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A qalam ( ar, قلم) is a type of pen made from a cut, dried reed, used for
Islamic calligraphy Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.Chapman, Caroline (2012). ...
. The pen is seen as an important symbol of wisdom in
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
, and references the emphasis on knowledge and education within the Islamic tradition.


Etymology

The word was borrowed from Greek ''kálamos'' ( κάλαμος, "reed"), possibly via Ge'ez ''ḳäläm'' (, "reed") mixed into the root of ''ḳälämä'' (, "to color, to stain, to write").


Manufacturing

The stems of hollow reeds are cut at specific angles depending on intended script so that they can be used for calligraphy, and 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,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
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 not too sturdy and not too flexible.


Qalam in the Islamic tradition

The concepts of knowledge and writing are very important in
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
, and thus the ''qalam'' is revered as a symbol of wisdom and education in the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...
;
Sura 68 The Pen ( ar, القلم, ''al-qalam'') is the sixty-eighth chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 52 verses ( āyāt). Quran 68 describes God's justice and the judgment day. Three notable themes of this Surah are its response to the opponents' ...
is called
Al-Qalam The Pen ( ar, القلم, ''al-qalam'') is the sixty-eighth chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 52 verses ( āyāt). Quran 68 describes God's justice and the judgment day. Three notable themes of this Surah are its response to the opponents' ...
. 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 user, 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, soot, gallnuts, or vitriol. Some Qurans, however, are written entirely in gold, and more contemporary calligraphers may use a wider variety of colors.
Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Muqla Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muqla ( ar, أبو علي محمد بن علي ابن مقلة, Abū ʿAlī Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Muqla; 885/6 – 20 July 940/1), commonly known as Ibn Muqla, was an official of the Abbasid Caliphate of Pers ...
, a Persian official of the
Abbasid caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttal ...
, 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


References

{{Pens Islamic calligraphy Pens