Document Type : Review
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Quranic Sciences, University of Quranic Sciences and Education, Shahrood, Iran.
2 M.A. Graduate, Department of Quranic Sciences, Faculty of Quranic Sciences of Zabol, University of Quranic Sciences and Education. Zabol, Iran.
Abstract
The theory of the miraculous nature of the Qur'anic orthography (Rasm al-Muṣḥaf), advanced by later Sufi mystics and esoteric exegetes such as al-Dabbāgh, Shamlūl, and al-Kurdī, holds that the Qur'an's writing style, like its eloquence, constitutes a miracle containing divine secrets beyond human reason. This theory rests on two premises: the tawqīfī (divinely decreed) nature of the script and the esoteric significance of its orthographic variations.
Employing a descriptive-analytical method and primary sources, this study critiques the theory from three angles: conceptual (incompatibility with the definition of a miracle), transmitted (absence of authoritative Qur'anic or prophetic evidence), and historical (consistency with the scribal conventions of the revelation era).
The findings reveal that the Rasm al-Muṣḥaf is not miraculous; it merely reflects common writing practices of its time and lacks the essential elements of a miracle: challenge (taḥaddī) and immunity from opposition. The prophetic traditions cited by proponents are weak in transmission and pertain only to calligraphic aesthetics. The rationalistic justifications for orthographic variations are subjective and baseless. Archaeological evidence further shows that the differentiated spelling of similar words was common in pre-Islamic inscriptions.
Consequently, the theory of the miraculous Qur'anic script lacks both scientific and religious foundation and cannot be upheld. Nevertheless, preserving the Uthmānic script as a historical heritage and unifying factor remains significant for social and cultural interests.
Keywords
- Miracle (I'
- jāz)
- Orthography
- Miraculous Nature of Orthography (I'
- jāz al-Rasm)
- Uthmānic Script (Rasm al-'
- Uthmānī)
- Rasm al-Muṣḥaf (Qur'
- anic Orthography)
Main Subjects
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