النص المفهرس

◌َالْمَلِّ الأعلى
صِبْ فَ إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِها
أَسْتَفْنِمْ أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلَّقَا أَمْ
أَمِ ن بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخَرُونَ
ـَهُ وَإِذَا رَأَوْ ءَايَةً يَسَّسَّسْـ
أَذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا
◌ِ أَحْي ◌َ ضََّمْ وَأَّوَجَاهُمُوَمَا كَانَوَ يْعَبْدُونَ
ـنَ ١٠) قُلْ نَعَمْ وَ أَنْتُمْ دَاخِرُونَ
أرَ الَّذُ وهُمْإِلَ صِرَطِ الْجَحِيِ؟ وَقَفُوهُمْ إِنَّهَ
يَظُرُونَ (١٩) وَقَالُواْ يَوَيْلَنَا
تِ الَّذِى كُم بِهِ، تُكَذِّبُونَ ١١)
اذُّ هُةَ إِنَّهُمْ مَسْئُولُونَ (
٥٠ ٦
كر
1.5
٢٤
Differing Diacritics
A comparison between the dabt of the contemporary South Asian mushaf and
the dabt of the Madinah printed mushaf
Saaima Yacoob
Recite With Love

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحِيم
All praise is due to Allah, our Creator, our Sustainer, the one who sent down the
Qur'an and granted us the immense blessing of Islam. May the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon our Master, Muhammad aug, his family, and his blessed
companions through whom this sacred science has reached us.
As a young child, I learned to read the Qur'an from the South Asian mushaf.
Around the age of eleven, I started reading and memorizing from the Madinah
printed mushaf. As a teacher, I have been asked many questions about the dabt of
these two masahif, and I find myself explaining and defending the dabt of both.
Teachers face difficulties with both masahif, whether it is the struggle of teaching
the difference between hamzat al-wasl and hamzat al-qat' from the South Asian
mușhaf, or the struggle of distinguishing between idghām nāqis and ikhfa' nun
sākinah in the Madinah printed mushaf. Not only do the two masahif differ in their
dabt, but also the South Asian mushaf's dabt does not seem to entirely adhere to
the eastern or western conventions that are commonly described in books of
dabț.
This article hopes to answer the following questions:
1. How does the dabt of the South Asian mushaf differ from contemporary
mașāhif published in the Arab world?
2. How do we understand these differences in the context of the science of
dabț?
The Difference Between Rasmand Dabt
Before we can begin discussing issues pertaining to dabt, it is imperative that we
understand the difference between rasm and dabt. Rasm is the science that
preserves the skeletal outlines of Qur'anic words. Its foundations were laid
during the lifetime of the Prophet { as the sahabah > used to write the Qur'an
in the presence of the Prophet % by his dictation. The details of the science of
rasm are derived from the 'Uthmanī codices, on which the sahabah
's agreed.
These codices did not include dots for letters or any markings for vowels. It was
the tabi in who began adding diacritics to the rasm to facilitate the correct
1

reading of the Qur'an. The science of dabt, on the other hand, is based completely
on the ijtihad of scholars.1
Definition and Objectives of Dabț
The literal meaning of the word dabt is "to attain the highest level of integrity in
the preservation of something." Its technical meaning is "a science through
which those diacritical marks that are temporarily attached to letters, i.e., fathah,
dammah, kasrah, sukūn, shadd, madd, etc. are learned."2 Dr. 'Ādil Abū Sha ar divides
all the diacritics found in masahif into three categories. Firstly, those that help a
reader to read the unique rasm of the Qur'an correctly. This refers to diacritics
that point to letters that are additional or omitted in the rasm, etc. Secondly,
those diacritics that protect the words of the Qur'an from incorrect inflection or
alteration. This refers to the marks for fathah, kasrah, dammah, shaddah, etc.
Thirdly, those markings that aid the reader to apply the general rules of tajwid
correctly, such as the sign for madd, or a shaddah that indicates idgham, etc. These
three categories can also be called the three objectives of the diacritics that are
outlined in the books of dabt.3
Development of Diacritics
To place the diacritics of our contemporary masahif into perspective, we first
need to briefly discuss the development of the science of dabt. The first person
to add diacritical marks to represent vowels was Abu al-Aswad al-Du'alī # (d. 69
AH), a student of Imam 'Alī 4%. His system used dots to mark essential vowels,
meaning those vowels that if read incorrectly, would cause a change in meaning.
1 For more on the history of the development of the two sciences, see Mufti Mohamed-
Umer Esmail's 4 Tashil al-Rusum which can be downloaded for free from Qiraat
Simplified. For a detailed understanding of the science of rasm and its discussions see
Sacred Spellings which can be downloaded from Online Tajweed Classes with Recite With
Love.
2 Mohamed-Umer Esmail, Tashil al-Dabt: A Reader on the Diacritics Found in Copies of the
Qur'an (Qiraatsimplified.com, 2022), 7.
3 "Ādil Abū Sha ar, al-Maqāsid fi al-Mashhur min 'Ilm Dabt al-Masahif (Amman: Jam'iyyat al-
Muņāfizah 'alā al-Qur'an al-Karīm, ND), 2.
2

