Al-Qalam: 1

Ayah

Word by Word

نٓۚ

Nun

وَٱلۡقَلَمِ

By the pen

وَمَا

and what

يَسۡطُرُونَ

they write

Translation

Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write,-

Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Al-Qalam

We have already discussed the special letters of the Arabic alphabet at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah. Thus, Allah's saying,

Nun, is like Allah's saying,

(Sad), and Allah's saying,

(Qaf), and similar to them from the individual letters that appear at the beginning of Qur'anic chapters. This has been discussed at length previously and there is no need to repeat it here.

The Explanation of the Pen Concerning

Allah's statement,

وَالۡقَلَمِ

By the pen,

The apparent meaning is that this refers to the actual pen that is used to write. This is like Allah's saying,

اقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكۡرَمُ

الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالۡقَلَمِ

عَلَّمَ الاِنسَـنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. (96:3-5)

Therefore, this statement is Allah's swearing and alerting His creatures to what He has favored them with by teaching them the skill of writing, through which knowledge is attained.

Thus, Allah continues by saying,

وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ

and by what they Yastur.

Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah all said that this means,

what they write.

As-Suddi said,

The angels and the deeds of the servants they record.

Others said,

Rather, what is meant here is the pen which Allah caused to write the decree when He wrote the decrees of all creation, and this took place fifty-thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.

For this, they present Hadiths that have been reported about the Pen.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Al-Walid bin `Ubadah bin As-Samit that he said,

My father called for me when he was dying and he said to me:`Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا خَلَقَ اللهُ الۡقَلَمُ فَقَالَ لَهُ اكۡتُبۡ

قَالَ يَا رَبِّ وَمَا أَكۡتُبُ

قَالَ اكۡتُبِ الۡقَدَرَ وَمَا هُوَ كَايِنٌ إِلَى الاۡاَبَد

Verily, the first of what Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it:Write.

The Pen said:O my Lord, what shall I write

He said:Write the decree and whatever will throughout eternity.

This Hadith has been recorded by Imam Ahmad through various routes of transmission.

At-Tirmidhi also recorded it from a Hadith of Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi and he (At-Tirmidhi) said about it, Hasan Sahih, Gharib.

Swearing by the Pen refers to the Greatness of the Prophet

Allah says,

مَا أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٍ

You, by the grace of your Lord, are not insane.

meaning -- and all praise is due to Allah -- `you are not crazy as the ignorant among your people claim. They are those who deny the guidance and the clear truth that you have come with. Therefore, they attribute madness to you because of it.'

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَاإَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٍ

And verily, for you will be reward that is not Mamnun.

meaning, `for you is the great reward, and abundant blessings which will never be cut off or perish, because you conveyed the Message of your Lord to creation, and you were patient with their abuse.'

The meaning of

غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٍ

(not Mamnun) is that it will not be cut off.

This is similar to Allah's statement,

عَطَأءً غَيۡرَ مَجۡذُوذٍ

a gift without an end. (11:108)

and His statement,

فَلَهُمۡ أَجۡرٌ غَيۡرُ مَمۡنُونٍ

Then they shall have a reward without end. (95:6)

Mujahid said,

غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٍ

(Without Mamnun) means

Without reckoning.

And this refers back to what we have said before.

The Explanation of the Statement:Verily, You are on an Exalted Character.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

And verily, you are on an exalted (standard of) character.

Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas,

Verily, you are on a great religion, and it is Islam.

Likewise said Mujahid, Abu Malik, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd also said this.

Sa`id bin Abi `Arubah reported from Qatadah that he said concerning Allah's statement,

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

(And verily, you are on an exalted (standard of) character).

It has been mentioned to us that Sa`d bin Hisham asked `A'ishah about the character of the Messenger of Allah, so she replied:

`Have you not read the Qur'an'

Sa`d said:`Of course.'

Then she said:`Verily, the character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur'an.'

Abdur-Razzaq recorded similar to this and Imam Muslim recorded it in his Sahih on the authority of Qatadah in its full length.

This means that he would act according to the commands and the prohibition in the Qur'an. His nature and character were patterned according to the Qur'an, and he abandoned his natural disposition (i.e., the carnal nature). So whatever the Qur'an commanded, he did it, and whatever it forbade, he avoided it.

Along with this, Allah gave him the exalted character, which included the qualities of modesty, kindness, bravery, pardoning, gentleness and every other good characteristic. This is like that which has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Anas said,

I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done:`Why did you do that'

And he never said to me concerning something I had not done:`Why didn't you do this'

He had the best character, and I never touched any silk or anything else that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah. And I never smelled any musk or perfume that had a better fragrance than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah.

Imam Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said,

The Messenger of Allah had the most handsome face of all the people, and he had the best behavior of all of the people. And he was not tall, nor was he short.

The Hadiths concerning this matter are numerous. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi has a complete book on this subject called Kitab Ash-Shama'il.

