Chap 68: THE PEN, (THE LETTER) N (68:0)

Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,- (68:1)

Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed (68:2)

Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing: (68:3)

And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character (68:4)

Soon wilt thou see, and they will see, (68:5)

Which of you is afflicted with madness (68:6)

Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance (68:7)

So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth) (68:8)

Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant (68:9)

Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths, (68:10)

A slanderer, going about with calumnies, (68:11)

(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin, (68:12)

Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,- (68:13)

Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons (68:14)

When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries! (68:15)

Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout! (68:16)

Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning (68:17)

But made no reservation, ("If it be God's Will") (68:18)

Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep (68:19)

So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered) (68:20)

As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,- (68:21)

"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits." (68:22)

So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)- (68:23)

"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day." (68:24)

And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve (68:25)

But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way: (68:26)

"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!" (68:27)

Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (God)?'" (68:28)

They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!" (68:29)

Then they turned, one against another, in reproach (68:30)

They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed! (68:31)

"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!" (68:32)

Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew! (68:33)

Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord (68:34)

Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin? (68:35)

What is the matter with you? How judge ye? (68:36)

Or have ye a book through which ye learn- (68:37)

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose? (68:38)

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand? (68:39)

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that! (68:40)

Or have they some "Partners" (in Godhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful! (68:41)

The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,- (68:42)

Their eyes will be cast down,- ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused) (68:43)

Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not (68:44)

A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan (68:45)

Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt?- (68:46)

Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down? (68:47)

So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,- when he cried out in agony (68:48)

Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace (68:49)

Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous (68:50)

And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!" (68:51)

But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds (68:52)

Get Next Chapter