وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَٰمٌۭ وَٱلْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍۢ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Introduction
This is āyah 27 of Sūrat Luqman (Luqman), the 57th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 21. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Meccan
- Order revealed
- 57 of 114
- Surah
- Luqman (31)
(And if all the trees in the earth were pens�) [31:27]. The commentators of the Qur�an said: �The Jews asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, about the spirit, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (They will ask thee concerning the Spirit. Say: the Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little) [17:85]. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, migrated to Medina, Jewish doctors went to see him and said: �O Muhammad, we have been informed that you said (of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little). Are you referring, by this, to us or to your people?� The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �The knowledge that you have is very little in comparison to the knowledge of Allah, glorified is He. Allah, exalted is He, has given you something which will benefit you if only you practise it�. They said: �O Muhammad, how can you say this when it is you who says (� and he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly hath received abundant good�) [2:269]? How can little knowledge and abundant good be combined together?� As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And if all the trees in the earth were pens�)�.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
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