Imam Ahmad recorded that A'ishah said,

- The Messenger of Allah never struck a servant of his with his hand, nor did he ever hit a woman. He never hit anything with his hand, except for when he was fighting Jihad in the cause of Allah.

- And he was never given the option between two things except that the most beloved of the two to him was the easiest of them, as long as it did not involve sin. If it did involve sin, then he stayed farther away from sin than any of the people.

- He would not avenge himself concerning anything that was done to him, except if the limits of Allah were transgressed. Then, in that case he would avenge for the sake of Allah.

Imam Ahmad also recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّمَا بُعِثۡتُ لاُِتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الاَۡخۡلَق

I have only been sent to perfect righteous behavior.

Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith.

In reference to Allah's statement,

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ

بِأَييِّكُمُ الۡمَفۡتُونُ

You will see, and they will see, which of you is afflicted with madness.

then it means, `you will know, O Muhammad -- and those who oppose you and reject you, will know -- who is insane and misguided among you.'

This is like Allah's statement,

سَيَعۡلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الۡكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ

Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one! (54:26)

Allah also says,

وَإِنَّأ أَوۡ إِيَّاكُمۡ لَعَلَى هُدًى أَوۡ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ

And verily (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error. (34:24)

Ibn Jurayj reported from Ibn Abbas, it means

You will know and they will know on the Day of Judgement.

Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas;

بِأَييِّكُمُ الۡمَفۡتُونُ

Which of you is Maftun (afflicted with madness) means which of you is crazy.

This was also said by Mujahid and others as well.

The literal meaning of Maftun is one who has been charmed or lured away from the truth and has strayed from it. Thus, the entire statement means,

`so you will know and they will know,'

or `you will be informed and they will be informed, as to which of you is afflicted with madness.'

And Allah knows best.

Then Allah says,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُهۡتَدِينَ

Verily, your Lord is the best Knower of him who has gone astray from His path, and He is the best Knower of those who are guided.

meaning, `He knows which of the two groups are truly guided among you, and He knows the party that is astray from the truth.

Prohibition of giving in to the Pressure of the Disbelievers and Their Suggestions, and that They like to meet in the Middle of the Path

Allah says, `just as We have favored you and given you the upright legislation and great (standard of) character,'

فَلَ تُطِعِ الۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

وَدُّوا لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ

So, do not obey the deniers. They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.

Ibn `Abbas said,

That you would permit them (their idolatry) and they also would permit you (to practice your religion).

Mujahid said,

وَدُّوا لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ

(They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you).

This means that you should be quiet about their gods and abandon the truth that you are upon.

Then Allah says,

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّفٍ مَّهِينٍ

And do not obey every Hallaf (one who swears much) Mahin (liar or worthless person).

This is because the liar, due to his weakness and his disgracefulness, only seeks protection in his false oaths which he boldly swears to while using Allah's Names, and he uses them (false oaths) all the time and out of place (i.e., unnecessarily).

Ibn `Abbas said, Al-Mahin means the liar.

Then Allah says

هَمَّازٍ

A Hammaz,

Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah both said, This is slander.

مَّشَّاء بِنَمِيمٍ

going about with Namim,

This refers to the one who goes around among people instigating discord between them and carrying tales in order to corrupt relations between people when they are good and pleasant.

It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Mujahid reported from Tawus that Ibn `Abbas said,

The Messenger of Allah once passed by two graves and he said,

إِنَّهُمَا لَيُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَكَانَ لَا يَسۡتَتِرُ مِنَ الۡبَوۡلِ وَأَمَّا الاۡخَرُ فَكَانَ يَمۡشِي بِالنَّمِيمَة

Verily, these two are being punished, and they are not being punished for something major. One of them was not careful about protecting himself from urine (when relieving himself). The other one used to spread Namimah.

This Hadith has been recorded by the Group in their books through routes of transmission that are all on the authority of Mujahid.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah said,

I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

لَاا يَدۡخُلُ الۡجَنَّةَ قَتَّات

The slanderer will not enter into Paradise.

This Hadith has been reported by the Group except for Ibn Majah.

Concerning Allah's statement,

مَنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

Hinderer of good, transgressor, sinful,

it means, he refuses to give and withholds that which he has of good.

مُعۡتَدٍ

transgressor, this means, in attaining that which Allah has made permissible for him, he exceeds the legislated bounds.

أَثِيمٍ

sinful, meaning, he delves into the forbidden things.

Concerning Allah's statement,

عُتُلٍّ بَعۡدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

`Utul, and moreover Zanim.

`Utul means one who is cruel, harsh, strong, greedy and stingy.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Al-Harithah bin Wahb that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَلَا أُنَبِّيُكُمۡ بِأَهۡلِ الۡجَنَّةِ كُلُّ ضَعِيفٍ مُتَضَعِّفٍ لَوۡ أَقۡسَمَ عَلَى اللهِ لَاَبَرَّهُ

أَلَا أُنَبِّيُكُمۡ بِأَهۡلِ النَّارِ كُلُّ عُتُلَ جَوَّاظٍ مُسۡتَكۡبِر

Shall I inform you of the people of Paradise?

