Surah Al-Qalam — Verse 13

Word Meanings:

• ʿutull (عُتُلّ): A harsh, coarse, and rough-mannered person; one who is ill-tempered and violent in disposition.
• zanīm (زَنِيم): One who is falsely attributed to a lineage or tribe; an intruder or impostor who claims belonging to a people while not being from them.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues to describe the despicable traits of the arrogant disbeliever who rejects the truth. After listing his earlier qualities—such as excessive swearing, contemptibility, slander, backbiting, spreading mischief through tale-carrying, miserliness, transgression, and sinfulness—Allah adds two more severe attributes:

First, he is ʿutull: a person of rough, harsh, and brutal nature. He is coarse in his dealings, lacking gentleness, kindness, or any softness of character. His harshness makes him repulsive to others, and he treats people with cruelty and disdain.

Second, he is zanīm: a person of doubtful lineage, one who is not genuinely from the tribe or community he claims to belong to. He is an outsider who has intruded upon a people, falsely attaching himself to them. This attribute further discredits him, showing that even his social standing is built on falsehood and deception.

This description was revealed specifically about al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, a prominent polytheist leader who embodied all these traits. However, the lesson is universal: the believer is warned against following or obeying anyone who possesses such evil characteristics, regardless of their wealth, status, or influence. Indeed, these verses serve as a timeless warning against aligning oneself with those whose character is corrupt, even if they appear powerful or influential in society.

A Daʿwah Reflection:

How beautiful is the character that Islam calls us to! The Quran does not merely criticize evil traits; it paints a vivid picture of them so that we may recognize and avoid them—and equally, so that we may embrace their opposites. Where this verse condemns harshness, Islam calls us to gentleness and kindness. Where it condemns false attribution and deceit, Islam calls us to honesty and integrity. Where it condemns miserliness, Islam calls us to generosity and open-handedness.

The believer is a person of noble character: soft-hearted, truthful, generous, and pure in lineage and conduct. Let this verse be a mirror for us—a reminder to purify our manners, to distance ourselves from every blameworthy trait, and to adorn ourselves with the beautiful character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was described by Allah as being on an exalted standard of morality. Indeed, the path to Allah's love and to the hearts of people is through noble character, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The most beloved of you to me and the nearest to me in the Hereafter are those with the best character." So let us strive to be among them, and let us never allow wealth, status, or arrogance to corrupt our souls, for these are the very things that led the disbelievers to reject the truth and earn such severe descriptions in the Quran.