Surah At-Tur (52) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 3,2) {وَ كِتٰبٍ مَّسْطُوْرٍ (2) فِيْ رَقٍّ مَّنْشُوْرٍ:’’ مَسْطُوْرٍ ‘‘} A book written in lines with order and beauty. The root of {’’ رَقٍّ ‘‘} is used for thinness and delicacy, meaning thin leather or membrane which, due to being strong and durable, was used for writing. Paper or any kind of thin sheet is also {’’ رَقٍّ ‘‘}. {’’ مَنْشُوْرٍ ‘‘} means open, which can be opened and read. Regarding this "written book," the commentators have several opinions: the Preserved Tablet, the books of deeds, the Torah, the heavenly books, and the Noble Quran, etc. Due to the generality of the word, all these books and whatever humans, jinn, or angels write are included in "the written book." The reality is that writing is one of the greatest signs of Allah, whether He Himself wrote it, like the Preserved Tablet, or His angels wrote it, like the books of deeds, or humans wrote it by His teaching. That is why Allah mentioned His being "Akram" in relation to teaching writing, as He said: « اِقْرَاْ وَ رَبُّكَ الْاَكْرَمُ (3) الَّذِيْ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ» [ العلق : ۳،۴ ] "Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. He who taught by the pen." And in Surah Al-Qalam, to present the writings of all writers as a witness, He swore by them, as He said: « نٓ وَ الْقَلَمِ وَ مَا يَسْطُرُوْنَ » [ القلم : ۱ ] "{نٓ} . By the pen! And by what they write!" Here, the "written book" is made a witness to the establishment of the Resurrection and the occurrence of punishment in it.