and could be written . The case of the word

(  ) is curious: in the Qur'an it is written sometimes  and at other times even  . In these

cases a small ee is supplied as a sign of vocalization for the help of the reader. Again, it is sometimes pronounced aa instead of ee (as in  etc.). A small alif is marked over it to denote that it is to be pronounced aa. Further, there is one case in which one writes  , but one pronounces majraihaa - ai as

in English air - and not majraahaa. This is also marked with a particular sign in copies of the Qur'an to invite attention.

Finally, it is written in one case and is not pronounced, in , instead of the logical .
 

    In consonants also there is a case, but just the contrary one: the Qur'anic orthography is  for what one would

expect  ; and the want is supplied by an additional but small () as a vocalization sign.
 

Is a change in the orthography of the Qur'an advisable?

Before I speak of another difficulty, I shall answer one question which arises at this juncture: why not change the

orthography of the Qur'an and write it as one reads? In fact, this is an old question, and several attempts have even been

made, particularly in the Ottoman Turkey to "reform" the script of the Qur'an. My own humble opinion is against the

change, and I shall presently say why. As is known, the present orthography of the holy text comes from the time of its

first official publication' in the time of the Caliph (Uthman, and as such it is one of the oldest monuments of the Arabic

orthography, and the only really authentic one. To preserve antiquities in their original form is not only a pious duty, but

has in fact its own practical utilities. I shall refer to one from personal experience. In 1863, the German Oriental magazine

ZDMG published an original letter of the Prophet Muhammad, discovered in Damascus. The editor, Professor Fleischer,
declared it a forgery on the ground, among others, that in the text the word  was written with a double ya instead

of  the correct single ya (  ), and that the scribe of the Prophet could not commit such a gross stake. The case

just referred to of the word of the Qur'an , which is to be written , proves conclusively that this was

not a mistake but a characteristic of the spelling of those days. Without having preserved the very spelling of the Qur'an,

as established by the Caliph Uthman, we would have lost this so very precious proof which will certainly come to the

help of  yet others on other occasions. It is more desirable to preserve intact this monument, and very much easier to

master its peculiarities of spelling for purposes of correct reading.