Qalam
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A ''qalam'' () is a type of
reed pen A reed pen ( '; singular ') or bamboo pen () is a writing implement made by cutting and shaping a single Phragmites, reed straw or length of bamboo. History and manufacture Reed pens with regular features such as a split nib (pen), nib have ...
. It is made from a cut, dried reed, and used for
Islamic calligraphy Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the Arabic script#Additional letters used in other languages, alphabets derived from it. It is a highly stylized and struc ...
. The pen is seen as an important symbol of wisdom in
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, and references the emphasis on knowledge and education within the Islamic tradition.


Etymology

The
word A word is a basic element of language that carries semantics, meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among linguist ...
''qalam'' is an Arabic word derived from the root Q-L-M, meaning nail pen or wheat. This is ultimately a borrowing - perhaps, as Nöldeke thought, via Ge'ez - of the Greek ''κάλαμος'', meaning a reed or reed pen.


Manufacturing

The stems of hollow reeds are cut at specific angles depending on the intended script so that they can be used for calligraphy; the type of reed used varies depending on the specific calligrapher's preferences. For example, master calligrapher Ja'far Tabrizi preferred the ''wāṣeṭi'' and ''āmuyi'' reeds of eastern
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
and the Oxus River, respectively. It was desired that the ''qalam'' should be roughly twelve to sixteen inches long, and could not be too dry as they needed to be a specific balance of sturdiness and flexibility.


''Qalam'' in the Islamic tradition

The concepts of knowledge and writing are very important in
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, and thus the ''qalam'' is revered as a symbol of wisdom and education in the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
; Sura68 is called '' Al-Qalam''. Even in pre-Islamic societies, writing was widely used for commercial and occasionally legislative purposes. It is a commonly held belief amongst the Muslim population that disrespect of calligraphy as a tradition would reveal a person as being uneducated and unwise. In Islam, the physical presence of the written letters of the Quran functioned the way icons did to the Byzantines, as a blessing and protection. Because of this, Islamic calligraphers often had a high place in society, while their counterparts in regions like Byzantium would only be known to their family and patrons. Calligraphy holds a central position in the Islamic artistic tradition, and because of this there exist a large variety of accessories to accompany the ''qalam'' and its users, such as pen boxes, ink wells, and knives for cutting the reeds. These tools were often very ornamented and cherished objects and reflected countless hours of other artists and craftsmen. The ink used in antiquity was most frequently black or dark brown, and was made from
gum arabic Gum arabic (gum acacia, gum sudani, Senegal gum and by other names) () is a tree gum exuded by two species of '' Acacia sensu lato:'' '' Senegalia senegal,'' and '' Vachellia seyal.'' However, the term "gum arabic" does not indicate a partic ...
,
soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Soot is considered a hazardous substance with carcinogenic properties. Most broadly, the term includes all the particulate matter produced b ...
, gallnuts, or
vitriol Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compounds comprising sulfates of certain metalsoriginally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron(I ...
. Some Qurans, however, are written entirely in gold, and more contemporary calligraphers may use a wider variety of colors. Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Muqla, a Persian official of the
Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
, developed a standardized system of writing calligraphy based on the marks made with the point of a reed pen, in combination with other geometric principles. As far as other aspects of ornamentation go, metallic inks on colored parchment passed from Byzantium to Muslim Spain, and Arabic calligraphy in turn made its way back to Europe.


See also

* List of pen types, brands and companies *
Reed pen A reed pen ( '; singular ') or bamboo pen () is a writing implement made by cutting and shaping a single Phragmites, reed straw or length of bamboo. History and manufacture Reed pens with regular features such as a split nib (pen), nib have ...


References

{{Pens Islamic calligraphy Pens