Surah Al-Qalam

فَتَنَادَوْا۟مُصْبِحِينَ

Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,

أَنِٱغْدُوا۟عَلَىٰحَرْثِكُمْإِنكُنتُمْصَٰرِمِينَ

"Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"

فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟وَهُمْيَتَخَٰفَتُونَ

Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,

أَنلَّايَدْخُلَنَّهَاٱلْيَوْمَعَلَيْكُممِّسْكِينٌۭ

"Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"

وَغَدَوْا۟عَلَىٰحَرْدٍۢقَٰدِرِينَ

– and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.

فَلَمَّارَأَوْهَاقَالُوٓا۟إِنَّالَضَآلُّونَ

But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"

بَلْنَحْنُمَحْرُومُونَ

- [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"

قَالَأَوْسَطُهُمْأَلَمْأَقُللَّكُمْلَوْلَاتُسَبِّحُونَ

Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?’"

قَالُوا۟سُبْحَٰنَرَبِّنَآإِنَّاكُنَّاظَٰلِمِينَ

They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"

فَأَقْبَلَبَعْضُهُمْعَلَىٰبَعْضٍۢيَتَلَٰوَمُونَ

- and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.

قَالُوا۟يَٰوَيْلَنَآإِنَّاكُنَّاطَٰغِينَ

[In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!

عَسَىٰرَبُّنَآأَنيُبْدِلَنَاخَيْرًۭامِّنْهَآإِنَّآإِلَىٰرَبِّنَارَٰغِبُونَ

[But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"

كَذَٰلِكَٱلْعَذَابُوَلَعَذَابُٱلْءَاخِرَةِأَكْبَرُلَوْكَانُوا۟يَعْلَمُونَ

SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it!

إِنَّلِلْمُتَّقِينَعِندَرَبِّهِمْجَنَّٰتِٱلنَّعِيمِ

For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:

أَفَنَجْعَلُٱلْمُسْلِمِينَكَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin?

مَالَكُمْكَيْفَتَحْكُمُونَ

What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?

أَمْلَكُمْكِتَٰبٌۭفِيهِتَدْرُسُونَ

Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,

إِنَّلَكُمْفِيهِلَمَاتَخَيَّرُونَ

and in which you find all that you may wish to find?

أَمْلَكُمْأَيْمَٰنٌعَلَيْنَابَٰلِغَةٌإِلَىٰيَوْمِٱلْقِيَٰمَةِإِنَّلَكُمْلَمَاتَحْكُمُونَ

Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]?

سَلْهُمْأَيُّهُمبِذَٰلِكَزَعِيمٌ

Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!