68. Al-Qalam/The Pen

I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah

The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.

68:01
a. Nun.
b. By the pen and
c. that which they write with it write.

68:02
a. O The Prophet!
b. You are not insane by the Grace of your Rabb - The Lord,

68:03
a. and, indeed, for you will be a reward never ending, never diminishing,

68:04
a. for, indeed, you are of an exalted status of moral excellence.

68:05
a. Soon you will see, and they – disbelievers – too will see,

68:06
a. which of you is insane.

68:07
a. Indeed, your Rabb - The Lord is Fully Aware of whoever strays off HIS Path,
b. as HE is also Fully Aware of those who are guided aright.

68:08
a. So do not yield to the pressures of those who persistently belie your Mission and the Divine Message.

68:09
a. They wish that you should compromise in your advocacy, so they too would compromise
on their attitude.

68:10
a. And do not yield to the pressure of any imprudent habitual oath-swearer,

68:11
a. to any slanderer, back biter,
b. going around spreading gossip to cause mischief among people,

68:12
a. who will hinder people from doing good, and
b. a defiant sinner, transgressor,

68:13
a. rude and moreover low-born,

68:14
a. who would so act merely because he possess wealth and children/sons and family influence.

68:15
a. Whenever OUR Messages from The Qur’an would be recited to him,
b. he would dismisses them by saying:
c. These are just ‘tales of the past.’

68:16
a. Soon WE will brand him on the muzzle for making such a vicious allegation against OUR Messages!

68:17
a. Indeed, WE will put them to a test just like WE had put to test those who owned the orchard/farm,
b. when they vowed to pluck its fruit the next morning.

68:18
a. And they will not leave any to give to the poor.

68:19
a. Then a calamity from your Rabb - The Lord fell upon it while they slept.

68:20
a. So it lay as if it was like the darkness of night.

68:21
a. The next morning they called out to one another;

68:22
a. Saying:
b. ‘Let us go early this morning, if you want to pluck’ the fruits.

68:23
a. So they set out, while whispering to one another lest anyone would overhear them:

68:24
a. ‘Let no poor person come to you within it today.’

68:25
a. And they set out early thinking that they had everything under their control.

68:26
a. But when they entered and saw it, destroyed, blackened, and charred, they cried out:
b. ‘Surely we appear to have lost the way,’ i.e., this is not our orchard/farm.

68:27
a. Then, when they did recognize it as their property, they said:
b. ‘No - this is the right place.
c. In fact we have been deprived’ of its fruits.

68:28
a. The more reasonable among them said:
b. ‘Did I not tell you to Glorify your Rabb - The Lord?

68:29
a. They said:
b. ‘Glory be to our Rabb - The Lord.
c. Indeed, we have been wrongdoers.’

68:30
a. Then they turned to one another, blaming each other,

68:31
a. saying in unison:
b. ‘Oh woe to us!
c. We have definitely been rebellious’ in our thinking and attitude.

68:32
a. ‘May be our Rabb - The Lord will give us better fruit than this.
b. In fact, we turn to our Rabb - The Lord in prayerful devotion.’

68:33
a. Such will be the punishment in this life,
b. but the punishment of the Hereafter is going to be even greater, far worse, if only they realized.

68:34
a. Indeed, for the righteous will be Gardens of Bliss with their Rabb - The Lord.

68:35
a. Should WE then treat those, in terms of reward, who submit to OUR Command, the same way as the criminals – who rebel against OUR Command?

68:36
a. What is wrong with you?
b. How do you judge and decide matters?

68:37
a. Or do you have a heavenly revealed book from which you learn to make certain decisions and judgments?

68:38
a. Or by which you would surely have whatever you desire?

68:39
a. Or have you taken a promise from US, which would hold till the Time of Judgment, that you will have whatever you desire?

68:40
a. Ask them:
b. ‘Which one of them will be a guarantor to such a claim’ that they would choose what they like in the Hereafter?

68:41
a. Or would they have any partners with Allah whom they take as a guarantor?
b. So let them bring their partners then, if they are truthful.

68:42
a. The Time will come when great mayhem would prevail,
b. and they will be asked to prostrate as a test of their faith,
c. but they will not be able to do so-

68:43
a. so with their eyes subdued, humiliation and disgrace will overwhelm them,
b. for whenever they used to be called to prostrate, they would never do so, when they were healthy and able during the worldly life.

68:44
a. So let ME deal with those who would belie and deny this Discourse – The Qur’an.
b. WE will soon lead them, systematically, to ruin in a way they will not even realize.

68:45
a. And I am allowing them a little respite so that they may mend their ways,
b. for indeed, formidable will be MY Scheming and it cannot be withstood.

68:46
a. O The Prophet!
b. Or is it that you would be asking them for some compensation for your teaching and advocacy, so they are under burdensome debt and that is why they do not believe?

68:47
a. Or would they have access to the knowledge of the imperceptible with them,
b. so they are writing it down and saying what they say?

68:48
a. So be patient and wait for the Decision of your Rabb - The Lord.
b. And do not be like the Man of the Big Fish in terms of impatience and haste,
c. who called out to Us while choking with grief inside the belly of the Big Fish.

68:49
a. Had it not been for the Grace of his Rabb - The Lord, he would have been flung on a barren
land, while he was still to be blamed.

68:50
a. Then his Rabb - The Lord chose him, and enabled him to be among the virtuous.

68:51
a. And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost strike you – O The Prophet - down with their fierce looks, because of deep-routed animosityand hatred, when they hear the Reminder - The Qur’an;

b. and out of sheer jealousy, they allege:
c. ‘Surely, he must be insane.’

68:52
a. And this - The Qur’an - is nothing else but a Reminder to goodness for everyone in the Worlds.
b. So it cannot be the cause of insanity.