Tafseer of The Moon · Al-Qamar · 54:53
And every small and great [thing] is inscribed.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His statement, the Exalted: وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُسْتَطَرٌ ("And everything small and great is recorded") (53)
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ ("and everything small and great") of things, مُسْتَطَرٌ — He says: set down in the Book, written out.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُسْتَطَرٌ — he says: written down; "and when Allah wills to send down a writing, the envoys (al-safara, that is, the angels) copy it out." Concerning His statement وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُسْتَطَرٌ he said: written down.
Bishr related to us, saying: ʿUbaydullāh ibn Muʿādh related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of ʿImrān ibn Ḥudayr, on the authority of ʿIkrima, who said: written down in every line.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, مُسْتَطَرٌ — he said: preserved, written down.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُسْتَطَرٌ — that is to say: preserved.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say, مُسْتَطَرٌ, he said: written down.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُسْتَطَرٌ: written down, and he recited وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ ("And there is no creature on the earth but its sustenance rests upon Allah, and He knows its dwelling place and its place of storage; all is in a clear Book"), and he recited وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("And there is no creature on the earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but they are communities like yourselves; We have neglected nothing in the Book"). It is merely a derived form (muftaʿal) of saṭartu: when you write a line.
