Ahsan al-Manahi fi Ithbat anna al-Rasm al-Uthmani Tawqifi la Istilahi
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- Editions
- Journal of Islamic Researches
Ahsan al-Manahi fi Ithbat anna al-Rasm al-Uthmani Tawqifi la Istilahi (The Best Paths in Proving that the Uthmanic Orthography is Divinely Guided, Not Conventional) is a contemporary treatise in Quranic studies by Arafa bin Tantawi that examines the theological and legal status of Quranic orthography (al-rasm al-uthmani). The work evaluates the classical and modern debates regarding whether the spelling system of the Uthmanic codices is divinely ordained (tawqifi) through prophetic instruction or a product of human convention (istilahi).
Purpose and Scope
The treatise aims to resolve the longstanding dispute among Muslim scholars regarding the script of the Quran. The core of the inquiry addresses whether the orthography of the mushaf was dictated and approved by the Prophet ﷺ—rendering it unalterable—or whether it was an agreed-upon convention among the scribes that could theoretically be adapted to modern standard Arabic spelling rules. Tantawi defines tawqifi orthography as script written upon an established basis in Islamic law that cannot be altered or substituted, being analogous to the divinely set arrangement of the Quran's surahs and verses. In contrast, istilahi denotes that the script was left to scholarly discretion and human convention without a binding legal obligation to maintain its historical form.
Structure and Method
The work is organized into an introduction, two main chapters (faslan), a conclusion detailing key findings, and reference indexes. The introductory sections outline the significance of the topic, previous scholarship, reasons for selecting the subject, the research problem, and the analytical method.
The first chapter, titled al-Rasm al-Uthmani bayn al-Tawqif wa-l-Istilah ("Uthmanic Orthography between Divine Guidance and Convention"), is divided into two sections (mabhathan):
- The first section comprises three subsections clarifying the definitions of tawqifi and istilahi and framing the scholarly dispute over the orthography of the mushaf.
- The second section contains eight subsections presenting the various scholarly opinions, detailing the arguments and textual proofs advanced by proponents of each stance, and systematically responding to opposing positions.
Core Arguments and Conclusions
The author establishes that the orthography of the Quran is divinely guided (tawqifi) and constitutes part of the practical and tacit Sunnah (sunnah amaliyyah taqririyyah), on the grounds that it was transcribed directly before the Prophet ﷺ by the scribes of revelation at his explicit command and approval. He emphasizes that this orthography remained unaltered throughout the three canonical compilations—under the Prophet ﷺ, Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and Caliph Uthman ibn Affan—and received the consensus of thousands of Companions, followed by the Successors.
The study specifically refutes the compromise position advocating that the Uthmanic script be preserved exclusively for specialists while modern orthography is used for the general public. The author concludes that strict adherence to the Uthmanic orthography is mandatory under all circumstances, noting that even scholars who viewed the script as conventional maintained that it is binding due to the uninterrupted consensus (ijma') of the Muslim community. He further corroborates this stance with decrees and formal legal opinions issued by major Islamic jurisprudence academies.
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