Researcher Mahmoud A. Wahab has released a new study proposing that the disconnected letter "Nun" (ن) at the beginning of Surah Al-Qalam (68:1) in the Qur'an is a meaningful symbol representing primordial waters, drawing connections to ancient Egyptian religion and the Hebrew Bible. The book, titled The Disconnected Letter 'Nun' at Surah Al-Qalam: In Relation to Ancient Egyptian Religion, Hebrew Bible & Qur'anic Coherence, argues against viewing these letters as undecipherable ciphers, instead presenting them as interpretable signs within the Qur'an's own structural logic.
Wahab's methodology prioritizes Qur'anic coherence, known as nazm, examining each surah as a thematic unit with purposeful arrangement. He analyzes Surah Al-Qalam's position between Al-Mulk (67), which discusses divine sovereignty and creation, and Al-Haqqah (69), which portrays final judgment. The author contends that "Nun" and the oath by the Pen in Al-Qalam form a symbolic bridge connecting creation to destiny, with the Pen representing the first created thing that writes the divine decree. This reading is grounded in four pillars: the letter Nun itself, ancient Egyptian religious concepts, parallels in the Hebrew Bible, and the internal coherence of the Qur'an, with the Qur'an maintaining interpretive primacy throughout.
The study explores the ancient Egyptian concept of Nun as the limitless, dark primordial ocean from which creation emerged, a deified backdrop present in multiple Egyptian theological schools at Heliopolis, Memphis, and later traditions. Ritual practices involving sacred lakes, libations, and the Nile inundation continually re-enacted this emergence from the Deep, reinforcing Nun's life-giving role in Egyptian cosmology. Wahab then examines parallels in the Hebrew Bible, particularly Genesis 1:2's description of the Deep (tĕhôm), noting scholarly recognition of structured similarities with Egyptian pre-creation schemas involving formlessness, darkness, watery depths, and divine breath.
The book's significance lies in its methodological contribution to interpreting the muqaṭṭaʿāt, the disconnected letters that begin certain Qur'anic chapters. By demonstrating how Qur'anic arrangement and thematic unity can unlock these symbols, with comparative materials serving as supporting witnesses rather than authoritative sources, Wahab offers an integrative approach to scriptural study. The volume is available on Amazon, foregrounding Qur'anic coherence and chronology while using earlier revelations and adjacent chapters to illuminate these enigmatic letters. This research matters because it provides a framework for understanding religious symbols through cross-cultural lenses while respecting the internal logic of sacred texts, potentially influencing academic approaches to comparative religion and Qur'anic exegesis.
