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The Origin and Development of Arabic Calligraphy between the Claims of Luxenberg and Contemporary Opinions | ||
| Interdisciplinary Studies of Quran & Hadith | ||
| Article 3, Volume 1, Issue 4, April 2024, Pages 399-422 PDF (745.74 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.30497/isqh.2025.245582.1026 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mahmood Karimi1; Amirhosein Farasati* 2 | ||
| 1Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Theology, Imam Sadiq (pbuh) University, Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2PhD Candidate, Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Theology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran. | ||
| Receive Date: 16 December 2023, Revise Date: 10 February 2024, Accept Date: 09 March 2024 | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The issue of the origins and development of scripts has occupied a number of historians and has led to extensive debates among both ancient and modern scholars. While some claim non-human origins for scripts or believe they emerged through prophets and messengers, others present views based on historical documents that reveal some ambiguities in this field. Among these scripts, Arabic calligraphy holds significant importance in human culture, sparking debate among scholars regarding its origin and historical development. This research paper aims to address this issue by examining the views of a contemporary Orientalist who claims a Syriac origin for Arabic script. The significance of this claim lies in the author's assertion that it serves as evidence for many misunderstandings of the Holy Quran, thus supporting his hypothesis regarding a Syriac-Aramaic reading of the Quran. Therefore, this study highlights the main claims of Luxenberg regarding the origins of Arabic script and compares them with the opinions of ancient Muslim scholars as well as contemporary scientists, ultimately concluding that, according to historical findings, the origin of Arabic script is the Nabataean script, which is a branch of Aramaic script, tracing back to Phoenician script, which in turn was derived from ancient Egyptian script. This research paper employs a comparative analytical method to respond to Luxenberg's claims and to substantiate its findings. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Arabic calligraphy; origin of Arabic script; development of Arabic script; Christoph Luxenberg's views; Syriac-Aramaic reading; critical study of Orientalist opinions | ||
| References | ||
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