A dot on top marked fathah, a dot on the bottom indicated kasrah, a dot in front
of the letter indicated dammah. These dots were doubled to indicate tanwin.4
﴿ما كان محمدانا احدٍ من رجالكم ولكن رسولُ اللهِ وحاتم السن وكان الله، بكلٍ سى علىماً﴾
This system was not followed in a rigid standardized way. Rather, various Muslim
city centers had their own variations. Some would use a square shape to mark
the vowels, while some would use dots that were not filled in. In Makkah, they
changed the position of the dammah and the fathah, placing the dammah on top
of the letter, and the fathah to the right of the letter.5 However, after dots were
added to letters to distinguish between similarly shaped letters, this system
presented two difficulties. The use of one color for the main script and a different
colored ink for the dots that marked vowels was cumbersome for the scribes.
‘Allāmah al-Dānī
(d. 444 AH) describes the mașāhif of al-Andalus in his time
being written with three colors of ink, red for the vowels, yellow for hamzat al-
4 Abū 'Amr al-Dānī, Kitab al-Naqt (Cairo: Dār Ibn Kathīr, 2019), 202; Image taken from 'Ādil
Abū Sha'ar, al-Maqāsid fī al-Mashhūr min 'Ilm Dabț al-Masāhif (Amman: Jam'iyyat al-
Muļāfizah 'alā al-Qur'an al-Karīm, ND).
5 Ahmad Yār, Qur'an o Sunnat: Chand Mabahith, (Lahore: Punjab University, Shaykh Zayed
Islamic Center, 2000), 111; al-Dānī, al-Muļkam fī Naqt al-Mașāhif (Damascus: Dār al-Fikr,
1407), 9.
3

qat‘, and green for hamzat al-
wasl.6 There are still some
handwritten masahif today that
use these same colors of ink for
the same markings. On the
right is a picture of a
handwritten mushaf in the
riwāyah
of Warsh from
Northern Nigeria that is about
fifty years old.7
اما
سوي سرية والسر ناشر وخفف
فلم توع وية بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
المر تريكالكتب لاريب فيه سعدى
للمتكير الديريومتور - العيد ويكيفون
الصَّلِوَةِ ومِهَارَزْ فتهم بتكَفُور® والدين
يومتور بهاآ حرك الك وماأعزاهر قبلك
وبالاحرقهم يؤفورا ويكنى هدى
غرر بهم واو سكهم المجاخور، اراتدين
كبرواسوا عليهم الذر لعم برلم
تتدرهم لا يوشورت ختم الله على قلوبهم
وعلى سمعهم وعلى برهم عضوة ونهم
عمّان عظيم . وصر الناس من بيقول انشاء الله
وب اليوم الأخرى ماهم بعمومتير يخدعون
الله والغير امتعاوما يخدعور الاتهعلم
وما يشعرون في قلوبهم مركز جزءعم
اللّهُ مركا وتهم عداء اليه بماكانوايكتبون
While the use of different
colored inks was cumbersome
for the scribes, the reader could
easily get confused by the two
sets of dots, those for vowels,
and those that distinguished
similarly shaped letters from
each other.8 Khalil al-Farahīdī
2
(d. 170 AH) developed a system of diacritics that used lines and symbols that
were taken from shortened versions of their original form, such as a small alif for
fathah, a portion of ya' for kasrah, and a small waw to represent dammah. He also
added a symbol for shaddah, the teeth of shin without dots, and sukūn, which is
6 Abū 'Amr al-Dānī, Kitab al-Naqt (Cairo: Dār Ibn Kathīr, 2019), 204.
7 Please note that this picture shows the use of different colors of ink for various
diacritics. It is not a representation of 5th century Andalusian masahif. I am grateful to my
student, Jamila Ibrahim, for sharing pictures of her family heirloom with me. May Allah
bless her and her family immensely. Āmīn.
8 Ghānim Qaddūrī al-Hamad, al-Muyassar fī 'Ilm Rasm al-Mushaf wa Dabțih (Jeddah: Ma had
al-Imam al-Shāțibī, 2019), 293.
4

