Waseem Altaf : Two Questions... The original Qur'an was written without diacritical marks. Let us take a simple example and see how the placement of diacritical marks affects the meaning of a simple expression. The English word "girl" in Arabic is "bint". The Arabic word "bint" is composed of three letters, which are "Ba", "noon", and "Ta". When these three letters are written connected to each other without the diacritical points they will appear identical. They will look like three adjacent crescents facing upwards. The difference between them is nothing. Only the diacritical points can differentiate between them. Here is how it works:
• If you put one point below any one of them, it's "Ba"
• If you put two points below any one of them, it's "ya"
• If you put one point above any one of them, it's "noon"
• If you put two points above any one of them, it's "Ta"
• If you put three points above any one of them, it's "Tha"
Therefore, one can imagine the multitude of possible alternatives that could arise from the varying arrangements of diacritical points on each of the three letters. Many of these alternatives are meaningful. For example:
1. If you put one point below the first, one above the second, two above the third, it is “bint” which translates as "girl" in English.
2. If you put one point below the first, two points below the second, two above the third, it is "Bayt" which translates as "home" in English.
3. If you put two points below the first, one below the second, and two above the third, it is "yabet" which translates as "he makes a decision" in English.
4. If you put one point above the first, one below the second and two above the third, it is “nabat” which translates as "was planted" in English.
5. If you put one point below the first, two below the second and one above the third, it is "Bayn" which translates as "between" in English.
6. If you put one point below the first, three points above the second and two points above the third, it is "Bathat" which translates as "she broadcast" in English.
7. If you put two points below the first, one below the second, and three above the third, it is "yaboth" which translates as "he broadcast" in English.
8. If you put two points above the first, two points below the second, one point above the third, it is "teen" which translates as "figs" in English.
9. If you put two points above the first, one below the second, and one point above the third, it is "tebn" which translates as "hay" in English.
10. If you put three points above the first, one below the second, two above the third, it is "thabbat" which translates as "strengthens" in English.
11. If you put three above the first, one above the second and two above the third, it is "thanat" which translates as "shy bent" in English.
12. If you put two above the first, one above the second, one below the third, it is "tannob" which translates as "to prevent" in English.
13. If you put two points below the first, three above the second, and one below the third, it is "yatheb" which translates as "he jumps" in English.
14. If you put one point above the first, three above the second and one below the third, it is "natheb" which translates as "we jump" in English.
15. If you put one point above the first, one below the second and three above the third, it is "nabath" which translates as "utters few letters" in English.
The list could go on. The number of Arabic letters that need diacritical points are 22 out of a total of 28 Arabic letters. They are "Ba, ta, Tha, Geem, Ha, Kha, Dal, Zal, Ra, Zeen, Seen, Sheen, Sad, dzad, Ta, dza, 'ein, ghein, Fa, Gaf, non, and ya when it is the first or middle letter in a word". 22 letters out of 28 have no possible sound without diacritical points! Remember, the Quran was first written without any diacritical points on these 22 letters!
In addition to the diacritical points, there are other forms of vocalization marks that change the pronunciation and the meaning of the given word. These marks are Damma, Fathha, kassra, shadda, scoon, madda, and other less important marks. They are put above or below the letter to affect its pronunciation. Please realize that the same word will vary in its pronunciation and meaning according to the positioning of these marks. For example:
1. The same form of the word "bint" (A girl in English) will become "banat" by putting "Fathha" on the second letter, which means, "she built" in English.
2. The same form of the word "bayn" (between in English) will become "bayan" if we add "shadda" on the first and the second letters, which means "He manifests" in English.
3. The same form of the word "Bayt" (home in English) will become "bayat" if we add "shadda" on the second letter, which means, "he intends" in English.
4. The same form of the word "nabath" (utters some letters) will become "naboth" if we add "shadda" to the second letter, which means, "we broadcast" in English.
5. The same form of the word "nabat" (was planted) will become "nabot" if we add "shadda" to the second letter, which means, "we make a decision" in English.
Therefore, even after adding diacritical points above and below the Arabic letters, the meaning of the word will not be explicit with certainty except after adding the vocalization marks. Both the diacritical points and the vocalization marks were not used in the ancient Arabic writings of the pre-, post-, and Quranic period. For a matter of simplification to the English reader, you may ponder the difference between (to & too) (too & two) (girls & girl's) (its & it's), although in Arabic things are even more complicated.
After this hurried analysis of the formulation of Arabic words, it may become clear to the reader to what extent the words will be meaningless without these points and marks. Moreover, any attempt to add these diacritical points and vocalization marks to non-punctuated text of the Quran may result in countless number of readings.
Hajjaj Bin Yousaf(661-714) remained the ruler of Iraq for 20 years. He alone executed 1, 25000 men and beheaded leaders like Sa'id bin Zubair. He also executed prominent scholars like Abdullah bin Umar and Abdullah bin Zubair and countless other friends of Prophet Mohammad.
In 683 AD, Hajjaj bin Yousaf destroyed the Kaaba and ten years later in 693 AD., he demolished the entire Kaaba right down to the ground and smashed the Hajar-e-Aswad.
The same Hajjaj Bin Yousaf applied diacritical points and vocalization marks to the Qur'an as we see them today.
Question 1: Who authorized Hajjaj to put diacritical points on a “divine” text while today even the most celebrated scholars of Islam would be summarily put to death even if they talk of adding or subtracting anything to the “holy” text?
