Contemporary period resmü'l-mushaf studies: The example of Ghânim Kadduri al-Hamed

With the advent of Islam, the revealed verses of the Qur'an were preserved through both memorization and writing. During the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, the first Mushafs (the written compilation of the Quran) were produced, exhibiting orthographic features that diverged from established Arabic writing conventions and did not consistently reflect actual pronunciation. Traditional works adressed this orthography through explanations grounded in the characteristics of the Arabic language, variations in qira-at (recitations), grammatical considerations, and the reflection of certain pronunciations in writing. In modern times, however, archaeological studies conducted in the Arab world have identified connections between Arabic and earlier writing systems. Within this context, traditional explanations of Mushaf orthography have been re-examined in light of contemporary scholarship, with the aim of determining the primary factors shaping its structure. Among modern researchers of Mushaf studies, Ghânim Qaddûrî Hamed highlights the influence of ancient scripts inherited by Arabic writing on the formation of Rasm al-Uthmânî (the Uthmânic script). In this regard, Hamed examines the origins of Arabic script, its relationship with the Semitic language family, the development of the Arabic alphabet, and its transmission to the Hijaz shortly before the rise of Islam. His findings indicate that certain features of the Semitic writing tradition, from which Arabic emerged, were reflected in the early transcription of Qur'anic verses and Mushafs. Hamed argues that the explanations of traditional sources regarding the orthography of the Mushaf are neither sufficient nor scientific, emphasizing the need to address the matter from the historical perspective of the Arabic language. Accordingly, he interprets the orthographic features of the Mushaf in light of the history of Arabic writing, presenting them as manifestations of early Arabic script.