{In a Preserved Tablet} - and it is the Mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitab). Muhammad (Ibn Abi Zamanin) said: Abu Ubayd said: Nafi' recited it: (mahfuzun) in the nominative case (raf'), while others recited it (mahfuzin) in the genitive case (khafd). The genitive case in this instance is more pleasing to me so that it may be an adjective for (the Tablet).
﴿فِي لوح مَحْفُوظ﴾ وَهُوَ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: قَالَ وأَبُو عُبَيْدٍ: قَرَأَ نَافِعٌ: (مَحْفُوظٌ) بِالرَّفْع، وقرأه غَيره (مَحْفُوظ) بِالْخَفْضِ وَالْخَفْضُ فِي هَذَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ لِيَكُونَ مِنْ نَعْتِ (اللَّوْحِ).
