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Surah 68 · Makkah · 52 āyāt
Phase 01 · Ḥirāʾ and the first call(c. 13–11 BH) — view in timelineAl-QalamThe Pen
القلم
One of the earliest Makkan surahs, revealed soon after the first verses of Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, at a time when the Prophet ﷺ had begun to call people to Islam and Quraysh answered with mockery, calling him majnūn (possessed/mad). Allah swears by the pen and what it writes to defend his character, lists ten disqualifying traits of his chief detractor, tells the parable of the owners of a garden who lost their harvest through selfishness, and closes with a description of the Day when the truth is finally laid bare and a reminder to be patient unlike Yūnus, who cried out in haste.
Why it was revealed
The Prophet ﷺ had begun openly reciting what was revealed to him, and the leading men of Quraysh — unable to answer the Qurʾān's eloquence or his known integrity — resorted to accusing him of madness (junūn) to turn people away from listening to him.
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها was asked about the character of the Prophet ﷺ and she replied, 'His character was the Qurʾān' — a description the mufassirūn tie directly to Allah's testimony in this surah, 'And indeed, you are of a great moral character.'
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 746In the Prophet's ﷺ life
The first revelations in Ḥirāʾ
Following 'Iqraʾ' in Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, waḥy resumed and this surah is counted among the very earliest, opening with an oath by the pen — the instrument of the very reading and writing just commanded.
Recalled in āyah 1
نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ
Nūn. By the pen and what they inscribe,
Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, on the ordering of early revelation
The oath by the pen: a defence of sound mind and great character
Allah swears by the pen and what it writes that His Messenger ﷺ is not, as they claimed, majnūn (possessed or mad). Instead he has a reward without end and stands upon a great moral character (khuluq ʿaẓīm) — and soon both he and they will see which side truly suffers from a diseased mind.
نٓ ۚ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ
Nūn. By the pen and what they inscribe,
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ
You are not, by the favour of your Lord, possessed [mad].
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُونَ
So you will see and they will see,
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ
which of you is the afflicted [with madness].
From the tafsīr
Allah swears by the pen and by what the angels write of the decree and of deeds, honouring writing because of the immense good that flows from it, then denies outright that His Messenger is by any grace of his Lord possessed.
— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
'Khuluq ʿaẓīm' is explained by ʿĀʾishah's report that his character was the Qurʾān itself — every command and prohibition of the Book had already become his lived nature.
— Al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- The very first defence Allah offers His Prophet ﷺ is of his sanity and character, not of a miracle.
- Writing and knowledge are honoured by an oath at the start of revelation, reversing an illiterate people's low regard for the pen.
- A reward 'without end' (ghayr mamnūn) means one that is neither cut off nor begrudged.
Reflect
What false label have you had to carry patiently while your character quietly answered it?
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Question 1 of 2
What is the link between āyah 4 and ʿĀʾishah's description of his character?
Question 2 of 2
What accusation against the Prophet ﷺ does this opening passage refute?
The mockers and the ten disqualifying traits
The Prophet ﷺ is told not to obey those who deny the truth, nor to compromise even if they wished him to soften his stance. Ten traits are listed describing a particular chief among the deniers — a habitual swearer, a fault-finder, a slanderer, an obstructer of good, transgressor, sinner, coarse, and moreover of doubtful lineage — concluding that such a man will be branded on the snout on the Day of Judgement.
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Then do not obey the deniers.
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer,
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
From the tafsīr
Most commentators identify the man described as al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah or al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq, though the description functions as a general portrait of this type of obstinate opponent whoever he may be.
— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
The ten qualities descend from speech (excessive oath-taking, fault-finding, slander) to action (obstructing good, transgression, cruelty) — showing how a corrupted tongue precedes a corrupted character.
— Al-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān
Key takeaways
- Wealth and many sons (āyah 14) are no protection from being described this way by Allah.
- The command 'do not obey' precedes the list — conviction must not bend simply because an opponent is influential.
- Slander and oath-taking are named among the very first disqualifying traits, warning believers against the same habits.
Reflect
Which of these ten traits is easiest to slip into when arguing with someone you dislike?
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Question 1 of 2
What is he ﷺ told not to do toward those who deny the truth?
Question 2 of 2
What progression do the listed traits show?
The parable of the owners of the garden
Allah tries the Makkan deniers as He tried the owners of a garden who swore to harvest it early in secret, so that no poor person could claim a share. A visitation from their Lord struck it in the night and left it like a barren field. When the most balanced among them reminded them to have praised Allah, they finally acknowledged their wrongdoing and hoped their Lord might give them better in exchange.
إِنَّا بَلَوْنَٰهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ
Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden,
قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ
The most moderate of them said, 'Did I not say to you, why do you not exalt [Allah]?'
قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They said, 'Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers.'
From the tafsīr
The people of the garden had inherited it from a generous father who used to leave a portion for the poor; after his death his sons resolved to keep it all for themselves, so Allah destroyed it as it stood in the night.
— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
'Awsaṭuhum' (the most just/moderate of them) refers to the one with soundest judgement, who alone had said, 'Should you not glorify [Allah]?' — showing that a single voice of conscience can call a group back after collective error.
— Al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- A blessing withheld from the poor out of greed can be withdrawn from everyone entirely.
- Forgetting to say 'in shāʾ Allāh' or to give thanks before an undertaking is treated here as a real turning point, not a minor slip.
- Genuine repentance in the parable follows real acknowledgement of wrongdoing (āyah 29), not merely regret over the loss itself.
Reflect
Where in your own provision have you quietly planned to exclude someone who has a right to it?
