Overview - Surah 68: al-Qalam (The Pen )
The Surah tells us that the message of the Prophet is not the talk of a madman. The writings of all scriptures bear testimony to the truth of this message. It urges people to be charitable and help the poor and needy. The story of the people of a garden is mentioned who wished to deny the charity to the poor and they suffered the consequence in losing everything. The Surah ends with the story of Prophet Jonah. It urges the Prophet and through him his followers to continue this mission and not to give up in frustration. The mission of Islam is for the whole world.
Surah al-Qalam takes its name from the first Ayat, ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ "Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe," [68:1].
There are 52 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 52 |
| Total Words * | 300 |
| Root Words * | 130 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 2nd (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 1st-3rd year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam ,Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam ,Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda.,Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia,2nd Migration to Abyssinia,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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| Surah Index
Children, Jonah, Judgement (Day) , Materialism, Muhammad (not a madman) , Pen, Resurrection (Day)
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It consists of three themes: Replies to the objections of the opponents, warning and admonition to them, and exhortation to the Prophet to be patient and firm. At the outset, the Prophet has been consoled: “The disbelievers call you a madman whereas the Book that you are presenting and your magnificent conduct are in themselves sufficient to refute their accusations. Soon they will know as to who was mad and who was sane; therefore do not be affected by them, for they are only trying to intimidate you and make you compromise with them.” Then, in order to enlighten the common people the character of a prominent man from among the opponents, whom the people of Makkah fully well recognised, has been presented, without naming him: At that time, the Prophet’s pure and sublime conduct was before them, and every discerning eye could also see what sort of character and morals were possessed by the chiefs of Makkah, who were leading the opposition against him. Then, in v. 17-33, the parable of the owners of a garden has been presented, who after having been blessed by God turned ungrateful to Him, and did not heed the admonition of the best man among them when it was given them. Consequently, they were deprived of the blessing and they realised this, when all they had lay devastated. With this parable the people of Makkah have been warned to the effect: “With the appointment of the Prophet to Prophethood, you, O people of Makkah, too, have been put to a test similar to the one to which the owners of the garden had been put. If you do not listen to him, you too will be afflicted with a punishment in the world and the punishment of the Hereafter is far greater.”
Then, in v. 34-47, the disbelievers have been admonished, in which they are addressed directly and sometimes through the Prophet. A summary of what has been said is: Well being in the Hereafter belongs to those who spend their lives in the world in full consciousness of God. It is utterly against reason that the obedient servants should meet in the Hereafter the same fate as the guilty. There is absolutely no basis of the disbelievers misunderstanding that God will treat them in the manner they choose for themselves, whereas they have no guarantee for this. Those who are being called upon to bow before God in the world and they refuse to do so, would be unable to prostrate themselves on the Day of Resurrection even if they wanted to do so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned. Having denied the Qur’an they cannot escape Divine punishment. The rein they are being given, has deluded them. They think that since they are not being punished in spite of their denial, they must be on the right path, whereas they are following the path of ruin. They have no reasonable ground for opposing the Messenger, for he is a preacher without any vested interest: he is not asking any reward of them for himself, and they cannot either make the claim that they know with certainty that he is not a true Messenger, nor that what he says is false. In conclusion, the Prophet has been exhorted to bear with patience the hardships that you face in the way of preaching the Faith till God’s judgment arrives.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
- Both Surah al-Qalam [68] and Surah al-Haqqah [69] have 52 Ayat.
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = * | ||
This is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah and its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time when opposition to the Prophet had grown very harsh and oppressive.
- Allah declared Muhammad (pbuh) to be of the highest moral character.
- Allah Almighty swears by the pen, highlighting the importance of knowledge and writing. (68:1)
- Commandment of not yielding to any disbelieving oath monger, slanderer and wicked person.
- Example of the arrogant stingy owners of a garden who did not want to pay charity and as a result, their garden was destroyed.
- Allah is not going to treat the Muslims as He will treat the guilty.
- Those who do not believe in Allah's revelations are led step by step towards destruction.
- Three important themes of this Surah:
- Response to the opponents objections,
- Warning and admonition to the disbelievers, and
- Exhortation of patience to the Prophet (pbuh).
