Surah Al-Qalam (سورة Al-Qalam)

From the Quran Encyclopedia

Contents

🕋 Early Meccan · 610–615 CE📋 Revelation #105🟢 Hifz: Easy📗 Juz 29

Surah Al-Qalam (Arabic: سورة Al-Qalam, "The Pen") is the 68 chapter (surah) of the Qur'an, containing 52 verses (ayahs). It is classified as a Meccan Surah, meaning it is historically understood to have been revealed during the Meccan Period (610–622 CE) of the prophecy.

Introduction

Surah Al-Qalam ("The Pen") is chapter 68 of 114 in the Qur'an. The full Arabic text, English translation and transliteration of all 52 verses are given below, with verse-by-verse Tafsir available on each ayah.

Text and Translation

Verse 68:1

نٓ وَالۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُوۡنَۙ‏

noon wal-qalami wamā yasṭurūna

Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe

Verse 68:2

مَا٘ اَنۡتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُوۡنٍۚ‏

mā anta biniʿ'mati rabbika bimajnūnin

You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman

Verse 68:3

وَاِنَّ لَكَ لَاَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُوۡنٍۚ‏

wa-inna laka la-ajran ghayra mamnūnin

And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted

Verse 68:4

وَاِنَّكَ لَعَلٰي خُلُقٍ عَظِيۡمٍ

wa-innaka laʿalā khuluqin ʿaẓīmin

And indeed, you are of a great moral character

Verse 68:5

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُوۡنَۙ‏

fasatub'ṣiru wayub'ṣirūna

So you will see and they will see

Verse 68:6

بِاَيِّىكُمُ الۡمَفۡتُوۡنُ

bi-ayyikumu l-maftūnu

Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]

Verse 68:7

اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ ضَلَّ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِهٖࣕ وَهُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُهۡتَدِيۡنَ

inna rabbaka huwa aʿlamu biman ḍalla ʿan sabīlihi wahuwa aʿlamu bil-muh'tadīna

Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided

Verse 68:8

فَلَا تُطِعِ الۡمُكَذِّبِيۡنَ

falā tuṭiʿi l-mukadhibīna

Then do not obey the deniers

Verse 68:9

وَدُّوۡا لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُوۡنَ

waddū law tud'hinu fayud'hinūna

They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you]

Verse 68:10

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِيۡنٍۙ‏

walā tuṭiʿ kulla ḥallāfin mahīnin

And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

Verse 68:11

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيۡمٍۙ‏

[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip

Verse 68:12

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ اَثِيۡمٍۙ‏

A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful

Verse 68:13

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيۡمٍۙ‏

Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender

Verse 68:14

اَنۡ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَّبَنِيۡنَؕ‏

Because he is a possessor of wealth and children

Verse 68:15

اِذَا تُتۡلٰي عَلَيۡهِ اٰيٰتُنَا قَالَ اَسَاطِيۡرُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples

Verse 68:16

سَنَسِمُهٗ عَلَي الۡخُرۡطُوۡمِ

We will brand him upon the snout

Verse 68:17

اِنَّا بَلَوۡنٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَا٘ اَصۡحٰبَ الۡجَنَّةِۚ اِذۡ اَقۡسَمُوۡا لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏

Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

Verse 68:18

وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُوۡنَ

Without making exception

Verse 68:19

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُوۡنَ

So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep

Verse 68:20

فَاَصۡبَحَتۡ كَالصَّرِيۡمِۙ‏

And it became as though reaped

Verse 68:21

فَتَنَادَوۡا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏

And they called one another at morning

Verse 68:22

اَنِ اغۡدُوۡا عَلٰي حَرۡثِكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰرِمِيۡنَ

[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit

Verse 68:23

فَانۡطَلَقُوۡا وَهُمۡ يَتَخَافَتُوۡنَۙ‏

So they set out, while lowering their voices

Verse 68:24

اَنۡ لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا الۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّسۡكِيۡنٌۙ‏

