The Pen 68

Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith),

Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.

And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.

And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.

Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise.

Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger,

Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor

It is because he is possessed of wealth and children

That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old.

Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,

And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

And in the morning it was as if plucked.

And they cried out one unto another in the morning,

Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).

So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:

No needy man shall enter it to-day against you.

They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!

The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah)?

They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers.

Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching.

They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.

It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.

Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.

Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.

Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?

What aileth you? How foolishly ye judge!

That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose?

Or have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment, that yours shall be all that ye ordain?

Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!

Or have they other gods? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful

On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,

With eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.

Leave Me (to deal) with those who give the lie to this pronouncement. We shall lead them on by steps from whence they know not.

Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.

Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed?

Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)?

But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair.

Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.

But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

And lo! those who disbelieve would fain disconcert thee with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Lo! he is indeed mad;

When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.