A qalam (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: قلم, Template:Lang-hi) is a type of pen made from a dried reed, used for Islamic calligraphy. The word derives from the Greek word κάλαμος, meaning reed. In modern Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Kurdish, the word simply means "pen" or "pencil", while in Hindi and Urdu, the word solely means "pen". It is also the name of a system of Arabic transliteration, suggested in 1985. [1] Qalam occurs several times in the holy book of the Muslims, the Koran, and even one whole Sura of the Koran, Sura 68, is called Al-Qalam.

In Hebrew the Reed used traditionally used to write torah scrolls is called Qulmus (קולמוס), nowadays Ashkenazim mostly use a quill which they call by the same name. However Sephardim continue to use the traditional reed.

• Kalam