A qalam ( ar, قلم) is a type of
pen
A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity wh ...
made from a cut, dried
reed
Reed or Reeds may refer to:
Science, technology, biology, and medicine
* Reed bird (disambiguation)
* Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times
* Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales
* ...
, 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, 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 an objective or practical 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 conse ...
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 the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
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, 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.: , s ...
;
Sura 68 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 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, 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-Muttalib ...
, 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
A pen is a handheld device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Additional types of specialized pens are used in specific types of applications and environments such as in artwork, electronics, digital scanning ...
References
{{Pens
Islamic calligraphy
Pens