Al-Qalam

al-Qalam (Arabic: القلم‎, “The Pen”) is the sixty-eighth chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 52 verses (āyāt). The Surat describes Allah's justice and the judgment day. Three important themes of this Surah are response to the opponents objections, warning and admonition to the disbelievers, and exhortation of patience to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

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Destiny . God (Allah) . Al-Qalam . Dunya

Is it true Allah created the Qalam to write till the end of the world, or that the thing He writes is part of one's destiny?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

1.   We have in many Hadeeths that Allah has created the Qalam (The Pen), and the Qalam has been ordered by Allah to write what will be happening till the Day of Judgement.
   2.   Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (A.S.) has been asked about this verse: ن والقلم (Noon Wal Qalam). He said Noon was a river in the Paradise,White more than the ice and sweet more sweet than the Honey. Allah ordered the river to be ink, then Allah put a tree and told that tree to become Qalam (A Pen) then Allah ordered the pen (Qalam) to write. The Qalam asked: What shall I write? Allah replied: Write whatever will be happening till the day of Judgement. The Qalam wrote according to the order of Allah then it was silent. Allah ordered: Do not talk till the designated time means the day of Judgement. (Elal Al-Shara’e’, علل الشرائع Page 402.
   3.   Another Hadeeth from Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (A.S.) when he was been asked about Noon Wal Qalam. He says: Noor was a river in the Paradise. Allah ordered the river to be frozen. It became frozen then it became ink. Allah told the Qalam (the Pen): Write. The pen wrote in the preserved board –Lawh Al-Mahfoudh اللوح المحفوظ . The Pen wrote whatever was happening and whatever will happen till the day of Judgement. The ink was ink from Noor (Light) and the Qalam (the Pen) was a Pen from Noor (Light) & Lawh (the Board) was Board from Light. معاني الأخبار Ma’aani Al-Akhbar Page 23.
   4.   In Tafseer Ali-Ibn Ibrahim Volume 2 Page 379, there is a narration from Abdul Rahim Al Qaseer who said: I asked Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (A.S.) about Noon Wal Qalam. Imam said: Allah has created the Qalam (the Pen) from a tree in the Paradise called “Al Khuld”. then Allah told a river in the Paradise to be ink. The river became frozen, and it was more white than the ice and more sweet than the Honey. Then Allah ordered the Qalam (the Pen) to write. The Qalam said “O my Lord What shall I write”. Allah Ordered the Qalam to write whatever existing and whatever will happen till the day of judgement.
   5.   In Tafseer Ali Ibn Ibrahim Volume 2 Page 198 , there is a narration from Hisham narrating from Imam Jafar As-Sadiq (A.S.) saying the first which Allah created is Al-Qalam. Then Allah ordered the Qalam : أُكتُب Write. The Qalam (the Pen) wrote what was going on and what will happen till the day of Judgement.
   6.   We also have narrations about the meaning of Noon and the meaning of Qalam. A narration from Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (a.s.) which was narrated by Muhammed Ibn Al-Fadheel . He said I asked Imam Moosa Al-Kazim (a.s.) about Noon Wal Qalam Verse he said: Noon is a name of the Messenger of Allah, and Al-Qalam is name for Ameerul Momeneen Ali (a.s.).

7. What was been written in the Qalam is everything which was happening, and which will happen till the day of judgement. No doubt we as a human beings are included but we should understand that the destiny which is enforced on us does not mean at all that our faith and deeds are also enforced on us. Allah the Glorious, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the Absolute Wise did not force us to do bad and no one can claim that he is doing bad because it is his destiny. Destiny is our shape, our gender, our skin colour, our eyes colour, our parents, our place of birth and other things which are out of our control. But our faith and our deeds is under our own option and our own Choice. Our faith and deeds are never enforced on us.

Wassalam.

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Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafsir) . Qur'anic Verse . Surah . Al-Qalam

What is the commentary of verses 12-14 of Surah Qalam?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answer updated 3 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The verses can be rendered in English as follows:

“...hinderer of good, a transgressing sinner, churlish, surly, and ignoble withal - simply because he possesses wealth and children.”

This set of verses is a continuation of a vivid description of the traits of the enemies of the Prophet (saw) and are set beside the first set of verses in this chapter that extoll the great character of the Prophet (saw). They are people who not only don’t perform good but prevent others from doing so. They are so soiled with sin that sin has become part of their nature. They are churlish, meaning that they are ill natured and mean spirited and on top of that they have no apparent origin (meaning they have no clear father).

The following verse is a warning why it may be that these people have such traits. These verses show that the Prophet (saw) never submitted to people of this nature just because of their wealth and affluence, but rather spread the true message of Islam, whether these people were amiable to it or not.

For some insights into the rest if the chapter please refer to: Exegesis of the Qurʾān; sūratul Mulk to sūratul Mursalāt, translated by Saleem Bhimji and edited by Arifa Hudda (Ontario: Islamic Humanitarian Service & Islamic Publishing House, 2012). The chapter of al-Qalam is the second chapter discussed in this book.

May you always be successful.

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Surah . Qur'anic Verse . Al-Qalam . Qur'an

Who are the people of the garden mentioned in Surah al-Qalam verse 17 in the Qur'an?

They were people who thought that they can get the fruits of their garden with out giving its dues to the poor and decided to pluck the fruits next morning with out saying : If Allah wills.

Allah sent fire which burn the garden while they were asleep. They lost every things as a result of their bad deeds.

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Surah . Al-Qalam

What is meant by what is said in ayah 9 from Surah Al-Qalam?

Thank you for your question. It has been narrated that the 9th verse of surah 67 is revealed concerning an attempt by the polytheists of Mecca to invite the Prophet (saw) to follow the way of their forefathers after they saw the early success of his prophetic mission. They hoped that he may compromise and that they then may also compromise and reach an agreement and so they offered him money and other worldly gifts. The translation of the verse is:

"They wish that you might compromise and that they might compromise"

The verb d - h - n used in the verse, in this situation means manifesting softness, but it also implies manifesting softness in a negative sense, like hypocrisy.

May you always be successful