Clarifying The Misconception in Differentiating between Manuscripts of Rasm 'Uthmani and Imla'i

Abstract

This paper will discuss the differences between the characteristics of mushaf written with rasm ‘Uthmani (‘Uthmani orthography) and mushaf written with rasm al-imla’i (Arabic orthography). Even though there are only six basic differences between these two types of mushafs, the researchers found out that many people are still confused in determining them. Thus, this study aimed to explain the differences between them and clarify the confusion. This study found out that the confusion originated from people’s misunderstanding of the differences between the science of rasm mushaf (the writing form of the Qur’an) and the science of dabt mushaf (determining the conventional signs of vocalization of the Qur’an). This also led to the misconception that dabt mushaf is the yardstick to determine the differences between rasm ‘Uthmani mushaf and non-rasm ‘Uthmani mushaf. In fact, rasm ‘Uthmani mushaf, which was written by the sahabah, did not contain the conventional signs of vocalization like the mushaf that we have in hand nowadays. The signs were actually applied to the Qur’an by the scholars at a later time.