Reading an Arabic Inscription: Al-Qalam 68:51–52 and “Ali Wali Allah” — Ali Shukri Amin
First published on my writing site: www.aliamin.info/2026/10/reading-an-arabic-inscription-al-qalam-ali-wali-allah/
By Ali Shukri Amin. I first wrote this as comments on r/arabs, in the thread “Can someone please translate these to English? And are they upside down? They were my grandfather’s.”, copied here as written.
Comment 1
On the left:
Al-Qalam 68:51-52
“And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, “Indeed, he is mad.”
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.”
The one on the right seems incomplete or like there is writing on the other side but it seems to say,
“And not except upon Allah…”
Typically the phase is completed with,
“Do the believers put their trust”
EDIT: As another user pointed out, on the right it says “Ali wali Allah”
Comment 2
The alif at the center makes me think it’s “ila” and not “wali”.
Comment 3
On further inspection you are correct.
What tripped me up was that I don’t see the dots for the yā on ayn-lam-ya which made me think it’s “ala” and not Ali. At the center there is either an alif hanjariyyah or a regular alif – either way that doesn’t go with either Ali or wali.
It seems they dropped the alif of Allah down, dropped the dots on the ya, and moved the waw outside of Ali. I did initially think it said “Aliyyuun wali Allah
Comment 4
That’s what I thought but it’s Ali wali Allah I’m convinced
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