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The Origins of Arabic Calligraphy
According to
contemporary studies, Arabic writing is a member of the Semitic
alphabetical scripts in which mainly the consonants are represented.
Arabic script was developed in a comparatively brief span of time.
Arabic became a frequently used alphabet--and, today, it is second
in use only to the Roman alphabet.
The early Arabs were basically a nomadic people. Their lives were
hard before Islam, but their culture was prolific in terms of
writing and poetry. Long before they were gathered into the Islamic
fold, the nomadic Arabs acknowledged the power and beauty of words.
Poetry, for example, was an essential part of daily life. The
delight
 Arabs took in language and linguistic skills also would be
exhibited in Arabic literature and calligraphy. The early Arabs felt
an immense appreciation for the spoken word and later for its
written form.
Arabic script is derived from the Aramaic Nabataean alphabet. The
Arabic alphabet is a script of 28 letters and uses long but not
short vowels. The letters are derived from only 17 distinct forms,
distinguished one from another by a dot or dots placed above or
below the letter. Short vowels are indicated by small diagonal
strokes above or below letters.
The Nabataean were semi-nomadic Arabs who dwelled in an area
extending from Sinai and North Arabia to southern Syria. Their
empire included the major cities of Hijr, Petra, and Busra. Although
the Nabataean empire ended in 105 A.D., its language and script
would have profound impact upon the early development of Arabic
scripts.
Archeologists and linguists have analyzed and studied the Nabataean
inscriptions that represent the advanced transitional stage toward
the development of such Arabic scripts as the Um al-Jimal, dating
from about 250 A.D., and the Namarah of the famous pre-Islamic poet
Imru' al-Qays, dating from 328 A.D. Another inscription from Um al-Jimal,
dating
from the 6th century,
confirms the derivation of the Arabic script from the Nabataean and
points to the birth of distinctive Arabic writing forms.
North Arabic script was first introduced and established in the
northeastern part of Arabia. During the 5th century, Arabian nomadic
tribes who dwelled in the areas of Hirah and Anbar used this script
extensively. In the early part of the 6th century, the North Arabic
script reached Hijaz in western Arabia. Bishr Ibn Abd al-Malik and
his father-in-law Harb Ibn Umayyah are credited with introducing and
popularizing the use of this script among the tribe of the Prophet
Muhammad, Quraysh. Other tribes in nearby cities adopted with
enthusiasm the art of writing.
Jazm is the earliest referenced Arabic script. This script is
believed to be an advanced form of the Nabataean alphabet. The
stiff, angular, and well-proportioned letters of the Jazm script
would later influence the development of the famous Kufi script --
the script of Kufa, a small town in Iraq.
The Reform of Arabic Writing
As the
teachings of Islam spread beyond the boundaries of the Arabian
Peninsula, an enormous number of people worldwide became Muslims.
The new Muslims interpreted the art of writing as an abstract
expression of Islam, each according to their own cultural and
aesthetic systems. The influx of this cultural diversity led to two
major events: the birth of regional calligraphic schools and styles
such as Ta'liq in Persia and Deewani in Turkey, and the need to
reform of the Arabic language. A clear and universal language with
legible script was needed if the non-Arab Muslims were to learn
Arabic and become part of the Islamic melting pot.
The first movement to reform the Arabic language and writing system
came during the Umayyad era. Abul Aswad ad-Du'ali was the prophet
and legendary founder of Arabic grammar and is credited with the
invention of placing diacritical points to distinguish between
certain identical consonants such as the 'gaf' and 'fa' in the
Arabic alphabet. This system of diacritical marks is known as
Tashkil (vocalization). Different colors also were introduced to
differentiate between these marks--black for the diacriticals and
red or yellow for the vocalics.
The powerful and energetic Umayyad viceroy al-Hajjaj Ibn Yousuf al-Thaqafi
(694-714), took on the responsibility of solving problems concerning
diacriticals. He commissioned Nasr and Yehya to refine the Tashkil
system. They introduced the use of dots and certain vowel signs as
differentiating marks. The dots were placed either above or beneath
the letter, either single or in groups of two or three.
Unfortunately, for many people and scribes the system was unclear
and confusing. A more sophisticated system was needed. The second
reform movement was undertaken around 786. Khalil Ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi,
the famous Arab philologist and lexicographer, was entrusted with
devising a new Tashkil system. Al-Farahidi introduced vowel signs
inspired by the initial shape or parts of certain letters. The sign
'hamza,' for example, is part of the letter 'ayn' (without its
end-tail).
The new system gained wide popularity throughout the Muslim world.
And Arabic calligraphy acquired the characteristics of beauty,
sanctity, and versatility. Arabic calligraphy was used
administratively, on architecture, on coins, to pen impressive
epistles, and to produce elegant books, especially the Holy Qur'an,
miniatures, and other literary works.
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