Chapter 68 · 52 verses
Al-Qalam
The Pen
القلم
Reading & audio settings
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
68:1
نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ١
English
Nũn. By the pen and what everyone writes!
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68:2
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ٢
English
By the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane.
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68:3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ٣
English
You will certainly have a never-ending reward.
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68:4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ٤
English
And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character.
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68:5
فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ٥
English
Soon you and the pagans will see
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68:6
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ٦
English
which of you is mad.
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68:7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ٧
English
Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided.
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68:8
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ٨
English
So do not give in to the deniers.
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68:9
وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ٩
English
They wish you would compromise so they would yield ˹to you˺.
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68:10
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ١٠
English
And do not obey the despicable, vain oath-taker
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68:11
هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ١١
English
slanderer, gossip-monger
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68:12
مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ١٢
English
withholder of good, transgressor, evildoer
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68:13
عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ١٣
English
brute, and—on top of all that—an illegitimate child.
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68:14
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ١٤
English
Now, ˹simply˺ because he has been blessed with ˹abundant˺ wealth and children
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68:15
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ١٥
English
whenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”
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68:16
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِ١٦
English
We will soon mark his snout.
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68:17
إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ١٧
English
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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68:18
وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ١٨
English
leaving no thought for Allah’s Will.
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68:19
فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ١٩
English
Then it was struck by a torment from your Lord while they slept
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68:20
فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ٢٠
English
so it was reduced to ashes.
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About Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen)
Named "the Pen" (al-Qalam), a Meccan sūrah affirming the Prophet’s noble character and warning the arrogant through the parable of the garden owners.
- Chapter
- 68 of 114
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Period
- Meccan
- Verses
- 52
Frequently asked questions
What is Surah Al-Qalam about?
Named "the Pen" (al-Qalam), a Meccan sūrah affirming the Prophet’s noble character and warning the arrogant through the parable of the garden owners.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Qalam?
Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen) has 52 verses (āyāt).
Is Surah Al-Qalam Meccan or Madinan?
Surah Al-Qalam is a Meccan (Makkī) sūrah, revealed in Mecca.
What number is Surah Al-Qalam in the Qurʾān?
Surah Al-Qalam is the 68th chapter (sūrah) of the Holy Qurʾān.