Chapter 68 of the Qur'an · “The Pen” · 52 verses · revealed in Makkah
68:1 نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَNun. By the pen and what they inscribe,
68:2مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍby the grace of your Lord, you are not mad.
68:3وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍand truly, yours is a reward never-ending.
68:4وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍand you stand upon a magnificent character.
68:5فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَSoon you will see, and they will see
68:6بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُwhich of you is the afflicted one.
68:7إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَIndeed, your Lord knows best who has strayed from his path, and he knows best those who are guided.
68:8فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَSo do not obey those who deny the truth.
68:9وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَthey wish you would compromise, so they too could compromise.
68:10وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍAnd do not obey every contemptible swearer of oaths,
68:11هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍa slanderer, going about spreading malicious gossip,
68:12مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍwithholder of good, transgressor, steeped in sin,
68:13عُتُلٍّۭ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍcoarse and brutal, and on top of that, an impostor.
68:14أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَjust because he has wealth and sons,
68:15إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَWhen our signs are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the ancients."
68:16سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْخُرْطُومِAnd we will brand him on the snout.
68:17إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا۟ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَIndeed, we have tested them as we tested the owners of the garden, when they swore they would harvest its fruit by morning,
68:19فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَThen a visitation from your Lord passed over it while they slept,
68:20فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلصَّرِيمِand by morning it lay stripped bare.
68:21فَتَنَادَوْا۟ مُصْبِحِينَAt morning they called out to one another,
68:22أَنِ ٱغْدُوا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰرِمِينَ"Set out early to your field if you mean to harvest."
68:23فَٱنطَلَقُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـٰفَتُونَSo they set off, whispering to one another,
68:24أَن لَّا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا ٱلْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُم مِّسْكِينٌ"Let no poor person enter it today against you."
68:25وَغَدَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَـٰدِرِينَand they set out early, resolute and confident in their power.
68:26فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَBut when they saw it, they said, "We have surely lost our way!"
68:27بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَNo — we are left with nothing.
68:28قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَThe most balanced among them said, "Did I not tell you — why do you not glorify God?"
68:29قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَThey said, "Glory be to our Lord — truly, we were wrongdoers."
68:30فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَـٰوَمُونَThen they turned to one another, trading blame.
68:31قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِينَThey said, "Woe to us — we were truly transgressors.
68:32عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَPerhaps our Lord will give us something better in its place — to our Lord we turn in hope.
68:33كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَSuch is the punishment. And the punishment of the hereafter is greater, if only they knew.
68:34إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِIndeed, for those mindful of God there are gardens of bliss with their Lord.
68:35أَفَنَجْعَلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَٱلْمُجْرِمِينَAre we to treat those who surrender like the guilty?
68:36مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَWhat is the matter with you? How do you judge?
68:37أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَOr do you have a scripture from which you study,
68:38إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَthat in it you shall have whatever you choose?
68:39أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَOr do you hold oaths from us, binding until the day of resurrection, that whatever you decide is yours?
68:40سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌAsk them which of them will vouch for that.
68:41أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَOr do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they are truthful.
68:42يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَOn the day when the shin is laid bare and they are called to prostrate, they will not be able to,
68:43خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۖ وَقَدْ كَانُوا۟ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَـٰلِمُونَTheir eyes lowered, humiliation overtaking them — for they had been called to prostrate while they were still sound.
68:44فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَSo leave to me those who deny this message; we will draw them on, step by step, from where they do not know.
68:45وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌAnd I give them respite — indeed, my plan is firm.
68:46أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَOr do you ask them for a reward, so that they are weighed down by debt?
68:47أَمْ عِندَهُمُ ٱلْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَOr do they hold the unseen, writing it down?
68:48فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌSo be patient for your Lord's decree, and do not be like the companion of the fish, who cried out while choked with grief.
68:49لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌHad a blessing from his Lord not reached him, he would have been cast onto the barren shore, disgraced.
68:50فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَBut his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.
68:51وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌThose who deny almost strike you down with their glares when they hear the Reminder, and they say, "He is surely mad."
68:52وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَYet it is nothing but a reminder to all the worlds.