Surah 68. Al-Qalam

Nun.¹ CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!²

  - Mohammad Asad

Chronologically, this is the first appearance of any of the "disjointed" [i.e., single] letters (al-muqatta'at) which precede a number of the surahs of the Qur'an; for the various theories relating to these letters, see Appendix II. The supposition of some of the early commentators (extensively quoted by Tabari) that the letter n, pronounced nun, represents here an abbreviation of the identically-pronounced noun which signifies both "great fish" and "inkwell" has been convincingly rejected by some of the most outstanding authorities (e.g., Zamakhshari and Razi) on grammatical grounds.

For the meaning of the adjurative particle wa at the beginning of this sentence, see first half of note [23] on 74:32 . The mention of "the pen" is meant to recall the earliest Qur'anic revelation, namely, the first five verses of surah {96} ("The Germ-Cell"), and thus to stress the fact of Muhammad's prophethood. As regards the symbolic significance of the concept of "the pen", see {96:3-5} and the corresponding note [3].

Nun. By the pen and what they write.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!³

  - Mohammad Asad

This is an allusion to the taunt with which most of Muhammad's contemporaries greeted the beginning of his preaching, and with which they continued to deride him for many years. In its wider sense, the above passage relates - as is so often the case in the Qur'an - not merely to the Prophet but also to all who followed or will follow him: in this particular instance, to all who base their moral valuations on their belief in God and in life after death.

By the grace of your Rabb you are not a madman,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending -

  - Mohammad Asad

and you shall have a never ending reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And lo! thine verily will he a reward unfailing.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

The term khuluq, rendered by me as "way of life", describes a person's "character", "innate disposition" or "nature" in the widest sense of these concepts, as well as "habitual behaviour" which becomes, as it were, one's "second nature" (Taj al-'Arus). My identification of khuluq with "way of life" is based on the explanation of the above verse by 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Tabari), stating that this term is here synonymous with din: and we must remember that one of the primary significances of the latter term is "a way [or "manner"] of behaviour" or "of acting" (Qamus). Moreover, we have several well-authenticated Traditions according to which Muhammad's widow 'A'ishah, speaking of the Prophet many years after his death, repeatedly stressed that "his way of life (khuluq) was the Qur'an" (Muslim, Tabari and Hakim, on the authority of Sa'id ibn Hisham; Ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i, on the authority of Al-Hasan al-Basri; Tabari, on the authority of Qatadah and Jubayr ibn Nufayl; and several other compilations).

You are of the highest noble character.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,

  - Mohammad Asad

Soon you will see - as they will see

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And thou wilt see and they will see

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

which of you was bereft of reason.

  - Mohammad Asad

- which of you is afflicted with madness.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Which of you is the demented.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, just as He alone is fully aware of those who have found the right way.

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely it is your Rabb Who knows those who have strayed from His Way, as He knows best those who are rightly guided.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! thy Lord is best aware of him who strayeth from his way, and He is best aware of those who walk aright.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:

  - Mohammad Asad

So do not yield to the unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Therefor obey not thou the rejecters

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "they would like thee to be conciliatory in the matter of ethical principles and moral valuations, whereupon they would reciprocate and desist from actively opposing thee".

They desire you to compromise a little, so they too would compromise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Furthermore,⁶ defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "And". The subsequently enumerated types of moral deficiency are, of course, mentioned only as examples of the type of man to whose likes or dislikes no consideration whatever should be shown.

Neither yield to any mean oath-monger,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Neither obey thou each feeble oath monger,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall