The Alphabet of Arabic Calligraphy in the First Century of Hijra: Toward an Aesthetic Perspective

Abstract

This study aims to examine the alphabet of Arabic script in the first century AH. through an analysis of the Madinan (Ḥijāzī) script in both its angular and cursive forms, highlighting its status as the aesthetic origin of all Arabic scripts. It traces the script’s development from its Nabataean roots and investigates its role in the writing of the earliest Qurʾānic codices, papyri, and early Islamic inscriptions, while also providing a formal and aesthetic analysis of its distinctive structural and visual features, employing a range of complementary research methods. The study concludes that the Madinan script predates the Kufic script both chronologically and artistically, and that the claim regarding the primacy of Kufic script and its alleged derivation from Syriac writing lacks scientific accuracy. The study proposes proportional and aesthetic ratios for the letters of the Madinan script that facilitate its application in contemporary Arabic calligraphy and graphic design. The findings underscore the need to reconsider the history of the development of Arabic script and to highlight the cultural significance of the Ḥijāz region in its emergence and artistic and aesthetic evolution.