[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person

Verse 68:25

وَّغَدَوۡا عَلٰي حَرۡدٍ قٰدِرِيۡنَ

And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able

Verse 68:26

فَلَمَّا رَاَوۡهَا قَالُوۡ٘ا اِنَّا لَضَآلُّوۡنَۙ‏

But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost

Verse 68:27

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُوۡمُوۡنَ

Rather, we have been deprived

Verse 68:28

قَالَ اَوۡسَطُهُمۡ اَلَمۡ اَقُلۡ لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُوۡنَ

The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]

Verse 68:29

قَالُوۡا سُبۡحٰنَ رَبِّنَا٘ اِنَّا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيۡنَ

They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers

Verse 68:30

فَاَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلٰي بَعۡضٍ يَّتَلَاوَمُوۡنَ

Then they approached one another, blaming each other

Verse 68:31

قَالُوۡا يٰوَيۡلَنَا٘ اِنَّا كُنَّا طٰغِيۡنَ

They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors

Verse 68:32

عَسٰي رَبُّنَا٘ اَنۡ يُّبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهَا٘ اِنَّا٘ اِلٰي رَبِّنَا رٰغِبُوۡنَ

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous

Verse 68:33

كَذٰلِكَ الۡعَذَابُؕ وَلَعَذَابُ الۡاٰخِرَةِ اَكۡبَرُۘ لَوۡ كَانُوۡا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَࣖ‏

Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew

Verse 68:34

اِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِيۡمِ

Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure

Verse 68:35

اَفَنَجۡعَلُ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ كَالۡمُجۡرِمِيۡنَؕ‏

Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals

Verse 68:36

مَا لَكُمۡࣞ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُوۡنَۚ‏

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

Verse 68:37

اَمۡ لَكُمۡ كِتٰبٌ فِيۡهِ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَۙ‏

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

Verse 68:38

اِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِيۡهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُوۡنَۚ‏

That indeed for you is whatever you choose

Verse 68:39

اَمۡ لَكُمۡ اَيۡمَانٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَالِغَةٌ اِلٰي يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِۙ اِنَّ لَكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُوۡنَۚ‏

Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge

Verse 68:40

سَلۡهُمۡ اَيُّهُمۡ بِذٰلِكَ زَعِيۡمٌۚۛ‏

Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible

Verse 68:41

اَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُۚۛ فَلۡيَاۡتُوۡا بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ اِنۡ كَانُوۡا صٰدِقِيۡنَ

Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful

Verse 68:42

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَنۡ سَاقٍ وَّيُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَي السُّجُوۡدِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَۙ‏

The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able

Verse 68:43

خَاشِعَةً اَبۡصَارُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌؕ وَقَدۡ كَانُوۡا يُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَي السُّجُوۡدِ وَهُمۡ سٰلِمُوۡنَ

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound

Verse 68:44

فَذَرۡنِيۡ وَمَنۡ يُّكَذِّبُ بِهٰذَا الۡحَدِيۡثِؕ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُمۡ مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَۙ‏

So leave Me, [O Muhammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies the Qur'an. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know

Verse 68:45

وَاُمۡلِيۡ لَهُمۡؕ اِنَّ كَيۡدِيۡ مَتِيۡنٌ

And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm

Verse 68:46

اَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ اَجۡرًا فَهُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّغۡرَمٍ مُّثۡقَلُوۡنَۚ‏

Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down

Verse 68:47

اَمۡ عِنۡدَهُمُ الۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُوۡنَ

Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down

Verse 68:48

فَاصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنۡ كَصَاحِبِ الۡحُوۡتِۘ اِذۡ نَادٰي وَهُوَ مَكۡظُوۡمٌؕ‏

Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muhammad], and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed

Verse 68:49

لَوۡلَا٘ اَنۡ تَدٰرَكَهٗ نِعۡمَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهٖ لَنُبِذَ بِالۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُوۡمٌ

If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured

Verse 68:50

فَاجۡتَبٰىهُ رَبُّهٗ فَجَعَلَهٗ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ

And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous

Verse 68:51

وَاِنۡ يَّكَادُ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا لَيُزۡلِقُوۡنَكَ بِاَبۡصَارِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اِنَّهٗ لَمَجۡنُوۡنٌۘ‏

And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad

Verse 68:52

وَمَا هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِيۡنَࣖ‏

But it is not except a reminder to the worlds