Rasm

Rasm (Arabic: رَسْم‎) is an Arabic writing script often used in the early centuries of Classical Arabic literature (7th century – early 11th century AD). Essentially it is the same as today's Arabic script except for the big difference that dots and dashes (the i‘jām pointing) are omitted. In rasm, the five distinct letters ـبـ ـتـ ـثـ ـنـ ـيـ are indistinguishable because all the dots are omitted. It is also known as Arabic skeleton script.

Early written Arabic used only rasm (in black). Later Arabic added i‘jām diacritics (examples in red) so that consonants letters such as these five letters ـبـ ـتـ ـثـ ـنـ ـيـ could be distinguished. Short vowels are indicated by harakat diacritics (examples in blue) which is used in the Qur'an but not in most written Arabic.
For the measure of airline performance by the same name, see RASM.
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History

In the early Arabic manuscripts that survive today (physical manuscripts dated 7th and 8th centuries AD), one finds dots but "putting dots was in no case compulsory".[1] Some manuscripts have no dots at all, while others add dots only sparingly and only in phrase contexts where the scribe thinks the omission of dotting on a word would leave the meaning ambiguous.


Rasm means 'drawing', 'outline', or 'pattern' in Arabic. When speaking of the Qur'an, it stands for the basic text made of the 18 letters without the Arabic diacritics which mark vowels (tashkīl) and disambiguate consonants (i‘jām).

Letters

The Rasm is the oldest part of the Arabic script; it has 18 elements, excluding the ligature of lām and alif. When isolated and in the final position, the 18 letters are visually distinct. However, in the initial and medial positions, certain letters that are distinct otherwise are not differentiated visually. This results in only 15 visually distinct glyphs each in the initial and medial positions.

Name Final Medial Initial Isolated Rasm
Final Medial Initial Isolated Code point
ʾalif ـا‎ ـا‎ ا‎ ا‎ ـا‎ ـا‎ ا‎ ا‎ U+0627
Bāʾ ـب‎ ـبـ‎ بـ‎ ب‎ ـٮ‎ ـٮـ‎ ٮـ‎ ٮ‎ U+066E
Tāʾ ـت‎ ـتـ‎ تـ‎ ت‎
Ṯāʾ ـث‎ ـثـ‎ ثـ‎ ث‎
Nūn ـن‎ ـنـ‎ نـ‎ ن‎ ـں‎ ـںـ‎ ںـ‎ ں‎ U+06BA[a]
Yāʾ ـي‎ ـيـ‎ يـ‎ ي‎ ـى‎ ـىـ‎ ىـ‎ ى‎ U+0649
Alif maqṣūrah ـى‎ ـىـ‎ ىـ‎ ى‎
Ǧīm ـج‎ ـجـ‎ جـ‎ ج‎ ـح‎ ـحـ‎ حـ‎ ح‎ U+062D
Ḥāʾ ـح‎ ـحـ‎ حـ‎ ح‎
Ḫāʾ ـخ‎ ـخـ‎ خـ‎ خ‎
Dāl ـد‎ ـد‎ د‎ د‎ ـد‎ ـد‎ د‎ د‎ U+062F
Ḏāl ـذ‎ ـذ‎ ذ‎ ذ‎
Rāʾ ـر‎ ـر‎ ر‎ ر‎ ـر‎ ـر‎ ر‎ ر‎ U+0631
Zāy ـز‎ ـز‎ ز‎ ز‎
Sīn ـس‎ ـسـ‎ سـ‎ س‎ ـس‎ ـسـ‎ سـ‎ س‎ U+0633
Šīn ـش‎ ـشـ‎ شـ‎ ش‎
Ṣād ـص‎ ـصـ‎ صـ‎ ص‎ ـص‎ ـصـ‎ صـ‎ ص‎ U+0635
Ḍād ـض‎ ـضـ‎ ضـ‎ ض‎
Ṭāʾ ـط‎ ـطـ‎ طـ‎ ط‎ ـط‎ ـطـ‎ طـ‎ ط‎ U+0637
Ẓāʾ ـظ‎ ـظـ‎ ظـ‎ ظ‎
ʿayn ـع‎ ـعـ‎ عـ‎ ع‎ ـع‎ ـعـ‎ عـ‎ ع‎ U+0639
Ġayn ـغ‎ ـغـ‎ غـ‎ غ‎
Fāʾ ـف‎ ـفـ‎ فـ‎ ف‎ ـڡ‎ ـڡـ‎ ڡـ‎ ڡ‎ U+06A1
Qāf ـق‎ ـقـ‎ قـ‎ ق‎ ـٯ‎ ـٯـ‎ ٯـ‎ ٯ‎ U+066F
Kāf ـك / ـڪ‎ ـكـ‎ كـ‎ ك / ڪ‎ ـڪ‎ ـڪـ‎ ڪـ‎ ڪ‎ U+06AA
Lām ـل‎ ـلـ‎ لـ‎ ل‎ ـل‎ ـلـ‎ لـ‎ ل‎ U+0644
Mīm ـم‎ ـمـ‎ مـ‎ م‎ ـم‎ ـمـ‎ مـ‎ م‎ U+0645
Hāʾ ـه‎ ـهـ‎ هـ‎ ه‎ ـه‎ ـهـ‎ هـ‎ ه‎ U+0647
Tāʾ marbūṭah ـة‎ ة‎
Wāw ـو‎ ـو‎ و‎ و‎ ـو‎ ـو‎ و‎ و‎ U+0648
Hamzah ء‎ ء‎ ء‎ ء‎ (None)[b]
  • ^a This character may not display correctly in some fonts. The dot should not appear in all four positional forms and the initial and medial forms should join with following character. In other words the initial and medial forms should look exactly like those of a dotless bāʾ while the isolated and final forms should look like those of a dotless nūn.
  • ^b There is no hamzah in rasm writing, including hamzah-on-the-line (i.e., hamzah between letters).


At the time when the i‘jām was optional, letters deliberately lacking the points of i‘jām: ⟨ح⟩ /ħ/, ⟨د⟩ /d/, ⟨ر⟩ /r/, ⟨س⟩ /s/, ⟨ص⟩ /sˤ/, ⟨ط⟩ /tˤ/, ⟨ع⟩ /ʕ/, ⟨ل⟩ /l/, ⟨ه⟩ /h/ — could be marked with a small v-shaped sign above or below the letter, or a semicircle, or a miniature of the letter itself (e.g. a small س to indicate that the letter in question is س and not ش), or one or several subscript dots, or a superscript hamza, or a superscript stroke.[2] These signs, collectively known as ‘alāmātu-l-ihmāl, are still occasionally used in modern Arabic calligraphy, either for their original purpose (i.e. marking letters without i‘jām), or often as purely decorative space-fillers. The small ک above the kāf in its final and isolated forms ⟨ك  ـك⟩ was originally ‘alāmatu-l-ihmāl, but became a permanent part of the letter. Previously this sign could also appear above the medial form of kāf, instead of the stroke on its ascender.[3]


Historical example

Among which Kufic Blue Qur'an and Samarkand Qurʾan. The latter is written almost entirely in Kufic rasm: Surah Al-Aʿaraf (7), Ayahs 86 & 87, of the Samarkand Qur'an:

Digital rasm with spacesDigital rasmModern Arabic
ا لل‍ه مں ا مں ٮه و ٮٮعو الل‍ه مں امں ٮه وٮٮعو ٱللَّٰهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُو
ٮها عو حا و ا د ٮها عوحا واد نَهَا عِوَجًا وَإِذْ
کر و ا ا د کٮٮم کروا اد کٮٮم كُرُوا۟ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ
ڡلٮلا ڡکٮر کم ڡلٮلا ڡکٮرکم قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ
و ا ٮطر وا کٮڡ واٮطروا کٮڡ وَٱنْظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ
کا ں عڡٮه ا لمڡسد کاں عاڡٮه المڡسد كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِ
ٮں ڡر و ا ں کا ں طا ٮں ڡر واں کاں طا ينَ وَإِنْ كَانَ طَا
ٮڡه مٮکم ا مٮو ا ٮڡه مٮکم امٮوا ئِفَةٌ مِنْكُمْ آمَنُوا۟
ٮالد ى ا ر سلٮ ٮالدى ارسلٮ بِٱلَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ
ٮه و طا ٮڡه لم ٮو ٮه وطاٮڡه لم ٮو بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَمْ يُؤْ
مٮو ا ڡا صٮر و ا مٮوا ڡاصٮروا مِنُوا۟ فَٱصْبِرُوا۟
حٮى ٮحکم ا لل‍ه ٮٮٮٮا حٮى ٮحکم الل‍ه ٮٮٮٮا حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّٰهُ بَيْنَنَا

Digital examples
Description Example Image
Translation The Arabic Alphabet
Rasm
رسم

الاٮحدىه العرٮىه
Short vowel diacritics omitted. This is the style used for most modern secular documents.

الأبجدية العربية
All diacritics. This style is used to show pronunciation unambiguously in dictionaries and modern Qurans. Alef waṣla ٱ‎ is only used in Quran texts.

اَلْأَبْجَدِيَّة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة
Romanisation al-ʾabjadīyaḧ l-ʿarabīyaḧ

Compare the Basmala (Arabic: بَسْمَلَة‎), the beginning verse of the Qurʾān with all diacritics and with the rasm only. Note that when rasm is written with spaces, spaces do not only occur between words. Within a word, spaces also appear between adjacent letters that are not connected, and this type of rasm is old and not used lately.

Rasm with
spaces [c]		 ‍ ٮسم‌‌ ا ل‍ل‍ه ا لر حمں‌ ا لر حىم
Rasm only [c] ٮسم ال‍ل‍ه الرحمں الرحىم
Iʿjām and all
diacritics [c]		 بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Basmala Unicode
character U+FDFD 		﷽
Romanisation bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi

^c. The sentence may not display correctly in some fonts. It appears as it should if the full Arabic character set from the Arial font is installed; or one of the SIL International [4] fonts Scheherazade[5] or Lateef[6]; or Katibeh[7].

Examples of Common Phrases
Qurʾanic Arabic with i'jamQurʾanic Arabic RasmPhrase
بِسْمِ ٱل‍لَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِٮسم ال‍له الرحمں الرحىمIn the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Especially-Merciful.
أَعُوذُ بِٱل‍لَّٰهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِاعود ٮال‍له مں السىطں الرحىمI seek refuge in God from the pelted Satan.
أَعُوذُ بِٱل‍لَّٰهِ ٱلسَّمِيعِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِاعود ٮال‍له السمىع العلىم مں السىطں الرحىمI seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the pelted Satan.
ٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَيْکُمْالسلم علىکمPeace be upon you.
ٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَيْکُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱل‍لَّٰهِ وَبَرَکَٰتُهُالسلم علىکم ورحمه ال‍له وٮرکٮهPeace be upon you, as well as the mercy of God and His blessings.
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱل‍لَّٰهِسٮحں ال‍لهGlorified is God.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِ‍لَّٰهِالحمد ل‍لهAll praise is due to God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱل‍لَّٰهُلا اله الا ال‍لهThere is no deity but God.
ٱل‍لَّٰهُ أَکْبَرُال‍له اکٮرGod is greater [than everything].
أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱل‍لَّٰهَاسٮعڡر ال‍لهI seek the forgiveness of God.
أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱل‍لَّٰهَ رَبِّي وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِاسٮعڡر ال‍له رٮى واٮوٮ الىهI seek the forgiveness of God and repent to Him.
سُبْحَٰنَکَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُمَّسٮحںک ال‍لهمGlorified are you, O God.
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱل‍لَّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِسٮحں ال‍له وٮحمدهGlorified is God and by His praise.
سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِسٮحں رٮى العطىم وٮحمدهGlorified is my God, the Great, and by His praise.
سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَبِحَمْدِهِسٮحں رٮى الاعلى وٮحمدهGlorified is my God, the Most High, and by His praise.
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱل‍لَّٰهِ ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيمِلا حول ولا ٯوه الا ٮال‍له العلى العطىمThere is no power no strength except from God, the Exalted, the Great.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَٰنَکَ إِنِّي کُنْتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَلا اله الا اںٮ سٮحںک اںى کںٮ مں الطلمىںThere is no god except You, glorified are you! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers.
حَسْبُنَا ٱل‍لَّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَکِيلُحسٮںا ال‍له وںعم الوکىلGod is sufficient for us, and He is an excellent Trustee.
إِنَّا لِ‍لَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَاںا ل‍له واںا الىه رحعوںVerily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.
مَا شَاءَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُ کَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَاءُ لَمْ يَکُنْما سا ال‍له کاں وما لم ىسا لم ىکںWhat God wills will be, and what God does not will, will not be.
إِنْ شَاءَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُاں سا ال‍لهIf God wills.
مَا شَاءَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُما سا ال‍لهWhat God wills.
بِإِذْنِ ٱل‍لَّٰهِٮادں ال‍لهBy the permission of God.
جَزَاکَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُ خَيْرًاحراک ال‍له حىراGod reward you [with] goodness.
بَٰرَکَ ٱل‍لَّٰهُ فِيکَٮرک ال‍له ڡىکGod bless you.
فِي سَبِيلِ ٱل‍لَّٰهِڡى سٮىل ال‍لهOn the path of God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱل‍لَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱل‍لَّٰهِلا اله الا ال‍له محمد رسول ال‍لهThere is no deity but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱل‍لَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱل‍لَّٰهِ عَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ ٱل‍لَّٰهِلا اله الا ال‍له محمد رسول ال‍له على ولى ال‍لهThere is no deity but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, Ali is the vicegerent of God. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱل‍لَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱل‍لَّٰهِاسهد اں لا اله الا ال‍له واسهد اں محمدا رسول ال‍لهI bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱل‍لَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱل‍لَّٰهِ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ ٱل‍لَّٰهِاسهد اں لا اله الا ال‍له واسهد اں محمدا رسول ال‍له واسهد اں علىا ولى ال‍لهI bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, and I bear witness that Ali is the vicegerent of God. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
ٱل‍لَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍال‍لهم صل على محمد وال محمدO God, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad.
ٱل‍لَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ وَٱلْعَنْ أَعْدَاءَهُمْال‍لهم صل على محمد وال محمد وعحل ڡرحهم والعں اعداهمO God, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad, and hasten their alleviation and curse their enemies. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
ٱل‍لَّٰهُمَّ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِيِّکَ ٱلْفَرَجَ وَٱلْعَافِيَةَ وَٱلنَّصْرَال‍لهم عحل لولىک الڡرح والعاڡىه والںصرO God, hasten the alleviation of your vicegerent (i.e. Imam Mahdi), and grant him vitality and victory. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
لَا سَيْفَ إِلَّا ذُو ٱلْفَقَارِ وَلَا فَتَىٰ إِلَّا عَلِيٌّلا سىڡ الا دو الڡٯار ولا ڡٮى الا علىThere is no sword but the Zu al-Faqar, and there is no youth but Ali. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
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See also

References
  1. "What Are Those Few Dots for? Thoughts on the Orthography of the Qurra Papyri (709–710), the Khurasan Parchments (755–777) and the Inscription of the Jerusalem Dome of the Rock (692)", by Andreas Kaplony, year 2008 in journal Arabica volume 55 pages 91–101.
  2. Gacek, Adam (2009). "Unpointed letters". Arabic Manuscripts: A Vademecum for Readers. BRILL. p. 286. ISBN 90-04-17036-7.
  3. Gacek, Adam (1989). "Technical Practices and Recommendations Recorded by Classical and Post-Classical Arabic Scholars Concerning the Copying and Correction of Manuscripts" (PDF). In Déroche, François (ed.). Les manuscrits du Moyen-Orient: essais de codicologie et de paléographie. Actes du colloque d'Istanbul (Istanbul 26–29 mai 1986). p. 57 (§8. Diacritical marks and vowelisation).
  4. "Arabic Fonts". software.sil.org. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  5. "Google Fonts: Scheherazade". Google Fonts.
  6. "Google Fonts: Lateef". Google Fonts.
  7. "Google Fonts: Katibeh". Google Fonts.
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