Surah Al Qalam
Translation by:
Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
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نۤ ۚوَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُوْنَۙ
Nūn, wal-qalami wa mā yasṭurūn(a).
Nũn. By the pen and what everyone writes!
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مَآ اَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ
Mā anta bini‘mati rabbika bimajnūn(in).
By the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane.
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وَاِنَّ لَكَ لَاَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُوْنٍۚ
Wa inna laka la'ajran gaira mamnūn(in).
You will certainly have a never-ending reward.
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وَاِنَّكَ لَعَلٰى خُلُقٍ عَظِيْمٍ
Wa innaka la‘alā khuluqin ‘aẓīm(in).
And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character.
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فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُوْنَۙ
Fasatubṣiru wa yubṣirūn(a).
Soon you and the pagans will see,
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بِاَيِّىكُمُ الْمَفْتُوْنُ
Bi'ayyikumul-maftūn(u).
which of you is mad.
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اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِهٖۖ وَهُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِيْنَ
Inna rabbaka huwa a‘lamu biman ḍalla ‘an sabīlih(ī), wa huwa a‘lamu bil-muhtadīn(a).
Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided.
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فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِيْنَ
Falā tuṭi‘il-mukażżibīn(a).
So do not give in to the deniers.
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وَدُّوْا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُوْنَۚ
Waddū lau tudhinu fayudhinūn(a).
They wish you would compromise so they would yield ˹to you˺.
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وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِيْنٍۙ
Wa lā tuṭi‘ kulla ḥallāfim mahīn(in).
And do not obey the despicable, vain oath-taker,
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هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاۤءٍۢ بِنَمِيْمٍۙ
Hammāzim masysyā'im binamīm(in).
slanderer, gossip-monger,
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مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ اَثِيْمٍۙ
Mannā‘il lil-khairi mu‘tadin aṡīm(in).
withholder of good, transgressor, evildoer,
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عُتُلٍّۢ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيْمٍۙ
‘Utullim ba‘da żālika zanīm(in).
brute, and—on top of all that—an illegitimate child.
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اَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَّبَنِيْنَۗ
An kāna żā māliw wa banīn(a).
Now, ˹simply˺ because he has been blessed with ˹abundant˺ wealth and children,
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اِذَا تُتْلٰى عَلَيْهِ اٰيٰتُنَا قَالَ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَۗ
Iżā tutlā ‘alaihi āyātunā qāla asāṭīrul-awwalīn(a).
whenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”
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سَنَسِمُهٗ عَلَى الْخُرْطُوْمِ
Sanasimuhū ‘alal-khurṭūm(i).
We will soon mark his snout.
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اِنَّا بَلَوْنٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ اَصْحٰبَ الْجَنَّةِۚ اِذْ اَقْسَمُوْا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِيْنَۙ
Innā balaunāhum kamā balaunā aṣḥābal-jannah(ti), iż aqsamū layaṣrimunnahā muṣbiḥīn(a).
Indeed, We have tested those ˹Meccans˺ as We tested the owners of the garden—when they swore they would surely harvest ˹all˺ its fruit in the early morning,
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وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُوْنَ
Wa lā yastaṡnūn(a).
leaving no thought for Allah’s Will.
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فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَاۤىِٕفٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَاۤىِٕمُوْنَ
Fa ṭāfa ‘alaihā ṭā'ifum mir rabbika wa hum nā'imūn(a).
Then it was struck by a torment from your Lord while they slept,
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فَاَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيْمِۙ
Fa aṣbaḥat kaṣ-ṣarīm(i).
so it was reduced to ashes.
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فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِيْنَۙ
Fa tanādau muṣbiḥīn(a).
Then by daybreak they called out to each other,
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اَنِ اغْدُوْا عَلٰى حَرْثِكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰرِمِيْنَ
Anigdū ‘alā ḥarṡikum in kuntum ṣārimīn(a).
˹saying,˺ “Go early to your harvest, if you want to pick ˹all˺ the fruit.”
