Surah Al-Qalam

It consists of three themes: Replies to the objections of the opponents, warning and admonition to them, and exhortation to the Prophet ﷺto be patient and firm. The Prophet ﷺhas been consoled: “The disbelievers call you a madman whereas the Book that you are presenting and your magnificent conduct are in themselves sufficient to refute their accusations. Soon they will know as to who was mad and who was sane; therefore, do not be affected by them, for they are only trying to intimidate you and make you compromise with them.”

Then, in order to enlighten the common people, the character of a prominent man from among the opponents, whom the people of Makkah fully well recognised, has been presented, without naming him. At that time, the Prophet’s ﷺpure and sublime conduct was before them, and every discerning eye could also see what sort of character and morals were possessed by the chiefs of Makkah, who were leading the opposition against him. Then, in v. 17-33, the parable of the owners of a garden has been presented, who, after having been blessed by Allah, turned ungrateful to Him, and did not heed the admonition of the best man among them when it was given to them. Consequently, they were deprived of the blessing and they realised this, when all they had lay devastated. With this parable the people of Makkah have been warned to the effect: “With the appointment of the Prophet ﷺ to Prophethood, you, O people of Makkah, too, have been put to a test similar to the one to which the owners of the garden had been put. If you do not listen to him, you too will be afflicted with a punishment in the world and the punishment of the Hereafter is far greater.”

Then, in v. 34-47, the disbelievers have been admonished, in which they are addressed directly and sometimes through the Prophet ﷺ. A summary of what has been said is: Well-being in the Hereafter belongs to those who spend their lives in the world in full consciousness of Allah. It is utterly against reason that the obedient servants should meet in the Hereafter the same fate as the guilty. There is absolutely no basis of the disbelievers misunderstanding that Allah will treat them in the manner they choose for themselves, whereas they have no guarantee for this. Those who are being called upon to bow before Allah in the world and they refuse to do so, would be unable to prostrate themselves on the Day of Resurrection even if they wanted to do so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned.

Having denied the Qur’an, they cannot escape Divine punishment. The rein they are being given, has deluded them. They think that since they are not being punished in spite of their denial, they must be on the right path, whereas they are following the path of ruin. They have no reasonable ground for opposing the Messenger, for he is a preacher without any vested interest: he is not asking any reward of them for himself, and they cannot either make the claim that they know with certainty that he is not a true Messenger, nor that what he says is false. In conclusion, the Prophet ﷺhas been exhorted to bear with patience the hardships that you face in the way of preaching the Faith till Allah’s judgment arrives.