The Creation of The Preserved Slate
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (32)
The Preserved Slate is one of the great creations of Allah from the beginning of creation. It is mentioned alongside the pen in Hadiths about writing the decrees. Allah Almighty named it "Preserved" because it is immune to any alteration or tampering by devils. It is protected from any changes or modifications to its decrees or judgments. Ibn Kathir said: "It is in the highest heaven, safeguarded from any addition or reduction, distortion or change. Its location is said to be to the right of the Throne, according to what has been reported by Muqatil". The Preserved Slate is the book in which Allah Almighty has recorded everything. All that has happened and will happen is written in it. There are many references to this in the Holy Quran, such as the verse: {We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.} [Al-An'am: 38]. According to one interpretation, the term "Register" here refers to the Preserved Slate. Allah has recorded all events in it, so everything that occurs is written in the Preserved Slate.
And Allah says in the story of the Battle of Badr: {If not for a decree from Allah that preceded, you would have been touched for what you took by a great punishment.} [Al-Anfal: 68]. This means that if it had not been for a prior decree from Allah allowing you to take the spoils of war, and that Allah had lifted the punishment from the nation of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), you would have faced a great punishment. This verse indicates the existence of a preordained decree. And Allah Almighty says: {Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy.} [Al-Hajj: 70]. This verse is a clear evidence of Allah's encompassing knowledge of everything, and that He knew all that would exist before it came into being, writing it in the Preserved Slate. The verse combines both aspects of this knowledge.
And Allah Almighty says: {And there is nothing concealed within the heaven and the earth except that it is in a clear Register.} [An-Naml: 75]. This means that every hidden or secret matter of the upper and lower worlds is recorded in the clear Book. This Book encompasses everything that has been and will be until the Day of Judgment. There is no event, whether apparent or hidden, except that it aligns with what is written in the Preserved Slate.
And Allah Almighty says in a verse that combines the aspects of knowledge and writing: {And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter and do not recite any of the Qur’an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom's weight1 within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.} [Yunus: 61]. {And not absent from your Lord} means that nothing escapes His knowledge, sight, hearing, or observation, not even the smallest atom. This represents the aspect of knowledge, while {but that it is in a clear register.} represents the aspect of writing. Allah often combines these two aspects.
And Allah Almighty says:{and all things We have enumerated in a clear register.} [Ya-Sin: 12]. This means that all occurrences are written in a recorded Book, meticulously preserved in the Preserved Slate. The "clear Register" here refers to the Mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitab). And Allah Almighty says: {And everything they did is in written records. (52) And every small and great [thing] is inscribed. (53)} [Al-Qamar: 52-53].
This means that everything they did is recorded in the books held by the angels, peace be upon them. {And every small and great}; from their actions {is inscribed} means that everything is collected and written in their records, leaving nothing small or large unaccounted for.
Allah Almighty said about Moses, peace be upon him, when Pharaoh said to him: {[Pharaoh] said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?" (51) [Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets." (52)} [Taha: 51-52].
When Pharaoh was informed by Moses that the Lord who sent him was the One who created, provided, decreed, and guided, he argued by referring to the previous generations who did not worship Allah. He questioned why, if what Moses said was true, they did not worship Him but rather worshiped others. Moses responded that even though they did not worship Allah, their actions are recorded by Allah and they will be judged by their deeds in the Book of Allah, which is the Preserved Slate and the Book of deeds. {My Lord neither errs nor forgets''} means that nothing escapes His knowledge, nothing is missed, and nothing is forgotten. This describes Allah's knowledge as being all-encompassing and flawless, free from any deficiency or forgetfulness, as opposed to the knowledge of created beings which is subject to limitation and forgetfulness.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 204-208.
- The Story of Creation, Al-Kharaan, p. 84.
- The Beginning and the End, Ibn Kathir, 4/496-497.
- Fate and Destiny in Light of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and People’s Schools of Thought, Abd al-Rahman bin Salih al-Mahmoud, Dar al-Watan, 2nd ed., 1997, p. 60.
- Belief in Destiny, Muhammad Ali Al-Salabi, Dar Al-Ma’rifah, 2nd ed., 2011, p. 48.
- Sahih Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azeem, Al-Adawi, 3/654.
- Tayseer Al-Kareem Al-Rahman in the interpretation of the words of Al-Mannan, Al-Saadi, 3/191.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