Tafsir Zone
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Sayyid Qutb Overview (Verses 17 - 34) A reminder of the outcome of the greed and denial of other people's rights then follows. This in a reference to a group of people who owned a garden. It seems that the story was well known to the Arabs addressed by the Qur'an. The reminder makes it clear that what people have of wealth and children is only a means to test them, in the same way as the people of the garden were put to trial. The result of all such tests will inevitably be revealed: This story may well have been well known, but its narration in the Qur'an reveals what lies behind its episodes of God's power, the tests He sets for some of His servants and their requital at the end. This is, then, what is new in its presentation in the Qur'an. As it unfolds, we see a group of naïve people who appear to us in their thoughts and actions like simple rural people. Perhaps this type of person was closer to the addressees who were stubborn in their rejection of the faith, but who were not particularly sophisticated characters. Rather, they tended to be simple folk. From an artistic point of view, the narrative represents one of the methods of story-telling in the Qur'an. It includes an element of surprise that captures the listener's interest. It shows the ludicrous nature of human scheming as compared with God's planning. Moreover, the events are brought alive as if we see them unfolding. We see the owners of a garden agreeing to a plan. According to reports, the previous owner of the garden was a good man who had allocated a portion of its harvest to the poor. His heirs, however, wanted to keep all its fruits and yield for themselves, depriving the poor of their customary share. They wake up very early, calling each other to get ready: "At daybreak they called out to one another: 'Go early to your tilth if you wish to gather all its fruits.'" (Verses 21-22) Thus they remind and counsel one another. The surah carries its ridicule further, showing them on their way, speaking in whispers to ensure that no one learns of their plot to deprive the poor of their legitimate share: "So they went off, whispering to one another, Make sure that no needy person enters the garden today.'" (Verses 23-24) We, the reader and listener, know something unknown to the owners of the garden. We have seen the subtle hand making away with all its fruits, leaving it stripped bare. We, therefore, hold our breath to look at what these plotters do. The surah adds more ridicule: "Early they went, strongly bent on their purpose." (Verse 25) They certainly felt able to deprive others, or at least to deprive themselves. Now for the surprise: "When they saw it, they exclaimed: 'Surely we have lost our way!"' (Verse 26) This is certainly not our garden. We seem to have lost our way. However, they soon make sure: "No! We are utterly ruined." (Verse 27) This is the truth of the matter. Now that they are facing the results of their scheme that aimed to deprive the needy, the middle one among them, who was their best and wisest, reminds them of his earlier counsel. He apparently had a different point of view, but when he could not persuade them to accept it, he went along with them instead of holding on to the truth. Hence, he suffered the same fate as they. Hence, too, his reminder: "The wisest among them said: 'Did I not tell you, "Will you not extol God's limitless glory?"' (Verse 28) Now, when it is too late, they listen to sound counsel: "They said, 'Limitless in His glory is our Lord' Truly we were doing wrong.'" (Verse 29) As happens in every situation when results turn bad, everyone tries to shift the blame away from himself: "Then they turned upon each other with mutual reproach." (Verse 30) Then, they finally stop blaming each other and acknowledge their common fault, hoping that God will forgive them and replace their lost harvest: "They said: 'Woe betide us! We have done great wrong. It may be that our Lord will grant us something better instead. To our Lord we truly turn in hope.' (Verses 31-32) Before the curtains are drawn on the last scene we have the surah's parting comment: "Such is the suffering [in this life], but greater indeed is the suffering in the life to come, if they but knew it." (Verse 33) This, then, is a test of affluence. The people of Makkah should learn this lesson for they are being tested in the same way as the owners of the garden were tested. They should consider what their own test will bring in its wake. They should take heed and avoid what is certainly greater than any test and suffering endured in this present world: "Greater indeed is the suffering in the life to come, if they but knew it." The ninth cites this well-known story, given it deals with their own environment. In this way it establishes a clear link between the application of God's law to communities of olden times and to the generation being addressed. It touches their hearts with what is close to their own lives. At the same time it tells the believers that the wealth they see the unbelievers enjoying is nothing but a test God sets for them. It has its own consequences. It is part of God's law that He tests people either with luxuries and comforts or with hardship. Those who behave with arrogance, deprive others of their share, and feel that what they are given is theirs by right may always face a result of the type suffered by those owners of the garden. Yet, "greater indeed is the suffering in the life to come, if they but knew it." (Verse 33) Believers who watch God in all their actions enjoy a different outcome: "For the God fearing there shall be gardens of bliss with their Lord." (Verse 34) The contrast between the two ends echoes the contrast between their behaviour and reality. Two opposite lines of action lead to two contrasting ends. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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- 068 - Al-Qalam - Saad Alghamdi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5AipeB_7jc
- 068 - Al-Qalam Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO-B6vk8hKE&index=68&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- 068 - Al-Qalam Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjIQOxkUDYI&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=68
- Idris Akbar Surah Qalam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-HyswsZURs
- 068 - Al-Qalam Muhammad MInshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMUVDeTrN7c&index=68&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPGhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMUVDeTrN7c&index=68&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