Question 2: How can human intellect match “divine” intelligence to be able to “truly comprehend” what “He” intended---------while making changes to the original script with no diacritical points and vocalization marks?
From Waseem Altaf FB wall.
• If you put one point below any one of them, it's "Ba"
• If you put two points below any one of them, it's "ya"
• If you put one point above any one of them, it's "noon"
• If you put two points above any one of them, it's "Ta"
• If you put three points above any one of them, it's "Tha"
Therefore, one can imagine the multitude of possible alternatives that could arise from the varying arrangements of diacritical points on each of the three letters. Many of these alternatives are meaningful. For example:
1. If you put one point below the first, one above the second, two above the third, it is “bint” which translates as "girl" in English.
2. If you put one point below the first, two points below the second, two above the third, it is "Bayt" which translates as "home" in English.
3. If you put two points below the first, one below the second, and two above the third, it is "yabet" which translates as "he makes a decision" in English.
4. If you put one point above the first, one below the second and two above the third, it is “nabat” which translates as "was planted" in English.
5. If you put one point below the first, two below the second and one above the third, it is "Bayn" which translates as "between" in English.
6. If you put one point below the first, three points above the second and two points above the third, it is "Bathat" which translates as "she broadcast" in English.
7. If you put two points below the first, one below the second, and three above the third, it is "yaboth" which translates as "he broadcast" in English.
8. If you put two points above the first, two points below the second, one point above the third, it is "teen" which translates as "figs" in English.
9. If you put two points above the first, one below the second, and one point above the third, it is "tebn" which translates as "hay" in English.
10. If you put three points above the first, one below the second, two above the third, it is "thabbat" which translates as "strengthens" in English.
11. If you put three above the first, one above the second and two above the third, it is "thanat" which translates as "shy bent" in English.
12. If you put two above the first, one above the second, one below the third, it is "tannob" which translates as "to prevent" in English.
13. If you put two points below the first, three above the second, and one below the third, it is "yatheb" which translates as "he jumps" in English.
14. If you put one point above the first, three above the second and one below the third, it is "natheb" which translates as "we jump" in English.
15. If you put one point above the first, one below the second and three above the third, it is "nabath" which translates as "utters few letters" in English.
The list could go on. The number of Arabic letters that need diacritical points are 22 out of a total of 28 Arabic letters. They are "Ba, ta, Tha, Geem, Ha, Kha, Dal, Zal, Ra, Zeen, Seen, Sheen, Sad, dzad, Ta, dza, 'ein, ghein, Fa, Gaf, non, and ya when it is the first or middle letter in a word". 22 letters out of 28 have no possible sound without diacritical points! Remember, the Quran was first written without any diacritical points on these 22 letters!
In addition to the diacritical points, there are other forms of vocalization marks that change the pronunciation and the meaning of the given word. These marks are Damma, Fathha, kassra, shadda, scoon, madda, and other less important marks. They are put above or below the letter to affect its pronunciation. Please realize that the same word will vary in its pronunciation and meaning according to the positioning of these marks. For example:
1. The same form of the word "bint" (A girl in English) will become "banat" by putting "Fathha" on the second letter, which means, "she built" in English.
2. The same form of the word "bayn" (between in English) will become "bayan" if we add "shadda" on the first and the second letters, which means "He manifests" in English.
3. The same form of the word "Bayt" (home in English) will become "bayat" if we add "shadda" on the second letter, which means, "he intends" in English.
4. The same form of the word "nabath" (utters some letters) will become "naboth" if we add "shadda" to the second letter, which means, "we broadcast" in English.
5. The same form of the word "nabat" (was planted) will become "nabot" if we add "shadda" to the second letter, which means, "we make a decision" in English.
Therefore, even after adding diacritical points above and below the Arabic letters, the meaning of the word will not be explicit with certainty except after adding the vocalization marks. Both the diacritical points and the vocalization marks were not used in the ancient Arabic writings of the pre-, post-, and Quranic period. For a matter of simplification to the English reader, you may ponder the difference between (to & too) (too & two) (girls & girl's) (its & it's), although in Arabic things are even more complicated.
After this hurried analysis of the formulation of Arabic words, it may become clear to the reader to what extent the words will be meaningless without these points and marks. Moreover, any attempt to add these diacritical points and vocalization marks to non-punctuated text of the Quran may result in countless number of readings.
Hajjaj Bin Yousaf(661-714) remained the ruler of Iraq for 20 years. He alone executed 1, 25000 men and beheaded leaders like Sa'id bin Zubair. He also executed prominent scholars like Abdullah bin Umar and Abdullah bin Zubair and countless other friends of Prophet Mohammad.
In 683 AD, Hajjaj bin Yousaf destroyed the Kaaba and ten years later in 693 AD., he demolished the entire Kaaba right down to the ground and smashed the Hajar-e-Aswad.
The same Hajjaj Bin Yousaf applied diacritical points and vocalization marks to the Qur'an as we see them today.
Question 1: Who authorized Hajjaj to put diacritical points on a “divine” text while today even the most celebrated scholars of Islam would be summarily put to death even if they talk of adding or subtracting anything to the “holy” text?
Question 2: How can human intellect match “divine” intelligence to be able to “truly comprehend” what “He” intended---------while making changes to the original script with no diacritical points and vocalization marks?
From Waseem Altaf FB wall.
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