Chapter 68 of the Quran
Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen)
القلم
Surah Al-Qalam is the 68th chapter of the Holy Quran. It contains 52 ayahs and was revealed in Makkah.
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Surah Al-Qalam in Arabic with English meaning
English translation: Saheeh International.
Ayah 1
نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ
Nūn. By the pen and what they inscribe,
Ayah 2
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ
You are not, [O Muḥammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.
Ayah 3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
Ayah 4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
Ayah 5
فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ
So you will see and they will see.
Ayah 6
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ
Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].
Ayah 7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
Ayah 8
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Then do not obey the deniers.
Ayah 9
وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ
They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].
Ayah 10
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer
Ayah 11
هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
Ayah 12
مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
Ayah 13
عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.
Ayah 14
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
Ayah 15
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
Ayah 16
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ
We will brand him upon the snout.
Ayah 17
إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ
Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning
Ayah 18
وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ
Without making exception.
Ayah 19
فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ
So there came upon it [i.e., the garden] an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.
Ayah 20
فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ
And it became as though reaped.
Ayah 21
فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ
And they called one another at morning,
Ayah 22
أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰرِمِينَ
[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."
Ayah 23
فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَ
So they set out, while lowering their voices,
Ayah 24
أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ
[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."
Ayah 25
وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَـٰدِرِينَ
And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.
Ayah 26
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ
But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;
Ayah 27
بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ
Rather, we have been deprived."
Ayah 28
قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allāh]?'"
Ayah 29
قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ
They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
Ayah 30
فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ
Then they approached one another, blaming each other.
Ayah 31
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَ
They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.
Ayah 32
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ
Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."
Ayah 33
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
Ayah 34
إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.
Ayah 35
أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?
Ayah 36
مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?
Ayah 37
أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ
Or do you have a scripture in which you learn
Ayah 38
إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
That indeed for you is whatever you choose?
Ayah 39
أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ
Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?
Ayah 40
سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.
Ayah 41
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَ
Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.
Ayah 42
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,
Ayah 43
خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَ
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.
Ayah 44
فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
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.
Ayah 45
وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ
And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.
Ayah 46
أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ
Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
Ayah 47
أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
Ayah 48
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ
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.
Ayah 49
لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ
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.
Ayah 50
فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.
Ayah 51
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ
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."
Ayah 52
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.