(They will be) very weak and oppressed person. When he swears by Allah, he fulfills his oath.

Shall I inform you of the people of the Fire?

Every `Utul (cruel person), Jawwaz and arrogant person.

Al-Waki` said,

It (`Utul) is every Jawwaz, Ja`zariand arrogant person.

Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this in their Two Sahihs, as well as the rest of the Group, except for Abu Dawud. All of its routes of transmission are by way of Sufyan Ath-Thawri and Shu`bah who both reported it from Sa`id bin Khalid.

The scholars of Arabic language have said that

Ja`zari means rude and harsh, while Jawwaz means greedy and stingy.

Concerning the word Zanim, Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said concerning the Ayah,

عُتُلٍّ بَعۡدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

(`Utul (cruel), and moreover Zanim.)

A man from the Quraysh who stands out among them like the sheep that has had a piece of its ear cut off.

The meaning of this is that he is famous for his evil just as a sheep that has a piece of its ear cut off stands out among its sister sheep.

In the Arabic language the Zanim is a person who is adopted among a group of people (i.e., he is not truly of them).

Ibn Jarir and others among the Imams have said this.

Concerning Allah's statement,

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ

إِذَا تُتۡلَى عَلَيۡهِ ايَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الاَۡوَّلِينَ

(He was so) because he had wealth and children. When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says:Tales of the men of old!

Allah is saying, `this is how he responds to the favors that Allah has bestowed upon him of wealth and children, by disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and turning away from them while claiming that they are a lie that has been taken from the tales of the ancients.'

This is similar to Allah's statement,

ذَرۡنِى وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيداً وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُ مَالاً مَّمۡدُوداً وَبَنِينَ شُهُوداً وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ تَمۡهِيداً ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ

كَلَّ إِنَّهُ كان لاٌّيَـتِنَا عَنِيداً سَأُرۡهِقُهُ صَعُوداً

إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ

ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَاسۡتَكۡبَرَ

فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحۡرٌ يُوۡثَرُ إِنۡ هَـذَا إِلاَّ قَوۡلُ الۡبَشَرِ

سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ وَمَأ أَدۡرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ

لَا تُبۡقِى وَلَا تَذَرُ لَوَّاحَةٌ لِّلۡبَشَرِ عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ

Leave Me alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely (without any wealth and children etc.). And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more.

Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment!

Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed, how he plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted!

Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back, and was proud.

Then he said:This is nothing but magic from that of old, this is nothing but the word of a human being!

I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will make you know what Hellfire is

It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburned)! Burning and blackening the skins! Over it are nineteen (angels as keepers of Hell).

(74:11-30)

Then Allah said here,

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الۡخُرۡطُومِ

We shall brand him on the snout!

Ibn Jarir said,

We will make his matter clear and evident so that they will know him and he will not be hidden from them, just as the branding mark on the snouts (of animals).

Others have said,

سَنَسِمُهُ

(We shall brand him),

This is the mark of the people of the Hell-fire; meaning, `We will blacken his face on the Day of Judgement,' and the face has been referred to here as snout.

Related Q&A

Why muqotto'at verses exist in Quran?

Many scholars say that no one knows the meaning of Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed-Letters) except Allah. Then why they exist in the Qur'an which was sent down to the humankind?

ANSWER:

Firstly, to say that no one understands the meaning of these letters except Allah is not the consensus of all scholars. Indeed, some scholars beginning from some Shahabah (Companions) explained their meanings. Yasiin, for example, means "O human" according to Ibn 'Abbas. He also told that "Alif Lam Ra'" stands for "Ana Allah Araa" which means "I -Allah- see."

On the other hand, we should acknowledge that there are several Shahabah and scholars believe that only Allah who knows the meaning of these Huruf Muqatta'at. Abu Bakr said: "There is secret in every book. Then the secret of Allah in the Quran is these letters in the beginning of surahs." Ali ibn Abi Thalib and others also stated the same thing.

Ash-Sha'bi, a Tabi'i, was once asked about these letters. He then answered, "Every book have their secret. The secret of the Qur'an is the letters in the beginning of surahs. So, leave it and ask me other question beside it."

Yet even from this perspective, these Huruf Muqatta'at are not useless. They even show us many benefits, of them are:

- to examine our faith

- to show us that our knowledge is limited

- to show us that the Quran is in Arabic since it is arranged from these Arabic letters

- to attract listeners' attention due to their uniqueness

- to make a pledge

- to be names for some surahs

There are also interesting facts from this Huruf Muqotta'at. Of them is the total amount of these letters is 14 which is a half of 28 Arabic letters. They can be drawn up to be a sentence like this:

نص حكيم قاطع له سر

The wise, absolute text which has secret.

In short, some scholars exegete these letters while the others did not but still say that these letters have benefits and wisdoms.

Allah knows best.

See:

Ma'alim Al-Tanzil (II/249) & (VII/7)

Al-Kashshaf (I/20-28)