Tafsir of Abasa 80:13

(In honored scrolls)

"In" (fi) is connected to an implicit element that acts as an adjective for "a reminder" (tadhkirah), or it serves as a second predicate, meaning: "it is existent" or "established in scrolls."

The intended meaning of these scrolls is those transcribed from the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz). According to Ibn Abbas, it refers to the Tablet itself, though this is not the apparent meaning. It has also been said that they are the scriptures revealed to the prophets, peace be upon them, as in the Almighty’s saying: "And indeed, it is in the scriptures of former peoples."

It has further been said that they are the scrolls of the Muslims, in the sense of a prophecy of the unseen, for the Quran in Mecca was not [yet] in scrolls; rather, it was scattered across parchment, palm stalks, and the like. It was first compiled into a scroll during the era of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah the Almighty be pleased with him. And it is, as you can see, honored by Allah, the Almighty and Majestic.