Clerk Errors Problem in Mushaf Spelling

Abstract

The subject of this article is that it was written during the Prophet's period, was copied during the Ottoman period, and was written by Ebû Abdirrahmân el-Halîl b. Ahmed b. Amr b. Temîm el-Ferâhîdî (d. 175/791), and the movements, dots, etc. that contribute to reading. are improvements. The Holy Quran, which is the most read book in the world as a manifestation of its name, began to be recorded by memorizing it from the first moment it was revealed to the Prophet. The Quran, which was first recorded by memorization by the Prophet himself and then by his companions, was recorded in another way by writing on the lines with the help of the companions who were skilled in writing. These early calligraphers, who are referred to as "revelation scribes" in the Quranic sciences literature, recorded the Qur'an from beginning to end by writing on various materials, although not in today's form and technique. These written materials, which were not initially compiled into a book, were compiled and brought together during the reign of Abu Bakr and eventually were rewritten and turned into Mushaf during the reign of Osman.  At the time when the Holy Quran was first written and later copied, the Arabic script lacked the dots to distinguish similar letters and the movements that would make it easier to read. This situation, which paved the way for many verses to be read in different ways, caused conflicts even among literate Arabs. Non-Arabs, on the other hand, encountered much greater difficulties in reading the Quran than Arabs because they were not familiar with the linguistic features of Arabic. In order to contribute to the solution of this issue, which has become an important problem among Muslims, first of all, signs indicating i'rab were placed in the Quran, and then letters with similar spellings were given their own forms with different dot configurations, finally by completely activating the text of the Quran, the calligrapher's practices aimed at facilitating recitation were brought to their current form. The calligrapher's arrangements made on the text of the Mushaf were not always aimed at making the recitation easier. During the period when Halil b. Ahmed was working on the hyphenation on the classical form of the Quran, some developments were made in the art of Arabic calligraphy that prioritized the aesthetic aspect of the writing. The innovations introduced in the art of Arabic calligraphy, especially starting from the Hijri II. century, paved the way for aesthetic calligrapher practices in writing the Mushaf. Although this development process, which continued for about five centuries until it became systematic, contributed to the aesthetic aspect of the writing at a high level, unfortunately, as the aesthetic concern became dominant over time, it also caused the formation of compositions that could sometimes lead to misreadings, instead of contributing to the ease of reading.  

Highlights

• Holy Quran it was written down by the revelation scribes during the time of the Prophet.
• The Holy Quran has been registered by both memorizing and writing.
• The writing of the period when the Holy Quran was written was without any vowels or dots.
• Early calligrapher writings aim to make reading the Quran easier.
• Developments in calligraphy have brought aesthetic concern in writing to the fore.