the small head of kha' (without a dot) from the word khafif. He indicated hamzat
al-qaț‘ with the head of 'ayn. 9
In the beginning, Imam Khalil's 4 system was used to write poetry, and was
therefore referred to as Shakl al-Shi'r. The Qur'an still continued to be written in
the diacritical system of Abu al-Aswad . 'Allamah al-Dani preferred the
system of Abu al-Aswad 00.10 To the
right is an image of ayah 22 from Sūrah
عنوا كبير الأمر
al-Furqan which uses dots to represent
vowels. It has small black dots that
distinguish letters, and larger red dots
that mark vowels. This manuscript is
dated as having been written between
لا سوى تؤفئة
the 5th and 6th century hijri, about three
to four centuries after the passing of
Imam Khalil
11
.
الفتومير وبغواوفى
◌َوَأْمُهُو رَأَ وَقَهُ
The convention of Imam Khalil , was
adopted earlier and more widely by
the Muslims of the eastern lands, and
the Muslims of North Africa and Spain
maintained the system of Abu al-Aswad 40 for much longer. The system of dots
for vowels was abandoned completely around seventh century hijrī. 12 When we
look at the science of dabt as a whole, we see that eventually there was a
9 Al-Suyūtī, al-Itqān fī 'Ulūm al-Qur'an (Cairo: Dār al-Salām, 2013), 2:950-951; al-Hamad, al-
Muyassar fi 'Ilm Rasm al-Mushaf wa Dabțih, 293-294.
10 Al-Hamad, al-Muyassar fi 'Ilm Rasm al-Mushaf wa Dabțih, 294.
11 Islamic, al-Qur'an. 5th century AH/AD 11th century-6th century AH/AD 12th century
(Abbasid). Ink and pigments on brown laid paper covered with black leather, The Walters
Art Museum, Baltimore. Qur'an | The Walters Art Museum. I am grateful to Dr. Sana Mirza
for sharing this resource with me. May Allah reward her with the best in both worlds.
Āmīn.
12 Al-Hamad, al-Muyassar fi 'Ilm Rasm al-Mushaf wa Dabțih, 294-296; Ahmad Yār, Qur'an o
Sunnat: Chand Mabahith, 117-118.
5

consensus regarding the adoption of Imam Khalil al-Farahīdī's , diacritical
marks of lines and symbols, as opposed to the earlier diacritical marks of Abu al-
Aswad al-Du'alī 9, which were in the shape of dots.13
Even within the diacritical system of Imam Khalil , there have classically been
two main conventions of dabt, the conventions of the mashariqah and magharibah.
The convention of the mashariqah refers to the convention of the Eastern part of
the Muslim lands, and the convention of the magharibah refers to the convention
of the Western part of the Muslim lands, North Africa and Spain. This difference
can still be seen today. Maşahif published in the Levant, the Hijaz, and other parts
of the Middle East follow the convention of the mashariqah and the masahif
published in North Africa follow the convention of the magharibah.
The differences between the mashariqah and the magharibah are listed in the
books of dabt, both classical and contemporary. For the sake of this article, we
will be comparing the dabt of two contemporary masahif, the one published in
the riwayah of Hafs in the Naskh script by the King Fahad Qur'an Publishing
Complex in Madinah and the South Asian printed mushaf, published in India and
Pakistan. It should be kept in mind that the dabt of the contemporary South
African and Indonesian printed masāhif is like the Indian and Pakistani masāhif
and the dabt of contemporary masahif printed in Egpyt, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait,
Malaysia, Sudan, etc. is the same as the Madinah printed mushaf in the riwayah of
Hafs in the Naskh script. Therefore, wherever applicable, the discussions in this
article can be extended to these masahif as well.
Also, the King Fahad Qur'an Publishing complex publishes a mushaf in the South
مصحف نستعليق - مجمع الملك فهد لطباعة المصحف :Asian dabt which can be viewed here
all (qurancomplex.gov.sa). The Syrian publisher, Dar al-Ma'rifah, also
publishes a mushaf in the South Asian dabt. A sample of a page from this mushaf
can be seen here: Qur'an & Tafseer :: Mushafs :: Tajweed Qur'ans :: Tajweed
Qur'ans Arabic/English :: Tajweed Qur'an in Subcontinent Script (Darul Ma'rifah)
(4.7"x6.7") 13 lines (albalaghbooks.com). The discussions on the dabt of the South
13 Mustafa al-Hallūs, 'Alāmāt Dabț al-Mushaf al-Sharīf (Cairo: Hawliyyah Kulliyyah Uşūl al-Dīn,
2022), 50.
6

