68 The Pen -Al-Qalam

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful

[68.1] Noon. By the Pen and that (the angels) write,

[68.2] you are not, because of the favor of your Lord, mad.

[68.3] Indeed, there is an unfailing wage for you.

[68.4] Surely, you (Prophet Muhammad) are of a great morality.

[68.5] You shall see and they will see

[68.6] which of you is the demented.

[68.7] Indeed, your Lord knows very well those who strayed from His Path, and those who are guided.

[68.8] Therefore, do not obey those who belie,

[68.9] they wish you would compromise, then, they would compromise.

[68.10] And do not obey every mean swearer,

[68.11] the backbiter who goes about slandering,

[68.12] those who hinder good, the guilty aggressor,

[68.13] the crude of low character

[68.14] because he has wealth and sons.

[68.15] When Our verses are recited to him, he says: 'They are but fairytales of the ancients! '

[68.16] We shall mark him upon his nose!

[68.17] We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden who had sworn that in the morning they would reap it,

[68.18] without adding to their swearing, (Allah willing, InshaAllah).

[68.19] Then, a visitation from your Lord came down upon it while they slept,

[68.20] and in the morning it was if the garden had been reaped.

[68.21] (Then) in the morning they called out to one another, saying:

[68.22] 'Come out to your tillage if you want to reap! '

[68.23] And so they departed, whispering to one another:

[68.24] 'No needy person shall set foot in it today. '

[68.25] And they went out early, determined in their resolve.

[68.26] But when they saw it they said: 'We have surely gone astray.

[68.27] No, rather, we have been prevented! '

[68.28] (Whereupon) the best among them said: 'Did I not say to you to exalt (Allah)? '

[68.29] 'Exaltations to Allah, our Lord, ' they said, 'We were truly harmdoers. '

[68.30] And they came blaming one another.

[68.31] They said 'Woe to us, truly we were insolent! '

[68.32] It may be that our Lord will give us better than it in exchange. To our Lord we humbly turn. '

[68.33] Such was their punishment. But the punishment of the Everlasting Life is much greater, if they but knew.

[68.34] Surely, the cautious shall have Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.

[68.35] What, shall We make those who are submissive like the wrongdoers?

[68.36] What is the matter with you then, how do you judge?

[68.37] Or, have you a Book from which you study

[68.38] surely in it you shall have whatever you choose!

[68.39] Or, have you an oath from Us that stretches to the Day of Resurrection (if so) you shall surely have what you judge!

[68.40] Ask them, which of them will guarantee that!

[68.41] Or, do they have associates? Then let them bring their associates, if what they say is true!

[68.42] On the Day when the leg shall be bared, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves, they will be unable.

[68.43] Their eyes will be humbled, and humiliation shall spread over them for they were already ordered to prostrate themselves when they were undiminished.

[68.44] Therefore, leave Me with he who belied this discourse. We will draw them on little by little from where they do not know.

[68.45] I shall respite them, My stratagem is firm.

[68.46] Or, do you ask them for a wage, so that they are burdened with debt?

[68.47] Or, is the Unseen with them, and they are writing it down!

[68.48] So be patient with the judgement of your Lord and do not be like the Companion of the Whale (Jonah), when he called out choking inwardly.

[68.49] Had the favor of his Lord not come upon him, he would have been blamed, cast upon the shore.

[68.50] But his Lord had chosen him and He placed him among the righteous.

[68.51] When the unbelievers hear the Reminder, they nearly strike you down with their glances, and say: 'Surely, he is mad! '

[68.52] But it is nothing other than a Reminder for all the worlds.