Researcher Mahmoud A. Wahab has released a new study proposing that the disconnected letter "Nun" (ن) opening Surah Al-Qalam (68:1) in the Qur'an is a meaningful symbol encoding the concept of primordial waters, drawing connections to ancient Egyptian religion and the Hebrew Bible while maintaining the Qur'an's interpretive primacy. The book, titled The Disconnected Letter 'Nun' at Surah Al-Qalam: In Relation to Ancient Egyptian Religion, Hebrew Bible & Qur'anic Coherence, represents a significant methodological contribution to understanding the muqaṭṭaʿāt, the mysterious disconnected letters that begin certain Qur'anic chapters.
Wahab grounds his argument in four pillars: the letter Nun itself, ancient Egyptian religion, the Hebrew Bible, and Qur'anic coherence (nazm). He adopts a coherence-first approach, treating each sūrah as a thematic unit and the Qur'an's arrangement as purposeful. Outside materials like hadith reports and earlier scriptures are considered only insofar as they corroborate Qur'anic language and structure. This methodological framework is crucial because it demonstrates how Qur'anic arrangement and thematic unity can potentially unlock the meaning of these enigmatic letters.
The core of Wahab's argument examines Surah Al-Qalam's position between Al-Mulk (67) and Al-Haqqah (69) in the Muṣḥaf. Al-Mulk proclaims divine sovereignty, creation, and life as a test, while Al-Haqqah portrays the Inevitable Day and final judgment. Al-Qalam, introduced by "Nun" and an oath by the Pen, forms a bridge between creation and destiny. Drawing on the nazm tradition of scholars like Farāhī and Iṣlāhī, Wahab argues that linear and thematic ties among these three sūrahs help decode "Nun." Read this way, the initial letter functions as a hinge symbol connecting blessing and creation (Al-Mulk) to resurrection and judgment (Al-Haqqah) through decree and knowledge (Al-Qalam).
Wahab connects this Qur'anic framework to ancient Egyptian cosmology, where Nun represents the limitless, dark primordial ocean from which the first mound and creator-gods emerge. In Egyptian thought, Nun is not a craftsman-god but the deified backdrop—the watery substrate from which all creation springs. Ritual life continually re-enacted emergence from this Deep through sacred lakes, libations, and Nile inundation, reinforcing Nun's life-giving role. The book also examines Hebrew Bible parallels, particularly Genesis 1:2 and the Hebrew tĕhôm (the Deep), noting structured similarities with Egypt's pre-creation schema that many specialists judge "too close to be accidental."
The study concludes that when Surah Al-Qalam is read within its immediate nazm and in light of cross-cultural water-cosmologies, "Nun" most plausibly signals the primordial waters—a symbol that coherently links origin (creation) to decree (Pen/inscription) to destiny (judgment) across the Al-Mulk/Al-Qalam/Al-Haqqah triad. This reading maintains the biblical polemic that demythologizes the Deep while using comparative materials as supporting witnesses rather than granting them authority over Qur'anic meaning. The book is available on Amazon and represents Wahab's long-standing engagement with Egyptology and scriptural studies.
This research matters because it offers a concrete, integrative approach to interpreting the Qur'an's disconnected letters—a topic that has puzzled scholars for centuries. By foregrounding Qur'anic coherence and chronology while using earlier revelations and adjacent chapters as illuminating tools, Wahab provides a model for how comparative religious studies can enrich understanding of sacred texts without compromising their internal integrity. The implications extend beyond theological circles to interdisciplinary studies of religion, demonstrating how ancient cosmological concepts might be preserved and transformed across Abrahamic traditions.