Asian mushaf will apply to these two Arab printed masahif as well. These two
mushafs are important as they show that scholars of the Qur'an who publish
masahif in the Arab world do not see the South Asian dabt as unusable. If they had
made such an assessment, they would not have allowed for the publishing of
mașāhif in this system of dabt through their reputable publishing centers. And
Allah knows best.
Differences Between the Two Masāḥif
As I began researching this topic, I looked for articles or books that had already
been written on the differences in dabt between these two contemporary copies
of the Qur'an. Unfortunately, I found very little information about the dabt of the
South Asian mushaf in Arabic. I did, however, find some resources in Urdu. For
the benefit of the reader, I will list them here. There are two primers of dabt
written in Urdu in Pakistan, Qawa id al-Dabt by Qarī 'Abd al-Malik , and 'Ilm al-
Dabț by Qārī Muhammad Mușțafā Rāsikh. Both books summarize the principles
of dabt as mentioned in more detailed classical works in the science. At times,
Qārī 'Abd al-Malik , mentions that the South Asian mushaf's dabt differs from
the principles mentioned, but he does not provide an explanation as to why there
is that difference. Professor Ahmad Yar
wrote an excellent article on this
issue, published in his book Qur'an o Sunnat: Chand Mabahith. He shows the
historical development of the science, and then lists out the dabt of not just the
Pakistani mushaf, but other masāhif as well such as the Chinese mushaf. Although
he does not offer textual evidence for the differences in the South Asian dabt, he
does explain how these differences aid the reader in reading the Qur'an correctly.
Lastly, I benefited from articles written on this topic and on dabt in general by
PhD scholar, Sarah Bano.14 Her articles, like the book by Qarī 'Abd al-Malik
,
show the places in which the South Asian dabt differs from the principles of dabt
outlined in classical books and at times, also present some textual evidence for
those differences. However, her general conclusion is that the dabt of the
14Sarah Bano, "Mușhafe Madīnah aur Pākistānī Mașāķif Kay Dabț Ka Taqābul," Jihāt al-
Islam, no. 13:1 (July-December 2019): 19-39; Sarah Bano, "Tanwīn aur Mahdhūf Hurūfe
Maddah kā dabț," al-Rushd (January 2021):481-502.
7

Pakistani mushaf should be changed to align with the classical books.15 Sadly,
despite my efforts, I was unable to find any articles or books that may have been
written in India on the issue of the dabt of the South Asian mushaf.
After benefiting from the readings above on this topic, I decided to compile my
own table by going through the matn of Imam al-Kharraz # (d. 718 AH).16 While
I benefited immensely from the readings above, none of them consistently
compared the dabt of the two masahif against a particular text. I chose the text of
Imam al-Kharraz , because I have found it to be the most widely referenced
work in the science of dabt. In addition to the many commentaries written on
this work, even contemporary primers of dabt seem to summarize details of dabț
while relying on this work and its commentaries. It is due to this that masahif that
follow the details of dabt as outlined by this matn and its commentaries are seen
as more correct than those that are seen as contrary to them. In addition to
consulting the matn itself, I relied mainly on two commentaries of this text, Dalil
al-Hayrān 'alā Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Fannay al-Rasm wa al-Dabț by Shaykh Ibrahim al-
Mārghanī al-Tūnisī17 and Irshād al-Țālibīn ilā Dabț al-Kitab al-Mubin by Shaykh
Muhammad Sālim Muhaysin.
The table mentions where the masahif agree, and where they differ in their dabt.
I have provided examples and where applicable, I have also added references that
explain this difference from the books of dabt that I consulted. When the masahif
15 I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ustadha Sarah Bano for not just her
amazing efforts in the service of the science of dabt, but also for taking the time to
personally send me her articles and to confirm my understanding of her conclusion. May
Allah bless her and her teachers with every khair in this world and the next. Āmīn.
16 Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Abū 'Abd Allah al-Umawī al-Sharīshī al-Fāsī
al-Maghribi , known as al-Kharraz. He was an expert in the science of qira'at and rasm
in the city of Fez, Morocco. He wrote two didactic poems related to the science of rasm,
Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasm al-Qur'an (610 lines) and 'Umdat al-Bayan. He passed away in 718
AH. Al-Marsafī, Hidāyat al-Qārī, 2:719; Thanwī, Īdāḥ al-Maqāșid, 30-31.
17 Ibrāhīm ibn Ahmad Mārganī Tūnisī, his kunyā is Abu al-Ishaq. He was the shaykh al-
qurrā' at Zaytūna University in Tunisia and a Mufti in the Malikī school of jurisprudence.
He wrote many other works in addition to Dalil al-Hayran. He passed away in 1349 AH.
8

differ and the difference can be explained from the books of dabt, the row is
shaded light grey. When the difference between the two masahif cannot be
explained from the books of dabt, the row is shaded dark grey. After the table, I
have shared some general observations that scholars have made about the dabt
of the South Asian mushaf.
9

