The surah that opens with the single discrete Arabic letter Nūn and the oath of the Divine One swearing by the instrument of The Pen, as well as all knowledge that people are able to preserve and communicate thereby. It takes its name from “the pen” (al-qalam) mentioned in verse 1. The surah deals with the accusation that Muhammad was not God’s Messenger but merely mad (verse 2 .). The arrogance of those who assume that, because they have some of the good things in this life, they can reject the Revelation, is rebutted (verse 10 .). Examples are given of those who came to regret their arrogance (verse 17 .). The Prophet is urged to remain steadfast (verse 48 .).
1
ن ۚ وَالقَلَمِ وَما يَسطُرونَ
n (nūn) wa-l-qalami wa-mā yasṭurūna
Nūn.By the Pen and what they write:
2
ما أَنتَ بِنِعمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجنونٍ
mā ʾanta bi-niʿmati rabbika bi-majnūnin
you are not, by your Lord’s blessing, crazy,
3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجرًا غَيرَ مَمنونٍ
wa-ʾinna laka la-ʾajran ghayra mamnūnin
and yours indeed will be an everlasting reward,
4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظيمٍ
wa-ʾinnaka la-ʿalā khuluqin ʿaẓīmin
and indeed you possess a great character.
5
فَسَتُبصِرُ وَيُبصِرونَ
fa-sa-tubṣiru wa-yubṣirūna
You will see and they will see,
6
بِأَييِكُمُ المَفتونُ
bi-ʾayyikumu l-maftūnu
which one of you is crazy.
7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعلَمُ بِالمُهتَدينَ
ʾinna rabbaka huwa ʾaʿlamu bi-man ḍalla ʿan sabīlihī wa-huwa ʾaʿlamu bi-l-muhtadīna
Indeed your Lord knows bestthose who stray from His way,and He knows best those who are guided.
8
فَلا تُطِعِ المُكَذِّبينَ
fa-lā tuṭiʿi l-mukadhdhibīna
So do not obey the deniers,
9
وَدّوا لَو تُدهِنُ فَيُدهِنونَ
waddū law tudhinu fa-yudhinūna
who are eager that you should be pliable,so that they may be pliable [towards you].
10
وَلا تُطِع كُلَّ حَلّافٍ مَهينٍ
wa-lā tuṭiʿ kulla ḥallāfin mahīnin
And do not obey any vile swearer,
11
هَمّازٍ مَشّاءٍ بِنَميمٍ
hammāzin mashshāʾin bi-namīmin
scandal-monger, talebearer,
12
مَنّاعٍ لِلخَيرِ مُعتَدٍ أَثيمٍ
mannāʿin li-l-khayri muʿtadin ʾathīmin
hinderer of all good, sinful transgressor,
13
عُتُلٍّ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنيمٍ
ʿutullin baʿda dhālika zanīmin
callous and, on top of that, baseborn,
14
أَن كانَ ذا مالٍ وَبَنينَ
ʾan kāna dhā mālin wa-banīna
—[only] because he has wealth and children.
15
إِذا تُتلىٰ عَلَيهِ آياتُنا قالَ أَساطيرُ الأَوَّلينَ
ʾidhā tutlā ʿalayhi ʾāyātunā qāla ʾasāṭīru l-ʾawwalīna
When Our signs are recited to him,he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’
16
سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الخُرطومِ
sa-nasimuhū ʿalā l-khurṭūmi
Soon We shall brand him on the snout.
17
إِنّا بَلَوناهُم كَما بَلَونا أَصحابَ الجَنَّةِ إِذ أَقسَموا لَيَصرِمُنَّها مُصبِحينَ
ʾinnā balawnāhum ka-mā balawnā ʾaṣḥāba l-jannati ʾidh ʾaqsamū la-yaṣrimunnahā muṣbiḥīna
Indeed we have tested them1just as We tested the People of the Gardenwhen they vowed they would gather its fruitat dawn,That is, the people of Makkah, through famine and hunger.
18
وَلا يَستَثنونَ
wa-lā yastathnūna
and they did not make any exception.1That is, for Allah’s will, by saying, for instance, ‘God willing.’ See 18:24.
19
فَطافَ عَلَيها طائِفٌ مِن رَبِّكَ وَهُم نائِمونَ
fa-ṭāfa ʿalayhā ṭāʾifun min rabbika wa-hum nāʾimūna
Then a visitation from your Lord visited it1while they were asleep.That is, the garden.
