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[1] Nun. CONSIDER the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!
[2] Thou art not, by thy Sustainer's grace, a madman!
[3] And, verily, thine shall be a reward neverending –
[4] for, behold, thou keepest indeed to a sublime way of life;
[5] and [one day] thou shalt see, and they [who now deride thee] shall see,
[6] which of you was bereft of reason.
[7] 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.
[8] Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth:
[9] they would like thee to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with thee].
[10] Furthermore, defer not to the contemptible swearer of oaths,
[11] [or to] the slanderer that goes about with defaming tales,
[12] [or] the withholder of good, [or] the sinful aggressor,
[13] [or] one who is cruel, by greed possessed, and, in addition to all this, utterly useless [to his fellow-men].
[14] Is it because he is possessed of worldly goods and children
[15] that, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?
[16] [For this] We shall brand him with indelible disgrace!
[17] [As for such sinners,] behold, We [but] try them as We tried the owners of a certain garden who vowed that they would surely harvest its fruit on the morrow,
[18] and made no allowance [for the will of God]:
[19] whereupon a visitation for thy Sustainer came upon that [garden] while they were asleep,
[20] so that by the morrow it became barren and bleak.
[21] Now when they rose at early morn, they called unto one another,
[22] "Go early to your tilth if you want to harvest the fruit!"
[23] Thus they launched forth, whispering unto one another,
[24] "Indeed, no needy person shall enter it today [and come] upon you [unawares],"
[25] – and early they went, strongly bent upon their purpose.
[26] But as soon as they beheld [the garden and could not recognize] it, they exclaimed, "Surely we have lost our way!"
[27] - [and then,] "Nay, but we have been rendered destitute!"
[28] Said the most right-minded among them: "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?’"
[29] They answered: "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, we were doing wrong!"
[30] - and then they turned upon one another with mutual reproaches.
[31] [In the end] they said: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we did behave outrageously!
[32] [But] it may be that our Sustainer will grant us something better instead: for, verily, unto our Sustainer do we turn with hope!"
[33] SUCH is the suffering [with which We try some people in this world]; but greater by far will be the suffering [which sinners shall have to bear] in the life to come - if they but knew it!
[34] For, behold, it is the God-conscious [alone] whom gardens of bliss await with their Sustainer:
[35] or should We, perchance, treat those who surrender themselves unto Us as [We would treat] those who remain lost in sin?
[36] What is amiss with you? On what do you base your judgment [of right and wrong]?
[37] Or have you, perchance, a [special] divine writ which you study,
[38] and in which you find all that you may wish to find?
[39] Or have you received a solemn promise, binding on Us till Resurrection Day, that yours will assuredly be whatever you judge [to be your rightful due]?
[40] Ask them which of them is able to vouch for this!
[41] Or have they, perchance, any sages to support their views? Well, then, if they are sincere in this their claim, let them produce those supporters of theirs
[42] on the Day when man's very being shall be bared to the bone, and when they [who now deny the truth] shall be called upon to prostrate themselves [before God], and shall be unable to do so:
[43] downcast will be their eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them - seeing that they had been called upon [in vain] to prostrate themselves [before Him] while they were yet sound [and alive].
[44] Hence, leave Me alone with such as give the lie to this tiding. We shall bring them low, step by step, without their perceiving how it has come about:
[45] for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!
[46] Or is it that [they fear lest] thou ask them for a reward, [O Prophet,] so that they would be burdened with debt [if they listened to thee]?
[47] Or [do they think] that the hidden reality [of all that exists] is within their grasp, so that [in time] they can write it down?
[48] BEAR THEN with patience thy Sustainer's will and be not like him of the great fish, who cried out [in distress] after having given in to anger.
[49] [And remember:] had not grace from his Sustainer reached him, he would indeed have been cast forth upon that barren shore in a state of disgrace:
[50] but [as it was,] his Sustainer had elected him and placed him among the righteous.
[51] Hence, [be patient,] even though they who are bent on denying the truth would all but kill thee with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and [though] they say, "[As for Muhammad,] behold, most surely he is a madman!"
[52] [Be patient:] for this is nought else but a reminder [from God] to all mankind.