سُوْرَةُ الْقَلَمِ
Surah Al-Qalam (68) — Ayah 1
نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nûn.
[These letters (Nun, etc.) are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].
By the pen and by what they (the angels) write (in the Records of men).
[These letters (Nun, etc.) are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].
By the pen and by what they (the angels) write (in the Records of men).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
نٓ ۚ
noon
Nun
وَٱلْقَلَمِ
wal-qalami
By the pen
وَمَا
wamā
and what
يَسْطُرُونَ
yasṭurūna
they write
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Nun. [1] By the pen and what [2] they write,
[1] According to some people, ﴿ن﴾ refers to the inkpot, and this analogy is based on the close connection between the pen and the inkpot.
[2] It can have several meanings. One is the same as mentioned in the following hadith: Waleed bin ‘Ubadah narrates from his father that: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah Almighty created the pen first and said to it, “Write.” So the pen wrote everything that was to happen until eternity. [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]
According to this hadith, the writing pen itself is meant. Or it is possible that by this pen are meant the angels of Allah who write. The second meaning is that it is an oath by the pen and those angels who copy the Quran from the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz). The third meaning is that after the revelation of the Quran, it is an oath by those noble Companions ؓ who wrote down the revelation of the Quran with the pen. And the fourth meaning is that it is an oath by those historians who, with the pen, record the life stories of great reformers in the pages of history.
[1] According to some people, ﴿ن﴾ refers to the inkpot, and this analogy is based on the close connection between the pen and the inkpot.
[2] It can have several meanings. One is the same as mentioned in the following hadith: Waleed bin ‘Ubadah narrates from his father that: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah Almighty created the pen first and said to it, “Write.” So the pen wrote everything that was to happen until eternity. [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]
According to this hadith, the writing pen itself is meant. Or it is possible that by this pen are meant the angels of Allah who write. The second meaning is that it is an oath by the pen and those angels who copy the Quran from the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz). The third meaning is that after the revelation of the Quran, it is an oath by those noble Companions ؓ who wrote down the revelation of the Quran with the pen. And the fourth meaning is that it is an oath by those historians who, with the pen, record the life stories of great reformers in the pages of history.