Diacritical
Mark
South
Madinah
Notes
Asian
1.
Marks for fathah, kasrah,
and dammah
الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ
نَسْتَعِینُ
The marks are according to the convention of the mashariqah.
2.
Hurūf al-Muqațța‘āt
المِّ
الّ
They are only marked with a sign of madd. No vowel is placed on the letter.
This is the convention of the mashariqah. The South Asian dabt adds a
shaddah on the mīm to indicate idghām.
Dabt of Tanwin and the Letter After It
3.
Fathatain on those words
in which an alif is written
at the end.
رَصَدًا
رَصَدًا
The fathahtain are placed on the letter preceding the final alif. This is the
madhhab of Imam Khalil and preferred by some of the mashāriqah. There is
no difference between the two masahif.
4.
When tanwin is followed
by a letter of izhār nūn
sākinah
شَىْءٍ عَلِيمُ
رَغَدًا حَيْثُ
خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
رَغَدًا حَیْثُ
خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
The two diacritics of fathahtain, kasratain, and dammatain are stacked one on
top of the other. They are perfectly parallel.18 This is known as tarkib. There
is no difference between the two masahif.
5.
When tanwin is followed
by a letter of idghām nūn
sākinah and ikhfā' nūn
sākinah
آَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ
أَمْوَتَا فَأَحْيَكُمٌّ
In the Madinah mushaf, the two lines of tanwin are perpendicular to indicate
ikhfā' and idghām, as mentioned by Imam al-Kharrāz.19 This is referred to as
tatābu‘. In the South Asian mushaf, the lines stay the same.
00
Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 468.
19 Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fi al-Dābț, 1. 468.
10

6.
When tanwin is followed
by bā?
صُمُّبُكُمَّ
صُمِّ بُكُمْ
In the Madinah printed mushaf, one of the vowels is removed from the tanwin
and a small mīm is written in its place instead. In the South Asian mushaf,
both the vowels of tanwin remain, and a small mim is added. The matn of
Imam al-Kharraz states that if one wishes to, one may add a small mīm, as
that is how it will be read. Commentaries of this line state that Imam Abu
Dawūd ibn Najah opined that one vowel be dropped from the tanwin and
replaced with a mīm. 20 The second method that is mentioned is that the
tanwīn be written like the tanwīn of ikhfā' and idghām, as off set, and no mīm
be added. The South Asian mushaf does not follow either method outlined
for iglāb in books of dābt. And Allah knows best.
7.
Markings on the letter
after the tanwin in the
case of the letter of izhār
شَىْءٍ عَلِيمُ
رَغَدًا حَيْثُ
خَوْفٌّ عَلَيْهِمْ
شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
رَغَدًا حَيْثُ
خَوْفُ عَلَيْهِم
There will be nothing different done to the letter. There is no difference
between the two masahif.
8.
Markings on the letter
after the tanwin in the
case of the letter of
idghām with the letters
lām, mīm, nūn, and rā'
گَصَیّبٍ مِّنَ
رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ
ثَمَرَةِ رِزْقًا
يَّوْمَیِذٍ نَّاعِمَةُ
گَصَیّبٍ مِّنَ
رِزْقًا لَّكُمَّ
ثَمَرَةِ رِزْقًا
يَوْمَیِذٍ نَاعِمَةٌ
The letter that the nun sakinah will merge into completely will be marked
with a shaddah. However, the Madinah printed mushaf will also have tatābu"
in the tanwin, while the South Asian mushaf will not.
20 Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Aļruf al-Qur'ān wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 473; Ibrahim al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-Hayrān
'alā Mawrid al-Zam'an (Cairo: Dār al-Hadīth, 2005), 356.
11

9.
Markings on the letter
after the tanwin in the
case of the letter of
idghām with the letters
waw and yā'
وُجُوُهُ يَّوْمَيِدٍ
يَوْمَیِذٍ يَتَذَگَّرُ
وَلِسَانًا وَّشَفَتَيْنِ
وُجُوهُ يَوْمَیِدٍ
يَوْمَپذٍ يَتَذَگَّرُ
وَلِسَانَا وَشَفَتَيْنِ
In the Madinah printed mushaf, there is no shaddah on the ya' or waw to
indicate idghām nāqis. In the South Asian mushaf, the waw and ya' still carry
a shaddah to distinguish these two letters from letters of ikhfā'. Imam al-
Kharraz describes both scenarios in his matn, assigning the one used in the
South Asian mushaf to the grammarians.21
10.
When tanwin is followed
by a sukūn
لَهْوَا إِنْفَضُوَّا
لَهْوَا اُنفَضُّوَاْ
Imam al-Kharrāz does not discuss this scenario in his matn. Dalīl al-Hayran
mentions that earlier scholars have not specified how this scenario should
be marked, while later scholars have suggested that it be written as izhār of
tanwin is written.22 The South Asian mushaf uses a convention that would
prevent non-Arabs from mistakenly making idghām in such scenarios.
Dabt of Nun Sākinah
11.
Nun sākinah followed
by a letter of izhār
مَنْ اعْطَى
مَنْ أَعْطَى
The sukun will be written on the nun in both masahif as Imam al-
Kharrāz has stated.
12.
Nūn sākinah followed
by bā'
لَيُنْبَذَنَّ
مِنْبَعْدِ
لَيْثبَذَنَّ
مِنْ بَعْدِ
In the Madīnah printed mushaf, the nun does not carry a sukūn and has a
small mīm written on top of it. In the South Asian mushaf, the nun carries a
sukūn and there is a small mīm written on top of it.
21 Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'ān wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 470-472; Ibrāhīm al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-
Hayran 'alā Mawrid al-Zam'an (Cairo: Dār al-Hadīth, 2005), 355.
22 Ibrahim al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-Hayrān 'alā Mawrid al-Zam'an (Cairo: Dār al-Hadīth, 2005), 353.
12

