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Surah 68 · 52 ayat

Al-Qalam

The Pen

القلم

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

68:1

نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

MeaningNun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),

68:2

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

MeaningThou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.

68:3

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

MeaningAnd lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.

68:4

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

MeaningAnd lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

68:5

فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

MeaningAnd thou wilt see and they will see

68:6

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ

MeaningWhich of you is the demented.

68:7

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

MeaningLo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.

68:8

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

MeaningTherefor obey not thou the rejecters

68:9

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

MeaningWho would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.

68:10

وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ

MeaningNeither obey thou each feeble oath-monger,

68:11

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ

MeaningDetracter, spreader abroad of slanders,

68:12

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

MeaningHinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor

68:13

عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

MeaningGreedy therewithal, intrusive.

68:14

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

MeaningIt is because he is possessed of wealth and children

68:15

إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

MeaningThat, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.

68:16

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ

MeaningWe shall brand him on the nose.

68:17

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

MeaningLo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,

68:18

وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ

MeaningAnd made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

68:19

فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

MeaningThen a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

68:20

فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

MeaningAnd in the morning it was as if plucked.

68:21

فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ

MeaningAnd they cried out one unto another in the morning,

68:22

أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰرِمِينَ

MeaningSaying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).

68:23

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ

MeaningSo they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:

68:24

أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ

MeaningNo needy man shall enter it to-day against you.

68:25

وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَـٰدِرِينَ

MeaningThey went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

68:26

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

MeaningBut when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!

68:27

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

MeaningNay, but we are desolate!

68:28

قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

MeaningThe best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah)?

68:29

قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ

MeaningThey said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers.

68:30

فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ

MeaningThen some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching.

68:31

قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَ

MeaningThey said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.

68:32

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

MeaningIt may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.

68:33

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ

MeaningSuch was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.

68:34

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

MeaningLo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.

68:35

أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

MeaningShall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?

68:36

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

MeaningWhat aileth you? How foolishly ye judge!

68:37

أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

MeaningOr have ye a scripture wherein ye learn

68:38

إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

MeaningThat ye shall indeed have all that ye choose?

68:39

أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

MeaningOr have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that ye ordain?

68:40

سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ

MeaningAsk them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!

68:41

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَ

MeaningOr have they other gods? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful,

68:42

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

MeaningOn the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,

68:43

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَ

MeaningWith eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.

68:44

فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

MeaningLeave Me (to deal) with those who give the lie to this pronouncement. We shall lead them on by steps from whence they know not.

68:45

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ

MeaningYet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.

68:46

أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ

MeaningOr dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed?

68:47

أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

MeaningOr is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)?

68:48

فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

MeaningBut wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.

68:49

لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ

MeaningHad it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.

68:50

فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

MeaningBut his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

68:51

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

MeaningAnd lo! those who disbelieve would fain disconcert thee with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Lo! he is indeed mad;

68:52

وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

MeaningWhen it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.

Sources & credits

Arabic source: Tanzil Quran Text 1.1. Verbatim Uthmani source text, used under CC BY 3.0. Check Tanzil for source updates.

Default English meaning: Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930). The translation is presented separately from the Qur’an Arabic.

Word study: word identity, English word meanings and transliteration are stored locally from Quran Foundation Content Sync. The Qur’an Arabic displayed by BaAlawi remains the canonical BaAlawi source corpus.

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Transliteration is a reading aid, not Tajwid and not a substitute for the Qur’an Arabic or recitation. BaAlawi Readable Latin and Scholarly Latin are generated from the Arabic Wikisource Uthmani dataset under CC BY-SA 4.0, with changes identified as BaAlawi transliteration. Source.