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فَانْطَلَقُوْا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُوْنَۙ
Fanṭalaqū wa hum yatakhāfatūn(a).
So they went off, whispering to one another,
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اَنْ لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّسْكِيْنٌۙ
Allā yadkhulannahal-yauma ‘alaikum miskīn(un).
“Do not let any poor person enter your garden today.”
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وَّغَدَوْا عَلٰى حَرْدٍ قٰدِرِيْنَ
Wa gadau ‘alā ḥardin qādirīn(a).
And they proceeded early, totally fixated on their purpose.
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فَلَمَّا رَاَوْهَا قَالُوْٓا اِنَّا لَضَاۤلُّوْنَۙ
Falammā ra'auhā qālū innā laḍāllūn(a).
But when they saw it ˹devastated˺, they cried, “We must have lost ˹our˺ way!
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بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُوْمُوْنَ
Bal naḥnu maḥrūmūn(a).
In fact, we have been deprived ˹of our livelihood˺.”
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قَالَ اَوْسَطُهُمْ اَلَمْ اَقُلْ لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُوْنَ
Qāla ausaṭuhum alam aqul lakum lau lā tusabbiḥūn(a).
The most sensible of them said, “Did I not urge you to say, ‘Allah willing.’?”
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قَالُوْا سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّنَآ اِنَّا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيْنَ
Qālū subḥāna rabbinā innā kunnā ẓālimīn(a).
They replied, “Glory be to our Lord! We have truly been wrongdoers.”
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فَاَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلٰى بَعْضٍ يَّتَلَاوَمُوْنَ
Fa'aqbala ba‘ḍuhum ‘alā ba‘ḍiy yatalāwamūn(a).
Then they turned on each other, throwing blame.
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قَالُوْا يٰوَيْلَنَآ اِنَّا كُنَّا طٰغِيْنَ
Qālū yā wailanā innā kunnā ṭāgīn(a).
They said, “Woe to us! We have certainly been transgressors.
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عَسٰى رَبُّنَآ اَنْ يُّبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ اِنَّآ اِلٰى رَبِّنَا رٰغِبُوْنَ
‘Asā rabbunā ay yubdilanā khairam minhā innā ilā rabbinā rāgibūn(a).
We trust our Lord will give us a better garden than this, ˹for˺ we are indeed turning to our Lord with hope.”
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كَذٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُۗ وَلَعَذَابُ الْاٰخِرَةِ اَكْبَرُۘ لَوْ كَانُوْا يَعْلَمُوْنَ ࣖ
Każālikal-‘ażāb(u), wa la‘ażābul-ākhirati akbar(u), lau kānū ya‘lamūn(a).
That is the ˹way of Our˺ punishment ˹in this world˺. But the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly far worse, if only they knew.
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اِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِيْمِ
Inna lil-muttaqīna ‘inda rabbihim jannātin-na‘īm(i).
Indeed, the righteous will have Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.
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اَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ كَالْمُجْرِمِيْنَۗ
Afanaj‘alul-muslimīna kal-mujrimīn(a).
Should We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked?
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مَا لَكُمْۗ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُوْنَۚ
Mā lakum, kaifa taḥkumūn(a).
What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
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اَمْ لَكُمْ كِتٰبٌ فِيْهِ تَدْرُسُوْنَۙ
Am lakum kitābun fīhi tadrusūn(a).
Or do you have a scripture, in which you read
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اِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيْهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُوْنَۚ
Inna lakum fīhi lamā takhayyarūn(a).
that you will have whatever you choose?
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اَمْ لَكُمْ اَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ اِلٰى يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِۙ اِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُوْنَۚ
Am lakum aimānun ‘alainā bāligatun ilā yaumil-qiyāmah(ti), inna lakum lamā taḥkumūn(a).
Or do you have oaths binding on Us until the Day of Judgment that you will have whatever you decide?
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سَلْهُمْ اَيُّهُمْ بِذٰلِكَ زَعِيْمٌۚ
Salhum ayyuhum biżālika za‘īm(un).
Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ which of them can guarantee all that.
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اَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاۤءُۚ فَلْيَأْتُوْا بِشُرَكَاۤىِٕهِمْ اِنْ كَانُوْا صٰدِقِيْنَ
Am lahum syurakā'(u), falya'tū bisyurakā'ihim in kānū ṣādiqīn(a).
Or do they have associate-gods ˹supporting this claim˺? Then let them bring forth their associate-gods, if what they say is true.
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يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَّيُدْعَوْنَ اِلَى السُّجُوْدِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَۙ
Yauma yuksyafu ‘an sāqiw wa yud‘auna ilas-sujūdi falā yastaṭī‘ūn(a).
˹Beware of˺ the Day the Shin ˹of Allah˺ will be bared, and the wicked will be asked to prostrate, but they will not be able to do so,
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خَاشِعَةً اَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۗوَقَدْ كَانُوْا يُدْعَوْنَ اِلَى السُّجُوْدِ وَهُمْ سٰلِمُوْنَ
Khāsyi‘atan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum żillah(tun), wa qad kānū yud‘auna ilas-sujūdi wa hum sālimun(a).
with eyes downcast, totally covered with disgrace. For they were ˹always˺ called to prostrate ˹in the world˺ when they were fully capable ˹but they chose not to˺.
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فَذَرْنِيْ وَمَنْ يُّكَذِّبُ بِهٰذَا الْحَدِيْثِۗ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَۙ
Fażarnī wa may yukażżibu bihāżal-ḥadīṡi sanastadrijuhum min ḥaiṡu lā ya‘lamūn(a).
So leave to Me ˹O Prophet˺ those who reject this message. We will gradually draw them to destruction in ways they cannot comprehend.
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وَاُمْلِيْ لَهُمْۗ اِنَّ كَيْدِيْ مَتِيْنٌ
Wa umlī lahum, inna kaidī matīn(un).
I ˹only˺ delay their end for a while, but My planning is flawless.
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اَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ اَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِّنْ مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُوْنَۚ
Am tas'aluhum ajran fahum mim magramim muṡqalūn(a).
Or are you asking them for a reward ˹for the message˺ so that they are overburdened by debt?
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اَمْ عِنْدَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُوْنَ
Am ‘indahumul-gaibu fahum yaktubūn(a).
Or do they have access to ˹the Record in˺ the unseen, so they copy it ˹for all to see˺?
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فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوْتِۘ اِذْ نَادٰى وَهُوَ مَكْظُوْمٌۗ
Faṣbir liḥukmi rabbika wa lā takun kaṣāḥibil-ḥūt(i), iż nādā wa huwa makẓūm(un).
So be patient with your Lord’s decree, and do not be like ˹Jonah,˺ the Man of the Whale, who cried out ˹to Allah˺, in total distress.
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لَوْلَآ اَنْ تَدٰرَكَهٗ نِعْمَةٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّهٖ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاۤءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُوْمٌ
Lau lā an tadārakahū ni‘matum mir rabbihī lanubiża bil-‘arā'i wa huwa mażmūm(un).
Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy.
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فَاجْتَبٰىهُ رَبُّهٗ فَجَعَلَهٗ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ
Fajtabāhu rabbuhū faja‘alahū minaṣ-ṣāliḥīn(a).
Then his Lord chose him, making him one of the righteous.
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وَاِنْ يَّكَادُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَيُزْلِقُوْنَكَ بِاَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُوْلُوْنَ اِنَّهٗ لَمَجْنُوْنٌ ۘ
Wa iy yakādul-lażīna kafarū layuzliqūnaka bi'abṣārihim lammā sami‘uż żikra wa yaqūlūna innahū lamajnūn(un).
The disbelievers would almost cut you down with their eyes when they hear ˹you recite˺ the Reminder, and say, “He is certainly a madman.”
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وَمَا هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعٰلَمِيْنَ ࣖ
Wa mā huwa illā żikrul lil-‘ālamīn(a).
But it is simply a reminder to the whole world.