Lawh

Lawh is an Arabic term meaning tablet, inscription, or plaque. In linguistic use, the word denotes a written record or surface on which writing is made, and it appears in various Arabic literary and religious contexts as a general reference to inscribed documents.

In Islamic theology, Lawh most notably appears in the concept of Lawh al-Mahfuz, the Preserved Tablet. This celestial ledger is described in traditional sources as the divine record in which God inscribes all that has occurred and will occur. Related imagery, such as the Pen (Qalam) writing on and commanding the Lawh, is used to convey ideas about divine knowledge, decree, and the order of creation. The Lawh al-Mahfuz is treated as transcendent and beyond human access, serving as a theological symbol for the completeness and immutability of God's knowledge.

Beyond the specific doctrine of a celestial tablet, the word Lawh is used more broadly to signify inscriptions or letters associated with revelation, instruction, or authoritative communication. In classical Arabic literature and later religious writings, a “Lawh” may refer to a revealed tablet or a document attributed to prophets or saints, or to a formal, inscribed message issued to individuals or communities. The term thus functions both as a concrete object meaning a physical tablet and as a symbolic marker of written divine or prophetic communication.

Etymology traces Lawh to the Arabic root for writing and inscribing. Its usage across Islamic and Arabic-speaking traditions highlights the enduring association between writing and divine knowledge in these cultural contexts.