Translation of the Meanings Surah Al-Qalam - English Translation - Rowwad Translation Center - Page Number 564 - Encyclopedia of the Noble Quran

Al-Qalam

1 : 68

نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ

Nūn^[1]. By the pen and what they [i.e., the angels] write [in the Records of deeds],

[1] See footnote 2:1.

2 : 68

مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ

By the grace of your Lord [O Prophet], you are not a madman.

3 : 68

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ

You will surely have a never-ending reward.

4 : 68

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ

Indeed, you are of a great moral character.

5 : 68

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ

Soon you will see and they will see,

6 : 68

بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ

which of you is afflicted with madness.

7 : 68

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

Indeed, your Lord alone knows best who has strayed from His way and those who are rightly guided.

8 : 68

فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

So do not obey the deniers.

9 : 68

وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ

They wish that you would compromise so they would too compromise.

10 : 68

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ

And do not obey every disgraceful swearer,

11 : 68

هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ

backbiter, gossip-monger,

12 : 68

مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

withholder of good, transgressor, sinful,

13 : 68

عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

coarse, and furthermore, an illegitimate child^[2].

[2] i.e., falsely claiming a particular lineage. It refers to Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah (See also 74:11-25) or possibly Al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq.

14 : 68

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ

Simply because he has wealth and children,

15 : 68

إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “Ancient fables!”

16 : 68

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ

We will soon brand him on the snout^[3].

[3] Lit., "trunk," meaning the nose of an elephant or pig. These verses refer to Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, a leader of the pagans of Makkah and a staunch enemy of Islam. He called the Prophet (ﷺ) a madman, so the Qur’an responded by mentioning ten of Al-Walīd’s qualities. (See 53:33-35 and 74:11-26). Two of those qualities were not known to him: the fact that he was an illegitimate child and that his nose would be chopped off years later at the Battle of Badr. Khālid ibn al-Walīd and two of his brothers embraced Islam.