Basic Surah Info
Surah Number – 68
Number of Ayah – 52
Revealed City – Mecca
Juz Details – Juz 29 Ayah 1-52
Starting Page Number – 564th Page
Translated By Mustafa Khattab
Summary of Surah Al-Qalam
Surah Al-Qalam, the 68th surah of the Quran, addresses the incident involving the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and provides lessons on patience, humility, and the consequences of rejecting the truth. It derives its name from the mention of “Al-Qalam” (the Pen) in the surah. It consists of 52 verses.
The surah begins by condemning the accusations made against the Prophet Muhammad by the disbelievers of his time. It affirms his noble character and refutes the false allegations leveled against him.
Surah Al-Qalam highlights the importance of patience and steadfastness in the face of adversity. It provides examples from the stories of previous nations, including the people of Thamud and the people of Noah, who rejected the message of their respective prophets and faced severe consequences.
The surah focuses on the story of a man known as “The Owner of the Garden” (also referred to as “The Companions of the Garden”). It highlights the arrogance and ingratitude displayed by the man and his refusal to give charity and share his blessings with others. As a result, his garden was destroyed, and he faced a severe punishment from Allah.
Surah Al-Qalam emphasizes the importance of humility and gratitude. It contrasts the arrogant behavior of those who reject the truth with the righteous individuals who fear Allah and strive to fulfill their obligations towards Him and their fellow human beings.
The surah warns of the consequences that await those who reject the message of truth and persist in their disbelief. It emphasizes that the Day of Judgment is certain and that every individual will be held accountable for their actions.
Surah Al-Qalam highlights the role of the Quran as a source of guidance and knowledge. It encourages believers to hold firmly to the teachings of the Quran and to follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad in order to attain success in this life and the Hereafter.
The surah concludes by affirming the Prophet Muhammad’s status and role as a mercy to all creation. It emphasizes the significance of the Quran as a reminder and guidance for humanity.
In summary, Surah Al-Qalam addresses the incident involving the Prophet Muhammad and provides lessons on patience, humility, and the consequences of rejecting the truth. It condemns false accusations and highlights the importance of steadfastness in the face of adversity. The surah warns of the consequences of disbelief, emphasizes humility and gratitude, and affirms the significance of the Quran as a source of guidance. It serves as a reminder to follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad and hold firmly to the teachings of the Quran.
Read English Translated Version of Surah Al-Qalam
1. Nũn. By the pen and what everyone writes!
2. By the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane.
3. You will certainly have a never-ending reward.
4. And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character.
5. Soon you and the pagans will see,
6. which of you is mad.
7. Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided.
8. So do not give in to the deniers.
9. They wish you would compromise so they would yield ˹to you˺.
10. And do not obey the despicable, vain oath-taker,
11. slanderer, gossip-monger,
12. withholder of good, transgressor, evildoer,
13. brute, and—on top of all that—an illegitimate child.
14. Now, ˹simply˺ because he has been blessed with ˹abundant˺ wealth and children,
15. whenever Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”
16. We will soon mark his snout.
17. 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,
18. leaving no thought for Allah’s Will.
19. Then it was struck by a torment from your Lord while they slept,
20. so it was reduced to ashes.
21. Then by daybreak they called out to each other,
22. ˹saying,˺ “Go early to your harvest, if you want to pick ˹all˺ the fruit.”
23. So they went off, whispering to one another,
24. “Do not let any poor person enter your garden today.”
25. And they proceeded early, totally fixated on their purpose.
26. But when they saw it ˹devastated˺, they cried, “We must have lost ˹our˺ way!
27. In fact, we have been deprived ˹of our livelihood˺.”
28. The most sensible of them said, “Did I not urge you to say, ‘Allah willing.’?”
29. They replied, “Glory be to our Lord! We have truly been wrongdoers.”
30. Then they turned on each other, throwing blame.
31. They said, “Woe to us! We have certainly been transgressors.
32. We trust our Lord will give us a better garden than this, ˹for˺ we are indeed turning to our Lord with hope.”
33. That is the ˹way of Our˺ punishment ˹in this world˺. But the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly far worse, if only they knew.
34. Indeed, the righteous will have the Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.
35. Should We then treat those who have submitted like the wicked?
36. What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
37. Or do you have a scripture, in which you read
38. that you will have whatever you choose?
39. Or do you have oaths binding on Us until the Day of Judgment that you will have whatever you decide?
40. Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ which of them can guarantee all that.
41. Or do they have associate-gods ˹supporting this claim˺? Then let them bring forth their associate-gods, if what they say is true.
42. ˹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,
43. 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˺.
44. So leave to Me ˹O Prophet˺ those who reject this message. We will gradually draw them to destruction in ways they cannot comprehend.
45. I ˹only˺ delay their end for a while, but My planning is flawless.
46. Or are you asking them for a reward ˹for the message˺ so that they are overburdened by debt?
47. Or do they have access to ˹the Record in˺ the unseen, so they copy it ˹for all to see˺?
48. 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.
49. Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy.
50. Then his Lord chose him, making him one of the righteous.
51. The disbelievers would almost cut you down with their eyes when they hear ˹you recite˺ the Reminder, and say, “He is certainly a madman.”
52. But it is simply a reminder to the whole world.