Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen)
Read in the interactive Mushaf readerAbout this surah
Name
This Surah is called Nun as well as Al-Qalam, the words with which it begins.
Period of Revelation
This too is one of the earliest surahs to be revealed at Makkah, but its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time when opposition to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had grown very harsh and tyrannical.
Theme and Subject Matter
It consists of three themes: Replies to the opponents objections, administration of warning and admonition to them, and exhortation to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to patience and constancy.
At the outset, the Holy Prophet has been addressed, to the effect: "The disbelievers call you a madman whereas the Book that you are presenting and the sublime conduct that you practice, are by themselves sufficient to refute their false accusations. Soon they will see as to who was mad and who was sane; therefore, do not at all yield to the din of opposition being kicked up against you, for all this is actually meant to cow you and make you resort to a compromise with them."
Then, in order to enlighten the common people the character of a prominent man from among the opponents, whom the people of Makkah fully well recognized, has been presented, without naming him:At that time, the Holy Prophet's pure and sublime conduct was before them, and every discerning eye could also see what sort of character and morals were possessed by the chiefs of Makkah, who were leading the opposition against him.
Then, in vv. 17-33, the parable of the owners of a garden has been presented, who after having been blessed by Allah turned ungrateful to Him, and did not heed the admonition of the best man among them when it was given them. Consequently, they were deprived of the blessing and they realized this, when all they had lay devastated. With this parable the people of Makkah have been warned to the effect:"With the appointment of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to Prophethood, you, O people of Makkah, too, have been put to a test similar to the one to which the owners of the garden had been put. If you do not listen to him, you too will be afflicted with a punishment in the world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is far greater."
Then, in vv. 34-47 continuously, the disbelievers have been admonished, in which the address sometimes turns to them directly and sometimes they are warned through the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). A summary of what has been said in this regard, is this: Well being in the Hereafter inevitably belongs to those who spend their lives in the world in full consciousness of God. It is utterly against reason that the obedient servants should meet in the Hereafter the same fate as the guilty. There is absolutely no basis of the disbelievers misunderstanding that God will treat them in the manner they choose for themselves, whereas they have no guarantee for this. Those who are being called upon to bow before God in the world and they refuse to do so, would be unable to prostrate themselves on the Day of Resurrection even if they wanted to do so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned. Having denied the Qur'an they cannot escape Divine punishment. The rein they are being given, has deluded them. They think that since they are not being punished in spite of their denial, they must be on the right path, whereas they are following the path of ruin. They have no reasonable ground for opposing the Messenger, for he is a preacher without any vested interest: he is not asking any reward of them for himself, and they cannot either make the claim that they know with certainty that he is not a true Messenger, nor that what he says is false.
In conclusion, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been exhorted to the effect:"Bear with patience the hardships that you may have to face in the way of preaching the Faith till Allah's judgment arrives, and avoid the impatience which caused suffering and affliction to the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him)."
Surah Al-Qalam — Arabic with English translation
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ ١
Nūn.1 By the pen and what they inscribe,
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ ٢
You are not, [O Muḥammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ ٣
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ٧
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ ٩
They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ ١٠
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ ١١
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.1
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ ١٤
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٥
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ ١٧
Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ ١٩
So there came upon it [i.e., the garden] an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ ٢٢
[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ ٢٣
So they set out, while lowering their voices,
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ ٢٤
[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ ٢٥
And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.1
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ ٢٦
But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ٢٨
The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allāh]?'"1
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ٢٩
They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ ٣٠
Then they approached one another, blaming each other.
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ ٣١
They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ ٣٢
Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."1
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٣
Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٣٤
Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.
أَفَنَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ كَٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٥
Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ ٣٦
What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتَٰبٞ فِيهِ تَدۡرُسُونَ ٣٧
Or do you have a scripture in which you learn
إِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ ٣٨
That indeed for you is whatever you choose?
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ أَيۡمَٰنٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُونَ ٣٩
Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?
سَلۡهُمۡ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ ٤٠
Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ ٤١
Or do they have partners?1 Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢
The Day the shin will be uncovered1 and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.1
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٤
So leave Me, [O Muḥammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies this statement [i.e., the Qur’ān]. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.1
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ٤٥
And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ ٤٦
Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ ٤٧
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ ٤٨
Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muḥammad], and be not like the companion of the fish [i.e., Jonah] when he called out while he was distressed.
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ ٤٩
If not that a favor [i.e., mercy] from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.1
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٥٠
And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٥١
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٥٢
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.