Rasm al-Qur’an in Scholarly Study: An Analysis of the Uthmanic Rasm

Abstract

Rasm al-Qur’an, particularly the Uthmanic rasm, is a system of Qur’anic orthography that plays a crucial role in preserving the authenticity and uniformity of the Qur’anic text. The development of rasm al-Qur’an cannot be separated from a long historical process, beginning with the early and simple writing practices during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), followed by the compilation during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, and culminating in the standardization under Caliph Uthman ibn Affan. Variations in qira’at across different regions became the primary background for the emergence of the Uthmanic rasm as an effort to unify the Muslim community under a standardized form of the mushaf. This study aims to examine the definition of rasm al-Qur’an, its historical development leading to the emergence of the Uthmanic rasm, scholarly perspectives on its status, and the principles governing its orthography. The research employs a qualitative method with a library research approach, analyzing relevant academic sources such as journals and books. The findings indicate that the Uthmanic rasm holds a highly significant position in maintaining the authenticity of the Qur’anic text and the stability of its recitation, despite differences of opinion among scholars regarding its status—whether it is tauqifi (divinely guided) or ijtihadi (based on scholarly reasoning). Furthermore, the Uthmanic rasm follows distinctive orthographic rules, including al-hadhf (omission), al-ziyadah (addition), al-badal (substitution), and al-wasl wa al-fasl (connection and separation), which do not always conform to modern Arabic writing conventions. Therefore, the Uthmanic rasm remains the primary standard for writing the Qur’anic mushaf and continues to be relevant for preservation and study in the modern era.