8. Significance of the Letter Noon
•Analysis of the surah shows that this surah is
linked to different meanings and connotations of
the letter Noon in Arabic and other languages.
•The rhyme and the overall effect is also of the
Noon
9. i)Noon as Inkpot
•Noon in Arabic language means inkpot, this gives
special meanings to the first verse of this surah,
Noon wal Qalami wa ma yasturoon, discussed
later.
11. Writing and Pen
• Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)? (47)
12. ii) Noon and Nose
•Noon has two consonant nasal sounds /N/ and the
final /n/. Nasal sounds mean that the sound comes
out of the nose rather than Mouth. (International
Phonetic Symbols)
14. iii) Nose and Arrogance
• This has special significance as Nose /Anf/ in
Arabic language means pride and arrogance. (Present
in different languages)
15. • Verse 172 of An Nisa says
• ريحِسَمۡٱلَفِكَنت َۡسينَّل
• The Messiah will never be proud / 172
• Here the meaning is related with /anafa/ root to show the nose and pride
relationship
16. Long nose
• In another event Omar Radiallahu anhu has been quoted as saying, O
Prophet let me smite his throat to let his long nose be dragged in the dust of
Medina. ( About a hypovrite)
17. iv)Nose and Sajda
•Islamic worship makes sure that the basic
arrogance in man is addressed in sajda where
every believer touches his/her nose to the ground
declaring humbleness before Allah the Greatest.
18. v) Noon and the Fish
•The letter Noon in Arabic language refers to the
Fish that had swallowed ProphetYounus.
•The Noble Qur’an refers to ProphetYounus as the
man of the Fish; Dhan Noon.
19. vi)The melody in the letter Noon
•The nasal consonant /n/ and the long vowel /oo/
are known as highly resonant sounds; this means
that their presence in text makes it listener
friendly who is amused by the close back vowel
rhyme repeated in the surah.
20. vii) Noon and the long vowel
•The letter noon has a long vowel /oo/ which is
significant as it provides length and strength to the
statement and makes the statements melodic as
well as strong.
21. Analysis of the Surah
•With this basic understanding we may move on to
analyze the surah Al Qalam
22. A Few Questions
• We all know that the Qur’an is a book of Naseeha, reminding
which requires better understanding. If we look at this surah
we find there are different aspects which don’t seem to
make apparent connection, for example initially the surah
talks about the Prophet as being the best of people as
against the accusations of the adversaries.
23. Topics in the Surah
• Then there is the reference to a man who is of the meanest kind, there is
also the story of the gardeners who would like to exclusively reap the fruit of
their garden and are punished for shunning their doors on the poor.Then
there is reference to ProphetYounus and finally there is the talk of those
who fail to bow in this world would fail to bow ultimately with the closing
statement that it is the reminder for the worlds and your are not mad O’
Mohammad.
24. The Connection?
•So one may ask what is the connection?
•It is also true that Allah is so kind that whatever level of
understanding we possess, we are rewarded according to
our limitations and strengths, however, there is also the
verse: Don’t they ponder over the Qur’an or their hearts
are locked?This encourages and prompts to ponder.
25. Aim
•So here is an attempt to ponder over the subjects of this
surah and attempt to see connections and relations to
arrive at the basic message of the surah.
26. Procedure
• The context of the surah
• The letter noon; its different meanings and connotations are studied
• Various points in the surah are studied to find the unity of theme.
27. Context of the Surah
•This surah belongs to the earliest Makkan
period(2nd in revelation order) when the Prophet
faced the sufferings of opposition from Makkan
Quraysh to the extent that his life was made
miserable.
28. Rejection and Mockery
•They rejected him as a Prophet and called him
different names such as Poet, Lunatic, soothsayer
etc. All this sadly affected the Prophet who was
never prepared to meet this kind of reaction.The
surah needs to be read in this context.
29. Noon wal Qalam
•Let us begin with the first connotation that begins
to have connections with the overall message of
the Qur’an but, especially, with the message of
this surah.
31. Pen, knowledge and arrogance
•No need to remind the readers that knowledge
has a direct link with arrogance just as wealth and
manpower.This provides the basic link between all
the different episodes and aspects discussed in the
surah.
32. Not Lunatic
•Thus the surah begins with the contextual issue of
the addressees of the Prophet calling him with
various names such as Poet, lunatic soothsayer
which was highly torturing for him.
33. Rejection of their claims
•These accusations have been rejected in the second and
3rd verse as;
•Thou art not, for thy Lord's favour unto thee, a madman.
(2) And lo! thine verily will be a reward unfailing.(3)
34. Transition to Nose
•The next ten verses refer and make a smooth
transition to a specific character who, because of
his wealth and manpower, has grown arrogant and
this refers to the second point:The Nose
35. Reference to a character
Lo! thy Lord is best aware of him who strays from His way,
and He is best aware of those who walk aright. (7)Therefor
obey not the rejecters (8)Who would have had thee
compromise, that they may compromise. (9
36. His characteristics
•Neither obey each feeble oath-monger, (10) Detractor,
spreader abroad of slanders, (11) Hinderer of the good,
transgressor, malefactor (12) Greedy therewithal,
intrusive. (13) It is because he is possessed of wealth and
children (14)That, when Our revelations are recited unto
him, he says: Mere fables of the men of old.
37. The Snout
•The nose has got longer because of arrogance and
the Qur’an refers to it as Khartoom (snout).
