B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m
Teachings of the Qur'aan
Al-Qalam
Soorah 68:1-7
Name and Background
Teachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
Name and Background
This Soorah is called Al-Qalam (The Pen) as well as An-Noon
(The letter of the alphabet called "Noon", like N in English); both names are
taken from the very beginning of the Soorah.
This Soorah was revealed when Makkan opposition to the
Prophetic mission had become quite pronounced. As a way to discredit his
message and hinder his mission, the opponents had starting ridiculing the
Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam in public and calling him a mad or
possessed man. The Soorah attempts to bring the Makkans to think rationally
rather than reacting to the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam's message
with emotional diatribe or disregarding his message without any serious
reflection. It also warns the opponents of the consequences of their behaviour
in this world and in the Hereafter.
By its placement immediately after Soorah Al-Mulk, it has
been coupled with it because of the similarity of theme, though the style and
tone is different because of the difference in the stage of the mission and in
the reaction of the Makkans. Towards the end of Soorah Al-Mulk, the Prophet
sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was instructed to ask the Makkans, "Have you
considered whether Allaah destroys me and those with me or has mercy on us, who
will shelter the disbelievers from a painful punishment?" This Soorah starts
with drawing the Makkan's attention to the beauty of the Qur-aan (in every
respect -- language, style, message, etc.) and of the Prophet sall Allaahu
'alayhi wa sallam's character. Thereby it indicates that soon it will become
clear to everyone who is guided aright to attain salvation and who is on the
path of destruction.
Teachings and Commentary
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Soorah starts with the Arabic alphabet letter "Noon"
which, as described in the introduction of this Soorah, is the same as the
letter "N" in English. This was the first Soorah that started with a letter of
the alphabet standing on its own, without being a part of a word. As the
subject of such use of letters and their possible meanings have been discussed
in detail at the beginning of Soorah Al-Baqarah, those details will not be
repeated here. As a brief reminder, it should be mentioned that it was a
prevalent style of the celebrated poets and orators at the time of the
revelation of the Qur-aan to start their discourse or poem with some letters
standing on their own.
However, the use of N (Noon), in the opinion of some
scholars, has a significance and relevance in relation to this Soorah. "Noon"
means "fish" in Arabic. Towards the end of the Soorah, the Prophet has been
told not to be like the "Companion of the Fish" referring to Prophet Younus[1].
Thus the use of "Noon" at the start also implies "The Soorah in which "Fish"
has been mentioned for the first time in relation to its companion (Younus)".
The evidence that "Noon" means fish is available in the Qur-aan itself when in
Soorah Al-Ambiyaa (21:87) Prophet Younus has been called "Dzan-Noon" which
means the "Companion of the Fish" exactly as he has been called "Saahibil-Hoot"
in this Soorah, also meaning the "Companion of the Fish".
1 Noon. The pen and what they write therewith are witnesses
that 2 by the grace of your Lord you are not a mad or possessed man. 3 In
addition, for you definitely is a never-ending reward and 4 that you do
maintain a tremendous character. 5 Soon you will observe and they will realize
6 which of you is afflicted. 7 Surely your Lord is best aware of who has
strayed from His Path, so is He best aware of those who are guided.
The first verse contains the oath of the pen and what was
being written with the pen. Here the "pen" refers to any pen that was used by
the scribes to write the revelations of the Qur-aan. Whenever the Prophet sall
Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam received the revelation from Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Ta'aala, it was not only committed to his memory, but he also used to have the
literate from among his followers write the revelation down. These oaths refer
to the writing of the Qur-aanic revelations and revelations themselves. In
other words, the contents of the Qur-aan are being presented as witness to the
statement that follows in verse 2 that "by the grace of your Lord you are not a
mad or possessed man". That is why we have expressed the meaning of the first
verse as "The pen and what they write therewith are witnesses that ." instead
of the usual way of expressing them as oaths.
By the time of the revelation of these verses, the Makkans
had realized that the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was so dedicated
to his mission of giving them the Qur-aanic messages and warning them about the
punishment of the Hereafter that no amount of pressure or opposition could make
him stop his missionary work. They also realized that he was willing to
sacrifice his personal safety, honour, prestige, wealth and everything he had
for this mission. To them it was absolutely crazy for a person to suffer so
much to merely warn others about a punishment that did not even seem probable.
They also realized that the numbers of his followers were growing slowly but
steadily. To justify their refusal to follow him and to stem the growth of his
followers, they started spreading rumours that: firstly, he had either become a
mad man or had been possessed by a Jinn who made him say what he said; and
secondly, he was not going to survive for long and that would be the end of his
mission. This was their stance about the man whom they themselves used to
respect as the wisest, the most honourable and the most dependable man a very
short while ago up until he was appointed by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala as
His Messenger. The only change that had occurred between then and now was that
he had started to present the Qur-aan and its message to them.
To counter their propaganda and to encourage them to think
rationally, these verses present the Qur-aan itself as the witness that:
§ Such beautiful, meaningful and sublime prose that
was setting the highest moral and ethical standards cannot be the words of a
mad man or a possessed man;
§ The hardships he is enduring and the sacrifices he
is making are going to be amply rewarded in the form of never-ending bliss in
the Hereafter and it is his opponents that are headed for an ignoble end and
total failure;
§ His superb character and unparalleled excellence in
conduct which they practically witness on a daily basis is exactly as he
preaches to be the message of the Qur-aan. It is because of his highest moral
standard that he continues to care for everyone's salvation to save them from
punishment, despite such a violent reaction from the same people he cares for.
The Makkans should come to their senses and ask themselves if it is possible
for a mad or possessed man to have that kind of a personality. They need to ask
themselves if there is anywhere a match for: his unblemished truthfulness; his
meticulous honouring of trusts; his proverbial credibility; his care and
concern for the poor, elderly, orphans and other disadvantaged people of the
society; his magnanimity and graciousness; his forgiving nature; his lack of
response against attacks on his person, honour and property; his forbearance;
his perseverance and steadfastness; his charming personality despite the
hardship and criticism inflicted by his opponents; and so on and so forth?
Although these verses are addressed to the Prophet sall
Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, their aim is to make his opponents and the general
public think rationally, instead of reacting emotionally and blindly.
Continuing to address the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, verses 5 and 6 stress upon the facts that if the opponents continue to
oppose the mission, then despite their propaganda, time will tell and make it
evident to everyone which of the two groups is really afflicted. The word used
here is "Maftoon", meaning "one who is afflicted with a Fitnah." Fitnah is
something that makes a person adopt wrong, unfair and destructive behaviour.
In this case, the opponents of the Islamic mission had been
trapped by Shaytaan into the Fitnah of their ego and social status that they
feared would be compromised if they accepted the message of the Prophet sall
Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. To preserve their perceived status and to satisfy
their ego, they were making themselves deserve the punishment from Allaah. Thus
they were, in fact, the mad people who were destroying their everlasting life
in the Hereafter for the valueless notions of this transitory world.
Verse 7 is a reminder to all that although in time it will
become evident to everyone, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is well aware of the
two sides and where they stand. He knows exactly who has strayed away from the
Islamic path of peace and salvation onto the path of serving their own desires,
lusts and egos which results in His anger and punishment. He is also fully
aware of those who are following the guidance He has sent through His own
Messenger and Prophet. He is watching the hardships and sacrifices His Prophet
and the followers of the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam are making, and
He has prepared unlimited bounties and pleasures matching or exceeding in
excellence the level of their steadfastness and perseverance.
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[1] Prophet Jonah
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Copyright © 2008 Ayub A. Hamid
All rights reserved
This document may be used, only with this copyright notice
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attributed to the author Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid. Contact the author for all
other rights, which are reserved.
Note: This series is providing the teachings of the Qur'aan,
not a literal translation. Instead of literal translation, it gives
interpretive meanings of the verses, along with their contextual details.
Please remember that any translation of the Holy Qur'aan is in fact only an
expression of the translator's understanding of the Word of Allaah Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala, and hence cannot be equated with the Qur'aan itself. Only the
original Arabic text can be called the Holy Qur'aan.
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Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid is a visionary and strategic Islamic
thinker residing in Canada for the last 33 years. His recently published books
are:
1. Islam - Does It Make Sense?
2. Unveiling the Commands-The Truth about Hijaab, Khimaar
and Jilbaab.
3. Finding A Soulmate - A Guide for Parents and Youth.
4. A Book Unlike Any Other.
5. Islam - Adopting Its Paradigms.
6. Exploring the Islamic Beliefs.
http://soundvisioncanada.com/shop/pbrowse.asp?Pg=3&Cat=10004
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The following soowar 'Teachings of the Qur'aan' series by
Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid, are available on request:-
Al Faatihah
Al Baqarah
Aali 'Imraan
A Nisaa'
Al Maaidah
Al An'aam
Al A'raaf
Al Anfaal
At Teen
Al`Alaq
Al Qadr
Al Bayyinah
Al Zilzaal
Al Aadiyatt
Al Qaari`ah
At Takaathur
Al`Asr
Al Humazah
Al Feel
Al Quraish
Al Maa`oon
Al-Kowthar
Al Kaafiroon
Al Nasr
Al Lahab
Al Ikhlaas
Al Falaq
An Naas
Al Mulk - Aayaat 1-4/5-15/16-30
K a r i m a
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