Sura 68: The Pen
(Al-Qalam)
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

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نون والقلم وما يسطرون

NuN,* the pen, and what they (the people) write.

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ما انت بنعمة ربك بمجنون

You have attained a great blessing from your Lord; you are not crazy.

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وان لك لاجرا غير ممنون

You have attained a recompense that is well deserved.

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وانك لعلى خلق عظيم

You are blessed with a great moral character.

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فستبصر ويبصرون

You will see, and they will see.

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باييكم المفتون

Which of you are condemned.

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ان ربك هو اعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو اعلم بالمهتدين

Your Lord is fully aware of those who strayed off His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided.

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فلا تطع المكذبين

Do not obey the rejectors.

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ودوا لو تدهن فيدهنون

They wish that you compromise, so they too can compromise.

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ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين

Do not obey every lowly swearer.

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هماز مشاء بنميم

A slanderer, a backbiter.

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مناع للخير معتد اثيم

Forbidder of charity, a transgressor, a sinner.

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عتل بعد ذلك زنيم

Unappreciative, and greedy.

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ان كان ذا مال وبنين

Even though he possessed enough money and children.

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اذا تتلى عليه اياتنا قال اساطير الاولين

When our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Tales from the past!”

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سنسمه على الخرطوم

We will mark his face.

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انا بلوناهم كما بلونا اصحاب الجنة اذ اقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين

We have tested them like we tested the owners of the garden who swore that they will harvest it in the morning.

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ولا يستثنون

They were so absolutely sure.

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فطاف عليها طائف من ربك وهم نائمون

A passing (storm) from your Lord passed by it while they were asleep.

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فاصبحت كالصريم

By morning, it was barren.

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فتنادوا مصبحين

They called on each other in the morning.

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ان اغدوا على حرثكم ان كنتم صارمين

“Let us harvest the crop.”

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فانطلقوا وهم يتخافتون

On their way, they confided to each other.

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ان لا يدخلنها اليوم عليكم مسكين

That from then on, none of them would be poor.

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وغدوا على حرد قادرين

They were so absolutely sure of their harvest.

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فلما راوها قالوا انا لضالون

But when they saw it, they said, “We were so wrong!

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بل نحن محرومون

“Now, we have nothing!”

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They Should Have Said:<br>“God Willing.”

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قال اوسطهم الم اقل لكم لولا تسبحون

The righteous among them said, “If only you had glorified (God)!”

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قالوا سبحان ربنا انا كنا ظالمين

They said, “Glory be to our Lord We have transgressed.”

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فاقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلاومون

They started to blame each other.

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قالوا يا ويلنا انا كنا طاغين

They said, “Woe to us. We sinned.

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عسى ربنا ان يبدلنا خيرا منها انا الى ربنا راغبون

“May our Lord grant us a better one. We repent to our Lord.”

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كذلك العذاب ولعذاب الاخرة اكبر لو كانوا يعلمون

Such was the requital. But the retribution of the Hereafter is far worse, if they only knew.

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ان للمتقين عند ربهم جنات النعيم

The righteous have deserved, at their Lord, gardens of bliss.

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افنجعل المسلمين كالمجرمين

Shall we treat the Submitters like the criminals?

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ما لكم كيف تحكمون

What is wrong with your logic?

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ام لكم كتاب فيه تدرسون

Do you have another book to uphold?

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ان لكم فيه لما تخيرون

In it, do you find anything you want?

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ام لكم ايمان علينا بالغة الى يوم القيامة ان لكم لما تحكمون

Or, have you received solemn assurances from us that grant you whatever you wish on the Day of Resurrection?

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سلهم ايهم بذلك زعيم

Ask them, “Who guarantees this for you?”

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ام لهم شركاء فلياتوا بشركائهم ان كانوا صادقين

Do they have idols? Let their idols help them, if they are truthful.

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يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون الى السجود فلا يستطيعون

The day will come when they will be exposed, and they will be required to fall prostrate, but they will be unable to.

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خاشعة ابصارهم ترهقهم ذلة وقد كانوا يدعون الى السجود وهم سالمون

With their eyes subdued, humiliation will cover them. They were invited to fall prostrate when they were whole and able.

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فذرني ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون

Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this Hadith; we will lead them on whence they never perceive.

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واملي لهم ان كيدي متين

I will give them enough rope; My scheming is formidable.

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ام تسالهم اجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون

Are you asking them for money, so they are burdened by the fine?

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ام عندهم الغيب فهم يكتبون

Do they know the future? Do they have it recorded?

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فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت اذ نادى وهو مكظوم

You shall steadfastly persevere in carrying out the commands of your Lord. Do not be like (Jonah) who called from inside the fish.

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لولا ان تداركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بالعراء وهو مذموم

If it were not for his Lord’s grace, he would have been ejected into the desert as a sinner.

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فاجتباه ربه فجعله من الصالحين

But his Lord blessed him, and made him righteous.

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وان يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بابصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون انه لمجنون

Those who disbelieved show their ridicule in their eyes when they hear the message and say, “He is crazy!”

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وما هو الا ذكر للعالمين

It is in fact a message to the world.

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