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Question 1 of 2
What finally turned the owners toward acknowledging their wrong?
Question 2 of 2
Why did the owners of the garden plan to harvest it early and in secret?
The Day when the shin is uncovered
On the Day when matters become extremely severe — described as the shin being bared — the deniers will be called to prostrate and will be unable to, their eyes humbled, having refused to prostrate in this world while they were whole and able. The Prophet ﷺ is told to leave those who deny this discourse to Allah, who will draw them on by degrees from where they do not perceive.
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are called to prostrate but they will not be able,
فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ ۖ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
So leave Me with whoever denies this discourse; We will draw them on by degrees from where they do not perceive.
From the tafsīr
'Yawma yukshafu ʿan sāq' describes the extreme terror and severity of the Day of Resurrection; the Prophet ﷺ said the believers will prostrate to Allah while the backs of the hypocrites will become like a single solid vertebra, unable to bend.
— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
'Istidrāj' (being drawn on by degrees) means Allah increases them in provision and ease step by step even as they persist in denial, so that the eventual reckoning comes upon them from where they never expected it.
— Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
Key takeaways
- Ability to worship in this life is itself a test whose value is only fully seen when that ability is taken away.
- Apparent worldly ease given to persistent deniers is not always a sign of Allah's approval — it can be istidrāj.
- The command to 'leave them to Me' models patient trust in Allah's timing rather than taking matters into one's own hands.
Reflect
Are you treating an unusually smooth patch in your life as approval, or checking whether it might be a test?
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Question 1 of 2
How is 'We will draw them on by degrees' explained by al-Ṭabarī?
Question 2 of 2
What is described happening to them when summoned to prostrate?
Patience like — and unlike — Yūnus
The Prophet ﷺ is commanded to wait patiently for his Lord's judgement and not to be like the Companion of the Fish (Yūnus عليه السلام), who cried out in distress while choked with grief; had a mercy from his Lord not reached him, he would have been cast onto the barren shore in blame. The surah closes by noting how the deniers, in their intense malice, almost 'strike him down with their glances' — yet the Qurʾān remains a reminder to all the worlds.
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ
So be patient for the judgement of your Lord and do not be like the companion of the fish, when he called out while he was distressed.
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message,
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.
From the tafsīr
Yūnus left his people before being commanded to and called out in the belly of the fish, 'Lā ilāha illā anta, subḥānaka, innī kuntu min al-ẓālimīn' — Allah answered him, but the Prophet ﷺ is told to bear rejection with a fuller patience and not to leave his people in frustration as Yūnus had.
— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
The mention of the deniers' hostile glances (āyah 51) is explained by many early commentators as a reference to the evil eye out of intense envy at the Qurʾān's effect on people — a warning about the reality and danger of ḥasad.
— Al-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān
Key takeaways
- Patience commanded here is qualified — 'wait for the judgement of your Lord' — meaning patience anchored in trust, not passive despair.
- Even a prophet's momentary haste (Yūnus) needed Allah's mercy to be corrected; ordinary believers should be even more cautious about giving up early.
- Intense hostility toward the truth, including envy expressed through a look, does not diminish the Qurʾān's status as a reminder to all the worlds.
Reflect
Where have you been tempted to walk away from a difficult calling out of frustration rather than endure it to its end?
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Question 1 of 2
What lesson from Yūnus's story is applied to the Prophet ﷺ in āyah 48?
Question 2 of 2
How do commentators explain the deniers' glances in āyah 51?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ق ل م
āyāt 1to cut, trim — hence the pen, cut and shaped to write
- قَلَمpen
- قَلَّمَhe trimmed/pared
ج ن ن
āyāt 2, 6, 17to cover, conceal — hence madness as a veiling of the mind, and the jinn as unseen
- مَجْنُونpossessed, mad
- جِنّjinn (the hidden ones)
- جَنَّةgarden (its cover of foliage)
- جُنُونmadness
خ ل ق
āyāt 4to fashion, shape — hence khuluq, an ingrained inner shape of character
- خُلُقcharacter, disposition
- خَلَقَhe created
- خَلْقcreation
ط و ع
āyāt 8, 10, 42to obey, submit willingly
- أَطَاعَhe obeyed
- طَاعَةobedience
- اسْتَطَاعَhe was able
ك ذ ب
āyāt 8, 44to lie, to deny as false
- كَذَبَhe lied
- مُكَذِّبone who denies/rejects
- كِذْبa lie
س ب ح
āyāt 28, 29to glorify, to declare far removed from imperfection
- سُبْحَانglory be to...
- سَبَّحَhe glorified
- تَسْبِيحglorification
ص ب ر
āyāt 48to hold firm, restrain oneself — hence patience
- صَبَرَhe was patient
- صَبْرpatience
- صَابِرone who is patient
ذ ك ر
āyāt 44, 51, 52to remember, mention — hence dhikr, a reminder
- ذِكْرreminder, remembrance
- ذَكَرَhe remembered/mentioned
- تَذْكِرَةa reminder
Carry this with you
- Sound character, not a miracle, is the first proof Allah offers of His Messenger's ﷺ truthfulness.
- Withholding a due share out of greed can cost the giver the whole blessing.
- Worldly ease given to a persistent denier is not necessarily approval — it can be a trial by degrees.
- Patience commanded of prophets is patience anchored in trust in Allah's judgement, not passive despair.
- The Qurʾān remains a reminder to all the worlds regardless of the intensity of any single generation's hostility to it.
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Al-Qalam · Patience like — and unlike — Yūnus
In what way is he ﷺ warned not to resemble Yūnus?
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