SMA Quran — Qur'an Reflections & Tadabur with Ahmed Elemam

Session 05 — Surah Al-Qalam

Complete Translation

سورة الْقَلَم

Surah Al-Qalam — The Pen

Meccan · 52 Ayahs · Juz' 29

نٓ ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

Nun. By the pen and all that they inscribe.

مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

Your Lord's blessing does not make you a madman.

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

And most surely, for you is an unfailing reward.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

And very truly, you are of great moral character.

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

Thus you shall see and they shall see

بِأَيِّيكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ

which of you is the demented.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

Indeed, your Lord is He Who knows better who has strayed from His way, and it is He Who knows better of the rightly guided.

فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

So do not obey the disbelievers;

وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

they would like you to compromise, then they too would compromise.

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ

And do not obey any despicable swearer,

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ

backbiter, spreader of malicious gossip,

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

preventer of good, transgressor, sinful,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

brutal; moreover, of spurious parentage!

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

Just because he has money and sons,

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

when Our signs are read to him, he says, "Legends of the ancients!"

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ

We will brand him on the snout.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

Indeed, We have tested them as We tested the fellows of the garden, when they swore to harvest it in the morning

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ

without any reservation.

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ

Then a sweeping visitation from your Lord swept through it while they were asleep,

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ

and in the morning it was as though harvested.

فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ

So they called to each other in the early morning:

أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَارِمِينَ

"Go early to your field if you are going to harvest."

فَانطَلَقُوا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ

So they set out, murmuring to one another,

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ

"Not one destitute person is to enter it upon you today."

وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ

And early they went, resolved in intent.

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ

But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are surely misguided;

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

rather, we are deprived."

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

The most reasonable of them said, "Did I not tell you, 'if only you would highly exalt (God)?'"

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ

They said, "Highly Exalted is our Lord; indeed, we were unjust."

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ

Then they turned to each other, blaming one another.

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ

They said, "Woe to us; indeed, we have exceeded all limits.

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَا أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ

Perhaps our Lord will give us a better substitute for it. Indeed, to our Lord we turn wishfully."

كَذَٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

Such is the punishment (of this world); but the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

Indeed, for the people who are mindful (of God) are Gardens of Bliss, with their Lord.

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ

Shall We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

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

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

Or do you have a scripture in which you study,

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

wherein there is whatever you choose?

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

Or do you have oaths from Us, binding until the Day of Resurrection, that you will have whatever you demand?

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

Ask them which of them guarantees that.

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ

Or do they have associates? Then let them bring their associates if they are truthful.

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

On the day when the shin is exposed and they are called to prostrate themselves, but they are unable to.

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ

Their sight(s) (subdued) in reverence, humiliation overwhelms them, for they had been called to prostrate themselves when they were sound.

فَذَرْنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

So leave Me to those who reject this discourse; We will draw them forth gradually (to punishment) from where they do not know.

وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

And I will give them respite. Indeed, My plot is firm.

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ

Or do you ask them for a reward, so they are burdened with debt?

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

Or do they have (knowledge of) the hidden realm and they are writing it down?

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

So wait patiently for the Decree of your Lord, and do not be like the Fellow of the Whale, who cried out in despair.

لَّوْلَا أَن تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

Were it not for his Lord's favor that reached him, he would have been thrown into the wilderness, fully despised.

فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

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

وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ

Those who have denied almost stab you with their sight(s) when they hear the Reminder, and say, "He is indeed a madman!"

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

But it is nothing other than a Reminder to (all creatures of) all realms.

Complete Translation

Key Word Definitions

سورة الْقَلَم — Word-by-Word Definitions