The matn of Imam al-Kharraz mentions that no sukun should be written on
the nun when it is followed by letters other than the letters of the throat. It
then mentions that a small mim may be written in the case of iqlab.23 The
South Asian mushaf differs in that it maintains the sukūn on the nun in
addition to placing a small mīm on top of it. Shaykh Muhammad Salim
Muhaysin mentions that there is one opinion that the sukūn does not need
to be written at all on any sakin letter. However, for those that write sukūn
there are two opinions. The first is as is stated by Imam al-Kharraz, that
every letter that will be read clearly (izhār) will be marked with a sukūn.
Letters that will merge (idghām) or be hidden (ikhfa') will not be marked with
a sukūn. He then states that there is yet a third way, which is to mark every
sākin letter with a sukūn. This seems to be the opinion the South Asian mushaf
is following.24 And Allah knows best.
13.
Nūn sākinah followed
by lām, rā, nūn,and mīm
مِّنْ مَّسَدٍ
يَكُنْ لَّهُ
مِّن مَّسَدِ
يَكُن لَّهُو
In the Madīnah printed mushaf, the nun does not carry a sukūn and the lām,
rā', nūn, and mīm carry a shaddah. This is as it has been outlined in the matn
of Imam al-Kharrāz.
مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ
مِن نِعْمَةٍ
عَنْ رَّبِّهِمْ
عَن رَّبِّهِمْ
In the South Asian mushaf, the nun carries a sukun and there is a shaddah on
the lām, mīm, nun, and rā'. While the shaddah on the four letters following
the nun is the same as the Madinah mushaf and is as mentioned by Imam al-
Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fi al-Dābț, 1. 474-476.
24 Muhammad Sālim Muhaysin, Irshād al-Țālibīn ilā Dabț al-Kitab al-Mubīn (Egypt: 'Abd al-Hamīd Ahmad Hanafī, 1960), 15.
13

Kharraz, the retention of the sukūn is different and the explanation is the
same as mentioned above.
14.
Nūn sākinah followed
by yā' and waw
لَّنْ تَحُوْرَ
مِنْ وَرَآبِهِمْ
لَّن يَحُورَ
مِن وَرَآپِهِم
In the Madinah printed mushaf, the nun does not carry a sukun and the waw
and ya' do not carry a shaddah. In the South Asian mushaf, the nun carries a
sukūn and there is a shaddah on the waw and yā'.
Both these methods of indicating idghām nāqis are mentioned by Imam al-
Kharrāz. 25
15.
Nun sākinah followed
by a letter of ikhfā'
فَلْيَنْظُرِ
مِنْ قُوَّةٍ
فَلْيَنظُرِ
مِن قُوَّةِ
In the Madinah printed mushaf, the nun does not carry a sukun and the letter
after the nun has no additional marking. This is as is implied by Imam al-
Kharrāz.
In the South Asian mushaf, the nun will carry a sukun and the letter after the
nun will have no additional marking. The retention of the sukūn is different
and the explanation is the same as mentioned before.
Dabt of Ikhtilās, Ishmām, and Imalah
16.
Ikhtilās is to read part of a
vowel, such that more of
it
remains
لَا تَأْمَنَّا
لَا تَأْمَنَّا
than
is
omitted. Ishmām is to
Imam al-Kharrāz mentions two methods for the dabț of ikhtilās and ishmām.
The first is to add a dot, and the other is to leave it empty of any special
sign.26 The first is the preference of 'Allamah al-Dani, and the second is the
25 Muhammad al-Sharīshī al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'ān wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 476-478.
26 al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 479.
14

