Surah Al-Qalam

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1. 68:1

   نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ﴿١﴾

   n (nūn) wa-l-qalami wa-mā yasṭurūna

   Nun. By the Pen and what they write:

2. 68:2

   مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ﴿٢﴾

   mā ˈanta bi-niʿmati rabbika bi-maǧnūnin

   by your Lord’s blessing, you are not, crazy,

3. 68:3

   وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ﴿٣﴾

   wa-ˈinna laka la-ˈaǧran ġayra mamnūnin

   and yours indeed will be an everlasting reward,

4. 68:4

   وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ﴿٤﴾

   wa-ˈinnaka la-ʿalā ḫuluqin ʿaẓīmin

   and indeed you possess a great character.

5. 68:5

   فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ﴿٥﴾

   fa-sa-tubṣiru wa-yubṣirūna

   You will see and they will see,

6. 68:6

   بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ﴿٦﴾

   bi-ˈayyikumu l-maftūnu

   which one of you is crazy.

7. 68:7

   إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ﴿٧﴾

   ˈinna rabbaka huwa ˈaʿlamu bi-man ḍalla ʿan sabīlihī wa-huwa ˈaʿlamu bi-l-muhtadīna

   Indeed your Lord knows best those who stray from His way, and He knows best those who are guided.

8. 68:8

   فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿٨﴾

   fa-lā tuṭiʿi l-mukaḏḏibīna

   So do not obey the deniers,

9. 68:9

   وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ﴿٩﴾

   waddū law tudhinu fa-yudhinūna

   who are eager that you should be flexible, so that they [too] may be flexible [towards you].

10. 68:10

    وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ﴿١٠﴾

    wa-lā tuṭiʿ kulla ḥallāfin mahīnin

    And do not obey any vile swearer,

11. 68:11

    هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ﴿١١﴾

    hammāzin maššāˈin bi-namīmin

    scandal-monger, talebearer,

12. 68:12

    مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ﴿١٢﴾

    mannāʿin li-l-ḫayri muʿtadin ˈaṯīmin

    hinderer of all good, sinful transgressor,

13. 68:13

    عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ﴿١٣﴾

    ʿutullin baʿda ḏālika zanīmin

    callous and, on top of that, baseborn

14. 68:14

    أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ﴿١٤﴾

    ˈan kāna ḏā mālin wa-banīna

    —[who behaves in such a manner only] because he has wealth and children.

15. 68:15

    إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴿١٥﴾

    ˈiḏā tutlā ʿalayhi ˈāyātunā qāla ˈasāṭīru l-ˈawwalīna

    When Our signs are recited to him, he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’

16. 68:16

    سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ﴿١٦﴾

    sa-nasimuhū ʿalā l-ḫurṭūmi

    Soon We shall brand him on his snout.

17. 68:17

    إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ﴿١٧﴾

    ˈinnā balawnāhum ka-mā balawnā ˈaṣḥāba l-ǧannati ˈiḏ ˈaqsamū la-yaṣrimunnahā muṣbiḥīna

    Indeed we have tested them just as We tested the People of the Garden when they vowed they would gather its fruit at dawn,

18. 68:18

    وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ﴿١٨﴾

    wa-lā yastaṯnūna

    and they did not make any exception.

19. 68:19

    فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ﴿١٩﴾

    fa-ṭāfa ʿalayhā ṭāˈifun min rabbika wa-hum nāˈimūna

    Then, a visitation from your Lord visited it while they were asleep.

20. 68:20

    فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ﴿٢٠﴾

    fa-ˈaṣbaḥat ka-ṣ-ṣarīmi

    So, by dawn it was like a harvested field.

21. 68:21

    فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ﴿٢١﴾

    fa-tanādaw muṣbiḥīna

    At dawn they called out to one another,

22. 68:22

    أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰرِمِينَ﴿٢٢﴾

    ˈani ġdū ʿalā ḥarṯikum ˈin kuntum ṣārimīna

    ‘Get off early to your field if you have to gather [the fruits].’

23. 68:23

    فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ﴿٢٣﴾

    fa-nṭalaqū wa-hum yataḫāfatūna

    So off they went, murmuring to one another:

24. 68:24

    أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ﴿٢٤﴾

    ˈan lā yadḫulannahā l-yawma ʿalaykum miskīnun

    ‘Today no needy man shall come to you in it.’

25. 68:25

    وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَـٰدِرِينَ﴿٢٥﴾

    wa-ġadaw ʿalā ḥardin qādirīna

    And they set out at early morning, [considering themselves] able to deprive [the poor of its fruit].

26. 68:26

    فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ﴿٢٦﴾

    fa-lammā raˈawhā qālū ˈinnā la-ḍāllūna

    But when they saw it, they said, ‘We have indeed lost our way!’

27. 68:27

    بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ﴿٢٧﴾

    bal naḥnu maḥrūmūna

    ‘No, it is we who have been deprived!’

28. 68:28

    قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ﴿٢٨﴾

    qāla ˈawsaṭuhum ˈa-lam ˈaqul lakum law-lā tusabbiḥūna

    The most upright among them said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘Why do you not glorify [Allah]?’’ ’

29. 68:29

    قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ﴿٢٩﴾

    qālū subḥāna rabbinā ˈinnā kunnā ẓālimīna

    They said, ‘Immaculate is our Lord! We have indeed been wrongdoers!’

30. 68:30

    فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ﴿٣٠﴾

    fa-ˈaqbala baʿḍuhum ʿalā baʿḍin yatalāwamūna

    Then they turned to one another, blaming each other.

