— 52 verses
Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write
By the grace of your Lord you are not mad
And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off
And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality
So you shall see, and they (too) shall see
Which of you is afflicted with madness
Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course
So do not yield to the rejecters
They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant
And yield not to any mean swearer
Defamer, going about with slander
Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful
Ignoble, besides all that, base-born
Because he possesses wealth and sons
When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore
We will brand him on the nose
Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning
And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor)
Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping
So it became as black, barren land
And they called out to each other in the morning
Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce)
So they went, while they consulted together secretly
Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you
And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent
But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray
Nay! we are made to suffer privation
The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)
They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust
Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other
Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate
Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition
Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know
Surely those who guard (against evil) shall have with their Lord gardens of bliss
What! shall We then make (that is, treat) those who submit as the guilty
What has happened to you? How do you judge
Or have you a book wherein you read
That you have surely therein what you choose
Or have you received from Us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand
Ask them which of them will vouch for that
Or have they associates if they are truthful
On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able
Their looks cast down, abasement shall overtake them; and they were called upon to make obeisance indeed while yet they were safe
So leave Me and him who rejects this announcement; We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not
And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm
Or do you ask from them a reward, so that they are burdened with debt
Or have they (the knowledge of) the unseen, so that they write (it) down
So wait patiently for the judgment of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish, when he cried while he was in distress
Were it not that favor from his Lord had overtaken him, he would certainly have been cast down upon the naked Found while he was blamed
Then his Lord chose him, and He made him of the good
And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say: Most surely he is mad
And it is naught but a reminder to the nations