The Pen

Al Qalam

Verses

Revelation

Makki

Period

Early Makkan

Surah No.

68 / 114

Overview

Al-Qalam is among the very earliest Quranic revelations, beginning with the mysterious letter Nun and the oath by the pen. It directly defends the Prophet's sanity and moral character against Makkan accusations of madness, promises him an immense reward, and warns those who oppose him. The surah then narrates the parable of the owners of a garden who resolved to harvest their crops without paying the poor's share, only to find the garden destroyed overnight – a cautionary tale against ingratitude and exclusion of the needy.

أسباب النزول

Occasion of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

Among the first five revelations, revealed immediately after Surah Al-'Alaq when the Makkan leaders began their campaign of mockery and slander against the Prophet, calling him majnun (a madman). The divine response reassures the Prophet and turns the accusation back onto his accusers by questioning who among them truly has moral standing. The parable of the garden was revealed as a warning to the Makkan elite who controlled wealth and excluded the poor.

Key Themes

The dignity and honour of the Prophet against slanderThe pen and writing as noble instruments of knowledgeThe judgment of character by deeds and moral standingThe parable of the destroyed garden as a warning against ingratitudeThe inevitable humiliation of those who obstruct the truth

Notable Verses

68:1-2

“Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe – you are not, by the favour of your Lord, a madman.”

Among the earliest revelations – Allah swears by the pen itself to refute the charge of madness levelled at the Prophet, elevating literacy and reason as divine witnesses to his sanity.

68:4

“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.”

The divine testimonial to the Prophet's character – A'ishah narrated that his character was the Quran itself, and this verse is the scriptural foundation for the Islamic understanding of prophetic moral exemplarity.