• رهرمِسَن َسِمورط ُۡرخۡىٱلَلَعۥ
•We shall brand him on the snout.
38. Branding the Nose
•We shall brand him on the ‘snout’ (elongated
nose). (16)
• (Their arrogance will be broken)
41. The Gardeners
•From verse 17 to 33 there is the anecdote of the
gardeners who took no exception about their
actions and saw the down trodden un-wealthy
needy as a threat to their wealth; another form of
arrogance.
42. The episode of the gardeners
• Lo!We have tried them asWe tried the owners of the garden when they
vowed they would pluck its fruit next morning, (17) And made no exception
(for the Will ofAllah); (18)Then a visitation came upon from thy Lord it while
they slept (19) And in the morning it was as if plucked. (20) And they cried
out one unto another in the morning, (21) Saying: Run unto your field if ye
would pluck (the fruit). (22) So they went off, saying one unto another in low
tones: (23) No needy man shall enter it to-day against you.
43. The arrogant planners
• No needy man shall enter it to-day against you. (24)They went betimes,
strong in (this) purpose. (25) But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in
error! (26) Nay, but we are desolate! (27)The best among them said: Said I
not unto you:Why glorify ye not (Allah)? (28)They said: Glorified be our
Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers
44. Their repentance
• (29)Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching. (30)They
said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous. (31) It may be that our Lord
will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord. (32)
Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is
greater if they did but know. (33)
45. Their doom
•Their doom was the loss of their wealth: their
garden.
•(Their arrogance was broken)
46. Verse 32 to 42 towards sujood
•These verses talk of the general message of the
Qur’an and the verse 42 swiftly moves to the
inability of those who showed arrogance in this
world.
47. The Message
• Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their
Lord. (34) Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We
treat the guilty? (35)What ails you? How foolishly ye judge! (36)
Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn (37)
48. The Message
• That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose? (38) Or have ye a
covenant on oath from Us that reaches the Day of Judgment,
that yours shall be all that ye ordain? (39) Ask them (O
Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that? (40
49. Inability to bow
•Or have they other gods?Then let them bring their other
gods if they are truthful (41) On the day when it befalleth
in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves
but are not able, (42)With eyes downcast, abasement
stupefying them.And they had been summoned to
prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt. (43
50. Unable to do sujood
•On the day when the terrible torment approaches,
they will be told (in a mocking way) to prostrate
themselves, but they will not be able to do it.
•(Their arrogance would be exposed)
51. Arrogance and Sujood
•Thus the Qur’an makes it clear that the real reason
for a reasonable logical (Haq) message was just
arrogance. In other words their nose had got
longer.
53. Consolatory Message
•Leave Me (to deal) with those who give the lie to this
pronouncement.We shall lead them on by steps from
whence they know not. (44)Yet I bear with them, for lo!
My scheme is firm. (45) Or you (Muhammad) ask a fee
from them so that they are heavily taxed? (46) Or is the
Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)? (47)
54. Be not like…..
•But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like
him of the fish, who cried out in despair. (48)
55. The companion of Fish
•But wait thou for thy Lord's decree, and be not like
him of the fish.
56. Allah’s Blessings on Prophets
• Had it not been that favour from his Lord had
reached him he surely had been cast into the
wilderness while he was reprobate. (49) But his
Lord chose him and placed him among the
righteous. (50)
57. The Prophet’s job
•The Prophet’s job is then to be the first to obey
despite all the hardships and sufferings.
•(No chance for a Prophet to disobey)
58. Significance of the anecdote
•Prophet Mohammad, in his early period of revelation,
placed in the brethren of Prophets.
•Warned against haste for results as good actions
always take time.
•Allah’s will must prevail as evident in the event of
Younus.
59. The Ending of Surah
•And lo! those who disbelieve would fain disconcert
thee with their eyes when they hear the Reminder,
and they say: Lo! he is indeed mad; (51)
60. The Beginning is the End
•The unity of theme is maintained as the Prophet is
comforted that he is the upholder of a great message
that time will prove to be right unlike his adversaries’
claims and suspicion about his wisdom.
61. The Rhyme of the Surah
•The whole surah, when read aloud, is replete with
the effect of Noon words in the beginning and
middle of the verses and the echo of the Noon
sounds continue in every verse.
63. Conclusion
•The inkpot, the nose, the arrogance and the fish
are all related with the letter /Noon/ in a
systematic, historic and linguistic manner and the
letter functions as focal unit in the surah.The
rhyme creates the effect of Noon throughout the
poem to make the effect more emphatic.
64. Finding
•The world of academia witnesses/will witness that
You O’ Mohammad are not by the blessings of
your Lord a Lunatic and this is a global message
for the mankind. History, Economy, Politics, local
and International events will bear witness.
65. Summary
•The letter noon is related to the inkpot and therefore
juxtaposes well with the pen in the first verse to make a
great prediction in the light of future knowledge that
would support the message of the Prophet.
66. Nose/nasal/ arrogance
•The letter noon is nasal and is related to the nose
which has been mentioned and is related with the
arrogance of people mentioned in the surah.
67. Noon and Fish
•Noon is related to the Fish that had swallowed the
ProphetYounus and the story relates Prophet to
his Prophet brotherhood and also shows the order
of the Lord in the land and sea.
68. The Rhyme
•Finally the rhyme of the chapter follows the same
assonance as in the letter Noon and thereby the
whole surah moves in one order of sound and
sense: standing as an evidence that He is also the
Lord of letters.
