68. Al-Qalam
68.1 Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related regarding the ayah
﴾ ن والقلم وما يسطرون ﴿
Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe (68:1)
That Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Al-Walid bin `Ubadah bin As-Samit (رضي الله عنهم) that he said,
My father called for me when he was dying and he said to me I heard the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) say, “Verily, the first of what Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it ‘Write’.The Pen said ‘O my Lord, what shall I write.’He said ‘Write the decree and whatever will throughout eternity'”.
This Hadith has been recorded by Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) through various routes of transmission.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
68.2 Ibn Mardawih (رحمه الله) narrated from Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه)
That the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) said
﴾ ن ﴿
Nun (68:1)
refers to the fish on which the Earths reside; and
﴾ والقلم ﴿
By the pen (68:1)
refers to that with which our mighty and exalted Lord wrote the destiny -whether it be liked or disliked, beneficial or detrimental; and
﴾ وما يسطرون ﴿
and what they inscribe (68:1)
refers to Kiraman Katibin (angels Raqib and Atid who record a person’s actions).
(Dur al-Manthur)
68.3 Al-Wahidi (رحمه الله) recorded
Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Ahmad ibn Ja‘far> ibn Nasr al-Jamal> Jarir ibn Yahya> Husayn ibn ‘Ulwan al-Kufi> Hisham ibn ‘Urwah> his father> ‘A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) who said: “No one had a better character than the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم). Never did anyone among his Companions, or household, call him except that he said: ‘I am at your service!’ this is why Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) revealed
﴾ وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم ﴿
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature (68:4)
(Asbab Al-Nuzul)
68.4 Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (عليه السلام) said
Whoever recites this Surat Al-Qalam in obligatory or supererogatory prayers, shall be saved from poverty and shall be secured from the pressures of the grave.
(Majma al-Bayan)
68.5 Al-Wahidi (رحمه الله) recorded
﴾ وإن يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون ﴿
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, “Indeed, he is mad.” (68:51)
This verse was revealed when the disbelievers wanted to give the evil eye to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم). Some people from the Quraysh looked once at him and said: “We have never seen anyone like him or like his proofs”. The Banu Asad were renowned for their evil eye. A fat camel or cow would pass by one of them and, after giving it the evil eye, he would say to his slave-girl: “O girl, take a large basket and a silver coin and bring us some of the meat of this!” The camel or cow would fall dead straight after that and would then be hamstrung.
Said al-Kalbi: “There was a man from the Arabs who used to abstain from food for two or three days and then raise part of his tent, upon the passing by of cattle, and say: ‘There are no grazing camels or sheep today better than these’, and the cattle would not proceed far before some of them would fall dead. The disbelievers requested this man to give the evil eye to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) but Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) protected His Prophet and revealed this verse”.
(Asbab Al-Nuzul)
68.6 Mufti Shafi Usmani (رحمه الله) writes
Sayyidna Hasan Basri (رحمه الله) reports that if anyone is affected by the evil eye, the last two verses (51 and 52) of Surat Al-Qalam
﴾ وإن يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون ﴿
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, “Indeed, he is mad.”
﴾ وما هو إلا ذكر للعالمين ﴿
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds. (68:51-52)
may be recited and blown on the person: the ill effect will be dispelled.
(Ma’ariful Qur’an)
| Recommended Duas for protection against evil eye
▷ Narrated Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain (رضي الله عنهم) and say: “Your forefather [i.e. Abraham (عليه السلام)] used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac (عليهم السلام) by reciting the following:
▷ Abu Sa’id (رضي الله عنه) reported that Gabriel (عليه السلام) came to Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) and said: Muhammad, have you fallen ill? Thereupon he said: Yes. He (Gabriel) said:
▷ Ubaydullah bin Amir (رضي الله عنه) said Amir bin Rabi’ah and Sahl bin Hanayf (رضي الله عنهم) went off together intending to bathe. So they went about their business using coverings (to cover their nakedness). So Amir removed a cloak of wool that he (Sahl) was using to conceal himself. He (Amir) said, “I looked at him and my eye fell upon him while he was pouring water on himself bathing. Then I heard a loud splash in the water coming from where he was. So I went to him, and I called him three times, but he did not answer me. So I went to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) and informed him. Then, the Prophet came walking, and he was wading in the water. I can still picture the whiteness of his shins. When he came to Sahl (who was unconscious), he hit him on his chest with his hand and said,
He (Sahl) then stood up, and Allah’s Messenger said, ‘If one of you sees in his brother, or himself, or his wealth that which pleases him, then he should ask Allah to bless it, for verily, the evil eye is real’.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad) ▷ Abu al-Darda’ (رضي الله عنه) said If anyone says seven times morning and evening;
Allah will be sufficient for him against anything which grieves him, whether he is true or false in (repeating) them. ▷ Narrated Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه) When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) feared a (group of) people, he would say:
▷ Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) reported that Allah’s Apostle (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) used to supplicate during the time of trouble (in these words):
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68.7 ‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr (رضي الله عنه) reported that a person came to him and said
What is this hadith that you narrate that the Last Hour would come at such and such time? Thereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, there is no god but Allah (or the words to the same effect). I have decided that I would not narrate anything to anyone now. I had only said that you would see after some time an important event that the (sacred) House (Ka’ba) would be burnt and it would happen and definitely happen.
He then reported that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) said: The Dajjal would appear in my Ummah and he would stay (in the world) for forty – I cannot say whether he meant forty days, forty months or forty years. And Allah would then send Jesus son of Mary (عليهم السلام) who would resemble ‘Urwa b Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه). He (Jesus Christ) would chase him and kill him. Then people would live for seven years that there would be no rancour between two persons. Then Allah would send cold wind from the side of Syria that none would survive upon the earth having a speck of good in him or faith in him but he would die, so much so that even if some amongst you were to enter the innermost part of the mountain, this wind would reach that place also and that would cause his death.
I heard Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) as saying: Only the wicked people would survive and they would be as careless as birds with the characteristics of beasts. They would never appreciate the good nor condemn evil. Then Satan would come to them in human form and would say: Don’t you respond? And they would say: What do you order us? And he would command them to worship the idols but, in spite of this, they would have abundance of sustenance and lead comfortable lives. Then the trumpet would be blown and no one would hear that but he would bend his neck to one side and raise it from the other side and the first one to hear that trumpet would be the person who would be busy in setting right the tank meant for providing water to the camels. He would swoon and the other people would also swoon, then Allah would send or He would cause to send rain which would be like dew and there would grow out of it the bodies of the people.
Then the second trumpet would be blown and they would stand up and begin to look (around). Then it would be said: O people, go to your Lord, and make them stand there. And they would be questioned. Then it would be said: Bring out a group (out of them) for the Hell-Fire. And then it would be asked: How much? It would be said: Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of one thousand for the Hell-Fire and that would be the day which would make the children old because of its terror and that would be the day about which it has been said:
﴾ يوم يكشف عن ساق ﴿
On the day when the shank would be uncovered (68:42)
68.8 Duas
﴾ سبحان ربنا إنا كنا ظالمين ﴿
Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers. (68:29)
﴾ عسى ربنا أن يبدلنا خيرا منها إنا إلى ربنا راغبون ﴿
Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous. (68:32)
﴾ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ﴿ 
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