N50, the pen, and what they write.
Translation endnotes
[68:1] N50. This letter/number plays an important role in the mathematical system of the Quran based on code 19. For the meaning of this letter, see 74:1-56; 1:1; 2:1; 13:38; 27:82; 38:1-8; 40:28-38; 46:10; 72:28. Ibn Kathir is a popular commentary of the Quran, which is respected because of its reliance on hadith to "explain" verses of the Quran. Ibn Kathir (d. 1372), in the classic commentary carrying his name, makes the following remarks on verses 2:29 and 68:1. For this commentary, he relies mainly on a hadith from Abu Dawud (d. 888), one of the so-called authentic Sunni holy hadith books: Ibn Abbas told all of you by Wasil b. Abd al-Ala al-Asadi- Muhammed b. Fudayl- al- Amash- abu Zabyan- ibn Abbas: the first thing God created is the pen. God then said to it: write!, Whereupon the pen asked: what shall I write, my lord! God replied: write what is predestined! He continued: and the pen proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going to be to the coming of the hour. God then lifted up the water vapor and split the heavens off from it. Then God created the fish (nun), and the earth was spread out upon its back. The fish became agitated, with the result that the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, for they indeed proudly (tower) over the earth. After learning the intellectual level of the “believers,” collectors, narrators, and commentators of the above hadith, such as Abu Dawud (d. 888), al-Tabari (d. 1516), and Ibn al-Baz (1995), it becomes clear why Muhammed would utter the words in 25:30. See 21:33; 27:88; 36:40; 39:5; 79:30.