This is about the tool known as a qalam. See also Qalam (person) . "Surat al-Qalam" is also an alternative name for surat al-Alaq.
A qalam is a type of pen made from a dried reed, used for Arabic calligraphy. In modern Arabic, the word simply means 'pen' or 'pencil' derived from the Greek word Kalamos.
Last updated: 10-21-2005 22:36:39