Surah Al-Qalam

The Pen

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

The name of this chapter is Surah Al-Qalam, and it comes from the first verse of this chapter whereby Allah swears by the pen.

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Qalam is the 68th chapter of the Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter contains 52 verses.

Place of Revelation

Commentators of the Quran say that this chapter was revealed in Mecca.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 2-15

Mentions the good characteristics of the Prophet and the evil characteristics of his enemies. This chapter initially introduces the respectable characteristics of the Prophet and emphasizes them. It later mentions the evil traits of the disbelievers and enemies.

Verses 17-33

Threatens those who rejected the Prophet with the story of the People of the Garden. Those who rejected the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah and characterized him with insanity are threatened in these verses, and a comparison is made to the People of the Garden. These are the people who today are preoccupied and stingy about their money and children. All of their trust has been put in their wealth, offspring, and other physical avenues of happiness as they currently enjoy them. They do not express their gratitude to Allah for their blessings nor do they worship Him. They continue on this path until Allah reveals their punishment in this world or the Hereafter. At that point they will regret their actions and are more inclined towards their Lord; however, this inclination will not waive their punishment. This is like the People of the Garden who regretted and subsequently returned to their Lord, but this return did not help them in any way because it was too late.

Verses 34-47

These verses discuss the Hereafter and the reward for the muttaqeen, complimented by the threats and criticisms of the disbelievers. Several verses in Surah al-Qalam address the rewards of the muttaqeen, and subsequently criticize the unjust killings by the disbelievers. The signs of Allah and His Prophet are mentioned and the disbelievers are threatened.

Verses 48-52

These verses discuss the Prophet’s encouragement to patience and steadfastness when faced against the opponents; and a brief mention is made about the greatness of the Quran. The final verses of this chapter encourage the Muslims to observe forbearance and prove their persistence when faced with the difficulties. The verses conclude by reiterating the holy stature of the Quran, and refuting the disbelievers’ claims against it. [10]

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول اللّه صلی اللّه علیه و سلم: من قرأ سورة القلم أعطاه اللّه ثواب الذین حسن اللّه أخلاقهم

The Prophet of Allah has said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Qalam will be granted with a reward like those whom Allah has perfected their morals.”

Verse 4: “And indeed you possess a great character.”

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤ قال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا سعید بن منصور، حدثنا عبد العزیز بن محمد عن محمد بن عجلان، عن القعقاع بن حکیم عن أبی صالح عن أبی هریرة قال: قال رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم: «إنما بعثت لأتمم صالح الأخلاق»

Imam Ahmad says that Saeed ibn Mansoor narrates from Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Ajlan, from al-Qaqa ibn Hakeem, from Abu Saleh, from Abu Hurayrah who quotes the Prophet of Allah as having said: “I have only been sent to perfect righteous behaviour.”

Verse 11: “Scandal-monger, talebearer.”

هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۢ بِنَمِيمٖ ١١ قال الإمام أحمد: حدثنا عبد الرزاق، أنبأنا معمر عن ابن خثیم عن شهر بن حوشب، عن أسماء بنت یزید بن السکن أن النبی صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم قال: «أ لا أخبرکم بخیارکم؟» قالوا: بلی یا رسول اللّه. قال: «الذین إذا رأوا ذکر اللّه عز و جل» ثم قال: «أ لا أخبرکم بشرارکم المشاؤون بالنمیمة المفسدون بین الأحبة الباغون للبرآء العنت»

Imam Ahmad says that Abd al-Razaaq narrates from Muammar, from Ibn Khuthaym, from Shahr ibn Hushab, from Asma binte Yazeed ibn al-Sakan that the Prophet said: “Shall I inform you about the best among you?” They replied: “Please inform us, O Prophet of Allah.” He answered: “(…).” Then he said: “Shall I inform you about the most evil among you? [They are] the talebearers, the mischief makers between friends (…).”

Verse 13: “Callous, and on top of that, baseborn.”

عُتُلِّۢ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣ قال رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم: «تبکی السماء من عبد أصح اللّه جسمه. و أرحب جوفه و أعطاه من الدنیا مقضما فکان للناس ظلوما قال فذلک العتل الزنیم»

The Prophet of Allah said: “The sky will cry from [the oppression of] a person whom Allah has given him a healthy body and (...), but yet the people are oppressed by him. He is indeed a callous and a baseborn person.”

Verse 16: “Soon We shall brand him on his snout.”

سَنَسِمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلۡخُرۡطُومِ ١٦ قال ابن أبی حاتم فی سورة عَمَّ یتَساءَلُونَ حدثنا أبی حدثنا أبو صالح کاتب اللیث حدثنی خالد بن سعید عن عبد الملک بن عبد اللّه، عن عیسی بن هلال الصدفی عن عبد اللّه بن عمرو عن رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم أنه قال: «إن العبد یکتب مؤمنا أحقابا ثم أحقابا ثم یموت و اللّه علیه ساخط، و إن العبد یکتب کافرا أحقابا ثم أحقابا ثم یموت و اللّه علیه راض، و من مات همازا لمازا ملقبا للناس کان علامته یوم القیامة أن یسمه اللّه علی الخرطوم من کلاً الشفتین»

Ibn Abu Haatim says about the chapter of al-Nabaa that his father narrates from Abu Saleh, the author who worked for Layth, from Khalid ibn Saeed, from Abd al-Malek ibn Abdullah, from Isa ibn Hilaal al-Sudfi, from Abdullah ibn Amr, from the Prophet of Allah to have said: “It is possible that a person is considered to be a believer in various periods of his life, but when he dies, he dies while Allah is displeased with them; and it is also possible that a person is considered to be a disbeliever for most of the periods of his life, but when he dies, he dies while Allah is pleased with him. Whoever dies while being a scandal-monger and a backbiter (…), his sign on the Day of Judgement will be that (…).

