Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
القلم
Al-Qalam
The Pen · Meccan · 52 ayahs
‘By the pen, and all that they write’ refers to historical record. In historical records of human memoirs accumulated and preserved in the shape of history, the Quran is an exceptional book and the bearer of that book an exceptional personality. This quality of being exceptional cannot be explained unless the Quran is accepted as the book of God and Muhammad as His Prophet.
68:2–4Page 564
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ ٢
You are not, [O Muḥammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ ٣
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
Having a sublime character means rising above the standard of others’ behaviour. It should not be the believer’s way to deal badly with those who are not good to him, while giving fair treatment to those who are good to him. On the contrary, he should do good to everybody, even though others may not do the same for him. The character of the Prophet was of the latter type, which proves that he was a man of principle. He was not a product of circumstances, but of his own high principles. His sublime character was consistent with his claim to be a prophet.
68:5–16Page 564
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ ٥
So you will see and they will see
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ ٦
Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ٧
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٨
Then do not obey the deniers.
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ ٩
They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ ١٠
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ ١١
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.1
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ ١٤
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٥
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ ١٦
We will brand him upon the snout.1
‘Do not give in to the deniers of truth’ means that the words of those who deny the truth are not worthy of acceptance. On the one hand, there is the upholder of Truth, who has taken his stand by virtue of reasoning. There is no contradiction between his words and his actions. On the other hand, there are his opponents who are of low character and have nothing to their credit except for false utterances. The missionary of Truth relies on Truth, whereas his opponents rely on their material status. The missionary of Truth is a follower of principles, unlike his opponents who are unprincipled, and whose views are highly inconsistent. For one who has a sound mind, this difference is enough to show who is on the right path and who is not.
68:17–33Page 565
إِنَّا بَلَوۡنَٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ إِذۡ أَقۡسَمُواْ لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِينَ ١٧
Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning
وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُونَ ١٨
Without making exception.1
فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ ١٩
So there came upon it [i.e., the garden] an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.
فَأَصۡبَحَتۡ كَٱلصَّرِيمِ ٢٠
And it became as though reaped.
فَتَنَادَوۡاْ مُصۡبِحِينَ ٢١
And they called one another at morning,
أَنِ ٱغۡدُواْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡثِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰرِمِينَ ٢٢
[Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."
فَٱنطَلَقُواْ وَهُمۡ يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ ٢٣
So they set out, while lowering their voices,
أَن لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّسۡكِينٞ ٢٤
[Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."
وَغَدَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ حَرۡدٖ قَٰدِرِينَ ٢٥
And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.1
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهَا قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ ٢٦
But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ ٢٧
Rather, we have been deprived."
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ٢٨
The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allāh]?'"1
قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ٢٩
They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَلَٰوَمُونَ ٣٠
Then they approached one another, blaming each other.
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَٰغِينَ ٣١
They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.
عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَنَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ ٣٢
Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."1
كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡعَذَابُۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٣
Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
Whatever a man earns in this world is apparently from farming or industry or other such pursuits. But, in fact, it is all given to him by the grace of God. If one considers it a gift from God and sets apart a portion of it for other subjects of God, Almighty God will bless his earnings. On the contrary, one who considers his earnings the result purely of his own talents and who is not, therefore, prepared to give others their dues, will find that his earnings will be of no avail. This is a strict law of God. In some cases, it manifests itself in this world, but in the Hereafter it will manifest itself for all, and none shall be exempt from it.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences