ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Al lazee 'allama bil qalam
Who taught by the pen -
Themes in this ayah
Explore in Habl →Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.
5 other themes with weak connections
Labeled by AI and people · How this worksFollow this theme through Al-AlaqFollow this theme
Knowledge & reflection
96:4Ayah 119
3 ayahs in Al-Alaq are strongly about knowledge and reflection. This is one of them.
Tafsir
Scholars offer complementary perspectives
Who taught the art of script by the pen — the first to write with it was the prophet Enoch Idrīs peace be upon him —
Related Hadiths
from 'Uthman bin 'Affan that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches it." Abu 'Abdur-Rahman said: "So that is why I sit at this seat of mine." And he taught the Qur'an during the time of 'Uthman until Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf came. (Sahih)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me (to learn the writing of the Jews), so I learnt for him the writing of the Jews. He said: I swear by Allah, I do not trust Jews in respect of writing for me. So I learnt it, and only a fortnight passed before I mastered it. I would write for him when he wrote (to them), and read to him when something was written to him.
that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When one of you writes something, then let him Yutarrib (smeared with dust to dry the ink) it, for that is more conducive to the need."
"I arrived in Makkah and met 'Ata bin Abi Rabah. I said to him: 'O Abu Muhammad! The people of Al-Basrah speak about Al-Qadar.' He said: 'O my son! Do you recite the Quran?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then recite Az-Zukhruf to me.'" He said: 'So I recited: Ha Mim. By the manifest Book. Verily, We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic that you may be able to understand. And verily, it is in the Mother of Book with Us, indeed exalted, full of wisdom. Then he said: 'Do you know what Mother of Books is?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said:'It is a book that Allah wrote before He created the Heavens, and before He created the earth. In it, it is (written): Fir'awn is among the inhabitants of the Fire, and in it is: Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!'Ata said: 'I met Al-Walid the son of 'Ubadah bin As-Samit the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) and asked him:'What was your father's admonition when he died?" He said:"He called me and said: 'O my son ! Have Taqwa of Allah, and know that you will never have Taqwa of Allah until you believe in Allah, and you believe in Al-Qadar- all of it-its good and its bad. If you die upon other than this you shall enter the Fire. Indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) saying: "Verily the first of what Allah created was the Pen. So He said: 'Write.' It said : 'What shall I write?' He said : 'Write Al-Qadar, what it is , and what shall be, until the end.'"
"I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while there was a scribe in front of him, and I heard him saying: 'Put the pen on your ear, for that is more conducive to the scribe remembering.'"
Related Topics
Related Ayahs
Loading related ayahs…