Verse 45: “I will grant them respite, for My devising is indeed sure.”

وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ٤٥ فی الصحیحین عن رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم أنه قال: «إن اللّه تعالی لیملی للظالم حتی إذا أخذه لم یفلته»

It has been narrated in the Sahihayn that the Prophet of Allah said: “Verily Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer until He seizes him, and then he will not be able to escape from Him.”

Verse 51: “Indeed the faithless almost devour you with their eyes when they hear this Reminder, and they say, ‘He is indeed crazy.’”

وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٥١ قال أحمد: حدثنا خلف بن الولید حدثنا أبو معشر عن محمد بن قیس: سئل أبو هریرة هل سمعت رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم یقول: الطیرة فی ثلاث: فی المسکن و الفرس و المرأة؟ قال: قلت إذا أقول علی رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم ما لم یقل، و لکنی سمعت رسول اللّه صلّی اللّه علیه و سلّم یقول «أصدق الطیرة الفأل، و العین حق»

Imam Ahmad says that Khalf ibn al-Waleed narrates from Abu Mashar, from Muhammad ibn Qays that Abu Hurayrah was asked if he had heard the Prophet say: “(…) is in three - abode, horses and women.” He replied: “If I say yes, then I have indeed said yes to something that the Prophet has not said, but I heard the Prophet say: (…).”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن عَلِی بْنِ مَیمُونٍ الصَّائِغِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ ن وَ الْقَلَمِ فِی فَرِیضَةٍ أَوْ نَافِلَةٍ آمَنَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ یصِیبَهُ فَقْرٌ أَبَداً وَ أَعَاذَهُ اللَّهُ إِذَا مَاتَ مِنْ ضَمَّةِ الْقَبْرِ

It has been narrated from Ali ibn Maymoun al-Saegh who said that Abu Abdullah said: “Whoever recites Surah Noon (al-Qalam) in an obligatory prayer, or a recommended prayer, Allah will save him from poverty for the rest of his life, and will save him from the squeezing of the grave when he dies.”

Verse 4: “And indeed you possess a great character.”

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤ عَنْ أَبِی هُرَیرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِی ص قَالَ أَحَبُّکمْ إِلَی اللَّهِ أَحْسَنُکمْ أَخْلَاقاً الموطؤن أَکنَافاً الَّذِینَ یأْلَفُونَ وَ یؤْلَفُونَ وَ أَبْغَضُکمْ إِلَی اللَّهِ المشاؤون بِالنَّمِیمَةِ الْمُفَرِّقُونَ بَینَ الْإِخْوَانِ الْمُلْتَمِسُونَ لِلْبَرَاءِ الْعَثَرَاتِ

It has been narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: “The most beloved ones among you in the eyes of Allah are the best of you in morality - those who are humble, those who have a close relationship with people they have a close attachment to them; and the most hated of you in the eyes of Allah are those who are the talebearers, and those who make mischief between friends (…).”

Verse 42: “The day when the catastrophe occurs and they are summoned to prostrate themselves, they will not be able [to do it].”

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢ عَنِ الْحُسَینِ بْنِ سَعِیدٍ عَنْ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ فِی قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ یوْمَ یکشَفُ عَنْ ساقٍ قَالَ حِجَابٌ مِنْ نُورٍ یکشَفُ فَیقَعُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ سُجَّداً وَ تُدْمَجُ أَصْلَابُ الْمُنَافِقِینَ فَلا یسْتَطِیعُونَ السُّجُود

It has been narrated from al-Husayn ibn Saeed, from Abu al-Hasan to have said about the verse: ‘The day when the catastrophe occurs…” that: “A veil made out of light will be set aside and the believers will bow down, while the loins of the hypocrites will twist together and they will not be able to bow down.”

Verse 44: “So leave Me with those who deny this discourse. We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin], when they do not know.”

فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٤ رُوِی عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِذَا أَحْدَثَ الْعَبْدُ ذَنْباً جُدِّدَ لَهُ نِعْمَةٌ فَیدَعُ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ فَهُوَ الِاسْتِدْرَاجُ

It has been narrated from Abu Abdillah to have said: “When a person commits a sin, [it is possible that] a new blessing will be sent to him in order for him to forget to repent, and this is called imperceptibly [drawing someone into ruin].”

و فی الکافی، بإسناده عَنْ سُفْیان بْنِ السِّمْطِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ خَیراً فَأَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أَتْبَعَهُ بِنَقِمَةٍ وَ یذَکرُهُ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ شَرّاً فَأَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أَتْبَعَهُ بِنِعْمَةٍ لِینْسِیهُ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ وَ یتَمَادَی بِهَا وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَیثُ لا یعْلَمُونَ بِالنِّعَمِ عِنْدَ الْمَعَاصِی

It has been narrated in the book Al-Kafi, with the authors chain of narration to Sufyaan ibn al-Simt to have said that Abu Abdillah said: “When Allah wills good for one of His servants, then when that servant commits a sinful deed, He will send a hardship for him and remind him to repent; but when He wills bad for one of His servants, then when he commits a sinful act, He will grant him with a blessing so that he forgets to repent and continues in that state. This is mentioned in the verse: ‘We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin], when they do not know,’ meaning that We will draw them imperceptibly into ruin by giving them gifts and blessings when they commit evil actions.”