68al-QalamThe Listing (Register/Recording) Instrumentسُورَةُ القلم

Nūn [N — a sample letter from the alphabet to challenge you to use such letters to compose anything like this Qur’an], and the writing instrument [and its availability], and all that they ink on a line [in a sentence]!

You are not [O Muhammad], due to your Sustainer’s blessing [His revelations to you], deranged!

And, verily, for you there is a reward that keeps on giving —

For you, certainly, are at a high standard of morals;

And [there will come a day when] you will see [the unfolding fact of the matter that divides you from them], and they [who deride you] shall see [the fact of that matter],

Which of you was bereft of reason.

Indeed, your Sustainer is the most knowledgeable of those who deviate away from His path, just as He is most knowledgeable of those who are guided [to, and on His path].

For that reason do not defer to the truth contrarians [who refer to Our revelation as lies]:

They would love to see you give in [by compromising away your principles] so that they can do a deal [and offer you some of their worldly goods].

In addition, do not defer to any despicable swearer of oaths —

The character assassinator who goes around spoiling relationships;

The one who tenaciously holds back anything that is good; the offensive belligerent;

The one who is callous and after all that is nefarious and wicked,

Because he has wealth and regenerative power.

Thus, when Our illustrations [of real power and wealth] are rehearsed to him, he says, “Mythologies belonging to antiquated people!”

[For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace [to be detectable in his feature and trait].

We have indeed tested them [the people of Makkah with difficult climate changes] as We tested the landlords of the agricultural estate [in southern Arabia who decided to deny the underclass much needed agricultural produce by] swearing to terminate its fruits early in the season [harvesting earlier than usual],

And they made no exceptions [disregarding Allah and discounting people in need]:

Whereupon a blight from your Sustainer infested it [the agricultural estate] while they were off guard,

So that by the beginning of the new season it [the agricultural estate] became unfertile and unproductive.

They, then, called a meeting early in the season [to say],

“Go to your crop-growing posthaste if you want to reap the produce!”

Thus they sprang headlong [to their orchards], whispering to one another,

“Indeed, no underprivileged person shall have access to it today while you are in it!” —

And early they went, [thinking themselves] very capable of their indignant resolve.

But as soon as they took a look at it [the state of their farmlands], they said, “Surely, we must be lost [we cannot be in the right place]!” —

[And then], “More accurately, we are [now] deprived [of what we had]!”

Said the most levelheaded among them, “Did I not advise you, ‘Will you not express exaltation [of Allah]!’”

They replied, “Exalted is our Sustainer! Truly, we were amiss!” —

And thereupon they approached each other expressing remorse [for excluding the needy people from their God-given copious abundance.

They [finally] said, “Oh, wretched are we! We, truthfully speaking, were transgressors [who did not honor our relationship with Allah or our responsibilities toward those in need]!

“Our hope is that our Sustainer will give us something better as a substitute: for, truly, we are longing for our Sustainer!”

Such is the suffering [that people are exposed to in life]; but, for sure, the suffering of the end-life is of a greater magnitude — if only they knew!

Behold, those who had guarded themselves [against Allah’s retribution] will have gardens of bliss offered to them by their Sustainer;

Or, [is it expected that] We liken those who submitted themselves [to Us] to those who are criminals?

What is it with you? How do you give your verdict [on who submits to Us and who is opposed to Us]?

Or do you have a scripture from which you draw your lesson,

And in which you find your [decision and] choices?

Or have you obligated Us to honor your judgements through solemn vows that are to continue until Resurrection Day?

Ask them which one of them can guarantee that [their share in the life to come shall be better than the committed muslims’]!

Or do they have associates [who can vouch for them]? [If they do] let them bring forth their associates if they are truthful,

On the Day when all is serious and firm and they [the God-deniers] are told to prostrate themselves [to Allah, which they refused to do in their previous life], and shall be unable to do so:

Their glances will be downcast, humiliation will exhaust them — knowing that they were called upon to prostrate themselves [to Allah in their former life of responsibilities] while they were sound and well.

Leave Me alone with he who refutes this [divine] discussion; We will draw them into [Our handling] step by step by ways unknown to them:

For I will give them rein for a while, but, indeed, My strategizing is firm [and final]!

Or is it that [they connivingly wish] you would ask them [financial] compensation for [delivering Allah’s message], which would give them the excuse that they are under a heavy burden of debt?

Or is it that they are in possession of the knowledge of what lies beyond human senses, so that they can go about recording [the facts, and are thus in no need of you, O Prophet]?

Be therefore patient for the pending judgement of your Sustainer and do not be like the one joined to the whale, who cried out as he was overwhelmed with exasperation.

[And remember], had his Sustainer’s grace not reached him in time, he would have been cast forth into the naked environment in a state of disgrace:

Consequently, his Sustainer [honorably] reclaimed him and cultivated him to become one of the righteous.

Hence, [be patient], even though the God-deniers are on the verge of wrestling you down with their looks when they hear words of God-consciousness and say, “He [Muhammad] is certainly a madman!”

[Be patient]: for this is but a consciousness [from Allah] to all the worlds [of existence, being, and life].