pronounce a complete
harakah combining two
ḥarakāt, dāmmah and
kasrah. As this type of
ishmām does not occur in
the riwāyah of Hafs, we
will only discuss the dabt
of the ishmām that is
done by rounding the
lips without a sound.
preference of Imam Abu Dawud ibn Najāh.27 As we see from the examples
in the columns to the left, the Madinah printed mushaf follows one opinion
and the South Asian mushaf follows the other.
17.
Imālah is to bend a
fathah or an alif
towards yā'
مَجْرِىهَا
مَجْرِئُهَا
Imam al-Kharraz mentions two methods for the dabt of imalah. The first is to
add a dot under the letter, and the other is to leave it empty of any special
sign.28 As we see from the examples in the columns to the left, the Madinah
printed mushaf follows one opinion and the South Asian mushaf follows the
other. The small squiggle like mark in the South Asian mushaf is a general
sign used to indicate that there is a note in the margin. It cannot be
considered an indication of imalah specifically. And Allah knows best.
Dabt of Sukūn, Shaddah, and Madd
27 Ibrahim al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-Hayran 'alā Mawrid al-Zam'an (Cairo: Dār al-Hadīth, 2005), 361.
28 al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Aļruf al-Qur'ān wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābt, 1. 480-481; Ibrāhīm al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-Hayrān 'alā Mawrid al-
Zam'an, 370.
15

18.
The symbol and
placement of sukūn
احْمِلْ
أحْمِلْ
Both masāhif use the same symbol of sukūn and place it above the letter as
stated by Imam al-Kharrāz.
19.
The symbol and
placement of shaddah
التَّنُّوْرُ
إِنَّ رَبُّ
اُلْتَّنُّورُ
إِنَّ رَتِی
Both masahif use the same symbol for shaddah and place it above the letter
as stated by Imam al-Kharraz. They also place the fathah above the shaddah,
the kasrah below the letter, and dammah above the shaddah.
20.
The madd symbol that
marks madd munfaşil,
muttașil, and lāzim.
سَأُوِىّ إلى
الْمَآءُ
الضَّآلّيْنَ
سَشَاوِىّ إِلَی
اُلْمَآءُ
الضَّآلّينَ
The two masahif use the same symbol to mark a madd that should be or may
be longer than two counts. They place the sign of madd on top of the letter
of madd as described by Imam al-Kharraz. However, while the Madinah
printed mushaf uses the same sign of madd for all three madds, the South
Asian mushaf uses slightly thicker madd signs for madd muttasil and madd
lāzim and a thinner sign for madd munfasil. I think this is because madd
muttașil and madd lazim cannot be read as two counts by any of the qurrā' in
any tarīq. However, madd munfasil can be shortened in certain turuq of Hafs.
And Allah knows best.
21.
Indicating a madd sign
when the letter of madd
is omitted from the rasm
of the Qur'an
شُفَغْؤُا
فَأْؤًا
لَا يَسْتَحْىِ أَنْ
لِيَسُؤَّءًا
شُفَغَؤُاْ
فَأَوَّاً
لَا يَسْتَحْيٌ أَن
لِيَسُئُواْ
The two masahif differ in how these will be marked. The Madinah printed
mushaf writes out the letter of madd that has been omitted in the rasm as a
small alif, waw, or ya', and then places the letter of madd on the miniature
letter. This is the preferred method of 'Allāmah al-Dānī and Imam Abū
Dawūd ibn Najāh. The South Asian mushaf does not write out the missing
letter of madd, even though it may seem so in the case of alif. Rather, it uses
what is referred to as a standing alif, a standing kasrah, or a standing dammah.
16

22.
Letters of madd that are
omitted from the rasm
and are not followed by
a hamzah or a sukūn, like
the șilah of hā' al-damīr.
دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ
فَيَسْتَحْىِ مِنْكُمْ
دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِّ
فَيَسْتَحْيءٍ مِنْكُمٌّ
The difference is the same as above, except that no madd sign is needed. The
Madinah printed mushaf adds a miniature letter and the South Asian mushaf
uses a standing fathah, kasrah, or dammah.
Dabt of Idghamand Izhār
23.
The letter which will be
read with izhār
انَخَذْتُمْ
آُنَذْتُمْ
The letter which will be read with izhar should have a sukun written on it,
and the letter after it should not have a shaddah on it. There is no difference
between the masahif.
24.
Idghām kāmil of one
letter into another
عَبَدْتُمْ
عَبَدْتُمْ
According to the matn of Imam al-Kharraz, the letter that will merge
(mudgham) should be written without a sukūn and the letter after it
(mudgham fih) should carry a shaddah.29 Shaykh Muhammad Salim Muhaysin
mentions a second approach. He writes that there is one opinion that the
sukūn does not need to be written at all or any sākin letter. However, for those
that write sukūn there are two opinions. The first is as is stated by Imam al-
Kharraz, that every letter that will be read clearly (izhār) will be marked with
a sukūn. Letters that will merge (idghām) or be hidden (ikhfa') will not be
marked with a sukūn. He then states that there is yet a third way, which is to
mark every sākin letter with a sukūn. This seems to be the opinion the South
Asian mushaf is taking.3º And Allah knows best.
29 al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 499.
30 Muhammad Sālim Muhaysin, Irshad al-Țālibīn ilā Dabț al-Kitāb al-Mubīn (Egypt: 'Abd al-Hamīd Ahmad Hanafī, 1960), 15.
17