31. 68:31

    قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَ﴿٣١﴾

    qālū yā-waylanā ˈinnā kunnā ṭāġīna

    They said, ‘Woe to us! Indeed, we have been rebellious.

32. 68:32

    عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ﴿٣٢﴾

    ʿasā rabbunā ˈan yubdilanā ḫayran minhā ˈinnā ˈilā rabbinā rāġibūna

    Maybe our Lord will give us a better one in its place. Indeed we earnestly beseech our Lord.’

33. 68:33

    كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ﴿٣٣﴾

    ka-ḏālika l-ʿaḏābu wa-la-ʿaḏābu l-ˈāḫirati ˈakbaru law kānū yaʿlamūna

    Such was their punishment; and the punishment of the Hereafter is surely greater, had they known.

34. 68:34

    إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ﴿٣٤﴾

    ˈinna li-l-muttaqīna ʿinda rabbihim ǧannāti n-naʿīmi

    Indeed for the Godwary there will be gardens of bliss near their Lord.

35. 68:35

    أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ﴿٣٥﴾

    ˈa-fa-naǧʿalu l-muslimīna ka-l-muǧrimīna

    Shall We treat those who submit [to Us] as [We treat] the guilty?

36. 68:36

    مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ﴿٣٦﴾

    mā lakum kayfa taḥkumūna

    What is the matter with you? How do you judge!

37. 68:37

    أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ﴿٣٧﴾

    ˈam lakum kitābun fīhi tadrusūna

    Do you possess a scripture in which you read

38. 68:38

    إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ﴿٣٨﴾

    ˈinna lakum fīhi la-mā taḫayyarūna

    that you shall have in it whatever you choose?

39. 68:39

    أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ﴿٣٩﴾

    ˈam lakum ˈaymānun ʿalaynā bāliġatun ˈilā yawmi l-qiyāmati ˈinna lakum la-mā taḥkumūna

    Do you have a pledge binding on Us until the Day of Resurrection, that you shall indeed have whatever you decide?

40. 68:40

    سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ﴿٤٠﴾

    salhum ˈayyuhum bi-ḏālika zaʿīmun

    Ask them, which of them will aver [any of] that!

41. 68:41

    أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَ﴿٤١﴾

    ˈam lahum šurakāˈu fa-l-yaˈtū bi-šurakāˈihim ˈin kānū ṣādiqīna

    Do they have any ‘partners’ [that they claim for Allah]? Then let them produce their partners, if they are truthful.

42. 68:42

    يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ﴿٤٢﴾

    yawma yukšafu ʿan sāqin wa-yudʿawna ˈilā s-suǧūdi fa-lā yastaṭīʿūna

    The day when the catastrophe occurs and they are summoned to prostrate themselves, they will not be able [to do it].

43. 68:43

    خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَ﴿٤٣﴾

    ḫāšiʿatan ˈabṣāruhum tarhaquhum ḏillatun wa-qad kānū yudʿawna ˈilā s-suǧūdi wa-hum sālimūna

    With a humbled look [in their eyes], they will be overcast by abasement. Certainly, they were summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet sound.

44. 68:44

    فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴿٤٤﴾

    fa-ḏarnī wa-man yukaḏḏibu bi-hāḏā l-ḥadīṯi sa-nastadriǧuhum min hayṯu lā yaʿlamūna

    So leave Me with those who deny this discourse. We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin], whence they do not know.

45. 68:45

    وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ﴿٤٥﴾

    wa-ˈumlī lahum ˈinna kaydī matīnun

    I will grant them respite, for My devising is indeed sure.

46. 68:46

    أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ﴿٤٦﴾

    ˈam tasˈaluhum ˈaǧran fa-hum min maġramin muṯqalūna

    Do you ask them for a reward, so that they are weighed down with debt?

47. 68:47

    أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ﴿٤٧﴾

    ˈam ʿindahumu l-ġaybu fa-hum yaktubūna

    Do they possess [access to] the Unseen, so that they write it down?

48. 68:48

    فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ﴿٤٨﴾

    fa-ṣbir li-ḥukmi rabbika wa-lā takun ka-ṣāḥibi l-ḥūti ˈiḏ nādā wa-huwa makẓūmun

    So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord, and do not be like the Man of the Fish who called out as he choked with grief.

49. 68:49

    لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ﴿٤٩﴾

    law-lā ˈan tadārakahū niʿmatun min rabbihī la-nubiḏa bi-l-ʿarāˈi wa-huwa maḏmūmun

    Had it not been for a blessing that came to his rescue from his Lord, he would surely have been cast on the bare shore, being blameworthy.

50. 68:50

    فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ﴿٥٠﴾

    fa-ǧtabāhu rabbuhū fa-ǧaʿalahū mina ṣ-ṣāliḥīna

    So his Lord chose him and made him one of the righteous.

51. 68:51

    وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ﴿٥١﴾

    wa-ˈin yakādu llaḏīna kafarū la-yuzliqūnaka bi-ˈabṣārihim lammā samiʿū ḏ-ḏikra wa-yaqūlūna ˈinnahū la-maǧnūnun

    Indeed the faithless almost devour you with their eyes when they hear this Reminder, and they say, ‘He is indeed crazy.’

52. 68:52

    وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴿٥٢﴾

    wa-mā huwa ˈillā ḏikrun li-l-ʿālamīna

    Yet it is just a reminder for all the nations.