# Surah Al-Qalam (القلم)

Surah Al-Qalam (القلم, "The Pen") is chapter 68 of the Quran and contains 52 verses. It is a Meccan surah, revealed 2th of the 114. It appears in juz 29, on pages 564–566 of the standard mushaf, divided into 2 rukus.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Chapter number | 68 |
| Verses | 52 |
| Revealed | Meccan |
| Revelation order | 2 |
| Juz | 29 |
| Rukus | 2 |
| Pages | 564–566 |

## Text

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

**68:1** نٓ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

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

**68:2** مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ

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

**68:3** وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

> And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.

**68:4** وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

> And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

**68:5** فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ

> And thou wilt see and they will see

**68:6** بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ

> Which of you is the demented.

**68:7** إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

> Lo! 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

> Therefor obey not thou the rejecters

**68:9** وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

> Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.

**68:10** وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ

> Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger,

**68:11** هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ

> Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,

**68:12** مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

> Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor

**68:13** عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

> Greedy therewithal, intrusive.

**68:14** أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

> It is because he is possessed of wealth and children

**68:15** إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

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

**68:16** سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ

> We shall brand him on the nose.

**68:17** إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ

> Lo! 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

> And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

**68:19** فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ

> Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

**68:20** فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ

> And in the morning it was as if plucked.

**68:21** فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَ

> And they cried out one unto another in the morning,

**68:22** أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰرِمِينَ

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

**68:23** فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

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

**68:24** أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ

> No needy man shall enter it to-day against you.

**68:25** وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَٰدِرِينَ

> They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

**68:26** فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ

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

**68:27** بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

> Nay, but we are desolate!

**68:28** قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ

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

**68:29** قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

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

**68:30** فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

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

**68:31** قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ

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

**68:32** عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

> It 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

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

**68:34** إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

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

**68:35** أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

> Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?

**68:36** مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

> What aileth you? How foolishly ye judge!

**68:37** أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ

> Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn

**68:38** إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ

> That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose?

**68:39** أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ

> Or 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

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

**68:41** أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَٰدِقِينَ

> Or 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

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

**68:43** خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَٰلِمُونَ

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

**68:44** فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

> Leave 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

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

**68:46** أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ

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

**68:47** أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

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

**68:48** فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

> But 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

> Had 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** فَٱجْتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

> But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

**68:51** وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ

> And 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 لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

> When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.


## Source

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Uthmani v1.1), Creative Commons Attribution 3.0, https://tanzil.net
Translation: Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall, public domain.
Canonical page: https://quranonlineread.com/quran/al-qalam/
Cite as: Quran 68:{verse}, Surah Al-Qalam.