25.
Idghām nāqis of one
letter into another
أَحَطْتُ
أَحَطتُ
Imam al-Kharraz mentions two opinions regarding the dabt of this scenario.
One opinion is to leave the first letter (in this case tā') without a sukūn, and
to not add a shaddah on the second letter either. This is as it is written in the
Madinah printed mushaf. Another opinion is to write a sukūn on the first
letter (tā') and to place a shaddah on the second letter.31 This is the opinion
that the South Asian mushaf follows.
Dabt of Hamzah
26.
Shape of hamzah that is
read with tahqīq
Head of 'ayn
as hamzah,
with an
exception
Head of 'ayn
as hamzah
There are two opinions about the shape of hamzah that is read with tahqīq.
The first is a yellow filled in dot, and the other is the head of 'ayn. Both
mașāhif use what Imam al-Kharraz refers to as the method of the
grammarians, which is to use the head of 'ayn to indicate a hamzah that is
read with tahqīq. 32
27.
Shape of hamzah that is
read with tashīl
ءَأَعْجَمِىُّ وَّعَرَبِىُّ
ءَ أعْجَمِىٌّ
The Madinah mushaf uses a filled in dot to mark hamzah musahhalah. The
South Asian printed mushaf adds a small mark on top of the second hamzah
that indicates to the reader that there is a note in the margin. The note in
the margin then states that the second hamzah should be read with tashil.
28.
Hamzat al-wasl
ع
تُكَذِّبُوْنَ @
أُحْشُرُوا
أُحْشُرُواْ
أَتَّبِعُواْ
The Madinah mushaf marks hamzat al-wasl with a small șād. This is done
consistently. The South Asian mushaf has two ways in which hamzat al-wasl is
marked. If the hamzat al-wasl comes after a strong sign of waqf, such as in the
31 al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Aļruf al-Qur'ān wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 500-502; Ibrāhīm al-Tūnisī, Dalīl al-Hayrān 'alā Mawrid al-
Zam'an, 375.
32 al-Kharrāz, Mawrid al-Zam'ān fi Rasmī Ahruf al-Qur'an wa Matn al-Dhayl fī al-Dābț, 1. 514-517.
18

الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ ﴾
أَّبِعُوْا
first example, it is after a rukū sign, the hamzat al-wasl will carry the vowel
with which it should be read when beginning from it. If the hamzat al-wasl
appears after a weak sign of waqf or no sign of waqf at all, it will be written
without any markings.
29.
Single hamzat al-qaț‘ that
appears in the shape of
alif and carries a vowel.
وَإِلَيْهِ
وَإِلَيْهِ
اجْرًا
أَجْرًا
أُنْزِلَ
أَنْزِلَ
تَبَّأْتُكُمَا
نَتَّأْ تُكُمَا
The Madinah printed mushaf marks the alif with the head of 'ayn, on top of
the alif for fathah and dämmah, and underneath the alif for kasrah. The South
Asian mushaf only marks the alif with a vowel and does not add the shape of
hamzah. The Madinah printed mushaf is in accordance with the principle of
dabț that requires that every hamzah muhaqqaqah be marked with either the
head of 'ayn or a yellow filled in circle, regardless of whether the hamzah has
a shape or not in the rasm.
30
Single hamzat al-qat that
appears in the shape of
ya' and carries a vowel.
فَيُنَِّئُكُمْ
فَيُنَبِّئُكُم
وَلَپِنْ
وَلَپن
نَبِّئُ
نَمِئْ
فِئَةٌ
فِئَةٌ
There is no difference between the two masahif. Both masahif place the head
of 'ayn on or under the ya' that is functioning as the shape for hamzah in the
rasm of the Qur'an.
31.
Single hamzat al-qat that
appears in the shape of
waw and carries a vowel.
آؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ
يُؤْمِنُوْنَ
أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم
يُؤْمِنُونَ
يُؤَدِّهِ
يُؤَدِّوٌ
وَلُؤْلُؤَّا
وَلُؤْلُؤَّا
There is no difference between the two masahif. Both masahif place the head
of 'ayn on or under the waw that is functioning as the shape for hamzah in
the rasm of the Qur'an.
19