Surah “The Pen”

as rendered by Syed Vickar Ahamed — 52 verses

Nu’n, (the Pen): By the Pen and by the (Record) which (men) write—
You (O Prophet!) are not, by the grace of your Lord, mad, insane or possessed
No (in reality), and surely, for you is a reward unfailing
And verily, you (are placed) on an exalted standard of character
Soon will you see, and they will see
Which of you is affected with madness
Surely, it is your Lord Who knows best, which (among men) has strayed from His Path: And He Knows (Aalam) best those who receive (true) Guidance
So listen not to those who deny (the Truth)
Their desire is that you should be suffering: So they would be suffering
Do not pay attention to the type of lowly man— Ready with (false) words
A slanderer, going about with hurtful falsehoods
(By habit) stopping (all) good, exceeding all bounds (and) deep in sin
Violent (and cruel) and in addition a shrewd manipulator—
Because he possesses wealth and numerous sons
When Our Signs are rehearsed to him, he cries; "Tales of the men of old (ancient peoples),"
Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the nose
Surely, We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they swore to pluck the fruits of the (garden) in the morning
But made no reservation, (by saying: "Insha-Allah", or "If Allah Wills it."
Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from your Lord, (which swept away) all around while they were asleep
So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark desolate spot (whose fruit had been gathered)
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another—
Saying: "You go to your garden early in the morning, if you were to gather the fruits."
And so they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying
"Let not a single needy person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) claim
But when they saw the (garden) they said: "We have surely lost our way
"Nay! Indeed we are denied (of the fruits of our labor)!"
Said one (person) more just than the rest of them: "Did I not say to you; Why not Glorify [Allah by saying, if Allah so Wills, (or Insha Allah)]?"
They said: "Glory to our Lord! Surely, we have been doing wrong!"
Then they turned, one against another, in blame
They said: "Woe be unto us! We have indeed exceeded our limits
"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: Truly, we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
Such is the punishment (in this life); But surely, greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter— If only they knew
Surely, for the righteous, are the Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord
Shall We then treat the people of faith like (We treat) the criminals (and the peoples of sin)
What is the matter with you? How can you judge
Or do you have a Book through which you learn—
That you shall have, through it whatever you choose
Or have you promises with Us on oath reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that you shall have whatever you shall demand
You ask of them, which of them will stand guarantee for that
Or have they some (false) ‘partners’ (in godhead referring the Nasrani’s idle notion of trinity)? Then let them produce their ‘partners’, if they are truthful
The Day that when the Shin (Allah’s Divine Self) shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate themselves but they (the hypocrites) shall not be able to do so—
Their eyes will be cast down— Intense shame will cover them: Seeing that they had been summoned before to prostrate themselves (in love and prayer to Allah and His admiration) while they were whole, (human beings in this world and they had refused)
Then leave Me Alone with those who falsify this Message: By degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not
A (long) time will I give for them: (But) truly Powerful is My plan
Or is it that you do ask them for a reward, so that they are not burdened with a load of debt
Or that the unseen (Ghaib) is in their hands, so that they can write it down
So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the Fish when he cried out (to his Lord) in grief (see 21.87)
Had not the Grace from His Lord reached him, he would indeed, have remained (within the fish and not) cast off on the naked shore, while he was to be blamed
Thus did his Lord choose him and grant him the company of the righteous
And verily, the unbelievers would almost deceive with their eyes when they hear the Reminder (the Quran); And they say: "Surely, he is possessed!"
But it is nothing other than a Message to all creatures (men jinns' and all creations of) the worlds