Chapter 2

The Write Stuff

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Understanding why Arabic is written the way it is

Bullet Grabbing the tools you need to get started

Bullet Comparing fonts and ways of writing Arabic

Bullet Touching on some variants in handwritten Arabic

In this chapter, before diving into learning and practicing 100 characters, I cover some of the more practical matters that you will face when writing (and reading) the Arabic alphabet. And before you actually start learning and practicing how to write, I help you choose the best equipment for the job.

Traditional Writing Utensils and Mediums

Thousands of years ago, when the Arabic alphabet as we know it was first invented, people carved the characters in stone and also painted them on a variety of materials. You heard me right: They painted them when they put them on more perishable materials than stone. According to Islamic sources, when the Qur’an was first compiled into one volume by the first Caliph Abu Bakr, it was drawn from sources recorded on materials such as leather, parchment, bones, and leaves. And these words would have been painted with black ...

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