20
فَأَصبَحَت كَالصَّريمِ
fa-ʾaṣbaḥat ka-ṣ-ṣarīmi
So by the dawn it was like a harvested field.1Or ‘like a sand dune,’ or ‘like a gloomy night,’ or ‘like black ashes.’
21
فَتَنادَوا مُصبِحينَ
fa-tanādaw muṣbiḥīna
At dawn they called out to one another,
22
أَنِ اغدوا عَلىٰ حَرثِكُم إِن كُنتُم صارِمينَ
ʾani ghdū ʿalā ḥarthikum ʾin kuntum ṣārimīna
‘Get off early to your fieldif you have to gather [the fruits].’
23
فَانطَلَقوا وَهُم يَتَخافَتونَ
fa-nṭalaqū wa-hum yatakhāfatūna
So off they went, murmuring to one another:
24
أَن لا يَدخُلَنَّهَا اليَومَ عَلَيكُم مِسكينٌ
ʾan lā yadkhulannahā l-yawma ʿalaykum miskīnun
‘Today no needy man shall come to you in it.’
25
وَغَدَوا عَلىٰ حَردٍ قادِرينَ
wa-ghadaw ʿalā ḥardin qādirīna
They set out early morning,[considering themselves] able to grudge.
26
فَلَمّا رَأَوها قالوا إِنّا لَضالّونَ
fa-lammā raʾawhā qālū ʾinnā la-ḍāllūna
But when they saw it, they said,‘We have indeed lost our way!’
27
بَل نَحنُ مَحرومونَ
bal naḥnu maḥrūmūna
‘No, we are deprived!’
28
قالَ أَوسَطُهُم أَلَم أَقُل لَكُم لَولا تُسَبِّحونَ
qāla ʾawsaṭuhum ʾa-lam ʾaqul lakum law-lā tusabbiḥūna
The most moderate among them said,‘Did I not tell you,“Why do you not glorify [Allah]?” ’
29
قالوا سُبحانَ رَبِّنا إِنّا كُنّا ظالِمينَ
qālū subḥāna rabbinā ʾinnā kunnā ẓālimīna
They said, ‘Immaculate is our Lord!We have indeed been wrongdoers!’
30
فَأَقبَلَ بَعضُهُم عَلىٰ بَعضٍ يَتَلاوَمونَ
fa-ʾaqbala baʿḍuhum ʿalā baʿḍin yatalāwamūna
Then they turned to one another,blaming each other.
31
قالوا يا وَيلَنا إِنّا كُنّا طاغينَ
qālū yā-waylanā ʾinnā kunnā ṭāghīna
They said, ‘Woe to us!Indeed we have been rebellious.
32
عَسىٰ رَبُّنا أَن يُبدِلَنا خَيرًا مِنها إِنّا إِلىٰ رَبِّنا راغِبونَ
ʿasā rabbunā ʾan yubdilanā khayran minhā ʾinnā ʾilā rabbinā rāghibūna
Maybe our Lord will give us a better one in its place.Indeed we turn earnestly to our Lord.’
33
كَذٰلِكَ العَذابُ ۖ وَلَعَذابُ الآخِرَةِ أَكبَرُ ۚ لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ
ka-dhālika l-ʿadhābu wa-la-ʿadhābu l-ʾākhirati ʾakbaru law kānū yaʿlamūna
Such was the punishment;and the punishment of the Hereafter is surely greater,had they known.
34
إِنَّ لِلمُتَّقينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِم جَنّاتِ النَّعيمِ
ʾinna li-l-muttaqīna ʿinda rabbihim jannāti n-naʿīmi
Indeed for the Godwarythere will be gardens of bliss near their Lord.
35
أَفَنَجعَلُ المُسلِمينَ كَالمُجرِمينَ
ʾa-fa-najʿalu l-muslimīna ka-l-mujrimīna
Shall We, then, treat those who submit [to Us]as [We treat] the guilty?
36
ما لَكُم كَيفَ تَحكُمونَ
mā lakum kayfa taḥkumūna
What is the matter with you? How do you judge!
37
أَم لَكُم كِتابٌ فيهِ تَدرُسونَ
ʾam lakum kitābun fīhi tadrusūna
Do you possess a scripture in which you read
38
إِنَّ لَكُم فيهِ لَما تَخَيَّرونَ
ʾinna lakum fīhi la-mā takhayyarūna
that you shall indeed have in it1whatever you would like?That is, in the next world.
39
أَم لَكُم أَيمانٌ عَلَينا بالِغَةٌ إِلىٰ يَومِ القِيامَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُم لَما تَحكُمونَ
ʾam lakum ʾaymānun ʿalaynā bālighatun ʾilā yawmi l-qiyāmati ʾinna lakum la-mā taḥkumūna
Do you have a pledge binding on Usuntil the Day of Resurrection,that you shall indeed have whatever you decide?
