A044
Surah: 003 - Ayah: 044
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3:44
Question : When the worshippers of Jerusalem quarrelled about the guardianship of Hazrat Maryam (every wanted to be her guardian), they decided to cast their pens in water, so that the one whose pen remained floating would be her guardian (3:44). What is the ta'wil of such a miracle?
Answer : In the language of ta'wil, pen means intellect (and water means knowledge). Accordingly, the arguements which these worshippers presented drowned in the water of knowledge, except the pen (intellect) or arguement of Hazrat Zakariyya, which remained floating on the surface of the water. That is, he won the arguement because of the eminence of his knowledge.
Q251 Qalam and aqlam (pl. of qalam) are mentioned in four places in the Qur’an (3:44; 31:27; 96:4; 68:1). Please tell us the ta’wil of qalam? Please also tell us the ta’wil of verse (31:27): “And if all the trees in the earth were pens and the ocean, with seven more oceans to help it (were ink), the words of Allah would never be exhausted.”
A251
- The ta’wil of qalam is intellect, the light of intellect, the pearl of intellect.
- By kalimat (sing. kalimah) are meant the kalimat-i tammat (perfect words) of Allah, and the nature of their endless knowledge is such that if all the trees on the earth were to be pens and the ocean, together with seven other oceans were ink, their tafsir (exegesis) would not be complete.
This verse has been referred 2 times.