'alahoo minas saaliheen
but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous.
وَإِنْ يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ
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!"
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ
Wa maa huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen
[Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind.
Meaning
The Pen
Ayas
52
Revelation
Meccan
Surah No
68
Theme and Message:
Surah Al-Qalam emphasizes the importance of moral character, the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and the consequences of arrogance and disbelief. Key themes include:
Defense of the Prophet (ﷺ): The Surah begins by affirming the Prophet’s noble character and rejecting false accusations against him.
The Story of the People of the Garden: A parable about a group of wealthy but greedy men who refused to give charity and faced divine punishment, teaching a lesson on generosity and gratitude.
The Consequences of Arrogance: Warnings to those who reject the truth and persist in arrogance and disbelief.
The Importance of Patience and Perseverance: The Prophet (ﷺ) is encouraged to remain steadfast despite opposition.
Affirmation of the Prophet’s Character: Allah assures that the Prophet (ﷺ) possesses the highest moral standard.
Warning Against Greed and Arrogance: The story of the People of the Garden serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of selfishness.
Encouragement for Steadfastness: Believers are reminded to stay patient in the face of challenges and opposition.
Strengthens faith in the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Teaches humility and generosity, discouraging arrogance and greed.
Encourages patience in difficult times.
Acts as a reminder of the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
The Prophet’s Character:
Aisha (RA) said, “The character of the Prophet (ﷺ) was the Quran.” (Sahih Muslim) – This reflects the message of Surah Al-Qalam, which affirms his noble character.
Importance of Patience:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if small.” (Bukhari & Muslim) – Reflecting the need for perseverance as emphasized in this Surah.
“If you find any mistakes in this, please let us know. For a more accurate translation, please refer to the English version. May Allah forgive us for any unintentional mistakes.”