40
سَلهُم أَيُّهُم بِذٰلِكَ زَعيمٌ
salhum ʾayyuhum bi-dhālika zaʿīmun
Ask them, which of them will aver [any of] that!
41
أَم لَهُم شُرَكاءُ فَليَأتوا بِشُرَكائِهِم إِن كانوا صادِقينَ
ʾam lahum shurakāʾu fa-l-yaʾtū bi-shurakāʾihim ʾin kānū ṣādiqīna
Do they have any partners [they ascribe to Allah]?Then let them produce their partners,if they are truthful.
42
يَومَ يُكشَفُ عَن ساقٍ وَيُدعَونَ إِلَى السُّجودِ فَلا يَستَطيعونَ
yawma yukshafu ʿan sāqin wa-yudʿawna ʾilā s-sujūdi fa-lā yastaṭīʿūna
The day when the catastrophe occurs,1and they are summoned to prostrate themselves,they will not be able [to do it].Literally, ‘when the shank is uncovered,’ an idiom implying the occurrence of a calamity, or a disclosure and denouement.
43
خاشِعَةً أَبصارُهُم تَرهَقُهُم ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَد كانوا يُدعَونَ إِلَى السُّجودِ وَهُم سالِمونَ
khāshiʿatan ʾabṣāruhum tarhaquhum dhillatun wa-qad kānū yudʿawna ʾilā s-sujūdi wa-hum sālimūna
With a humbled look [in their eyes],they will be overcast by abasement.Certainly they were summoned to prostrate themselveswhile they were yet sound.
44
فَذَرني وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهٰذَا الحَديثِ ۖ سَنَستَدرِجُهُم مِن حَيثُ لا يَعلَمونَ
fa-dharnī wa-man yukadhdhibu bi-hādhā l-ḥadīthi sa-nastadrijuhum min haythu lā yaʿlamūna
So leave Me with those who deny this discourse.We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin],whence they do not know.
45
وَأُملي لَهُم ۚ إِنَّ كَيدي مَتينٌ
wa-ʾumlī lahum ʾinna kaydī matīnun
I will grant them respite,for My devising is indeed sure.
46
أَم تَسأَلُهُم أَجرًا فَهُم مِن مَغرَمٍ مُثقَلونَ
ʾam tasʾaluhum ʾajran fa-hum min maghramin muthqalūna
Do you ask them for a reward,so that they are weighed down with debt?
47
أَم عِندَهُمُ الغَيبُ فَهُم يَكتُبونَ
ʾam ʿindahumu l-ghaybu fa-hum yaktubūna
Do they possess [access to] the Unseenso that they write it down?
48
فَاصبِر لِحُكمِ رَبِّكَ وَلا تَكُن كَصاحِبِ الحوتِ إِذ نادىٰ وَهُوَ مَكظومٌ
fa-ṣbir li-ḥukmi rabbika wa-lā takun ka-ṣāḥibi l-ḥūti ʾidh nādā wa-huwa makẓūmun
So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord,and do not be like the Man of the Fish1who called out as he choked with grief.That is, Jonah. See 21:87.
49
لَولا أَن تَدارَكَهُ نِعمَةٌ مِن رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالعَراءِ وَهُوَ مَذمومٌ
law-lā ʾan tadārakahū niʿmatun min rabbihī la-nubidha bi-l-ʿarāʾi wa-huwa madhmūmun
Had it not been for a blessing that came to his rescuefrom his Lord,he would surely have been cast on a bare shorewhile he were blameworthy.
50
فَاجتَباهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصّالِحينَ
fa-jtabāhu rabbuhū fa-jaʿalahū mina ṣ-ṣāliḥīna
So his Lord chose himand made him one of the righteous.
51
وَإِن يَكادُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا لَيُزلِقونَكَ بِأَبصارِهِم لَمّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكرَ وَيَقولونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجنونٌ
wa-ʾin yakādu lladhīna kafarū la-yuzliqūnaka bi-ʾabṣārihim lammā samiʿū dh-dhikra wa-yaqūlūna ʾinnahū la-majnūnun
Indeed the faithless almost devour youwith their eyeswhen they hear the Reminder,and they say, ‘He is indeed crazy.’
52
وَما هُوَ إِلّا ذِكرٌ لِلعالَمينَ
wa-mā huwa ʾillā dhikrun li-l-ʿālamīna
Yet it is just a reminder for all the nations.