The Alif-Ba: A Manuscript of the Arabic Alphabet

The piece below is just one small way in which Muslims endeavored to adorn and perfume their adoration for th e language in which the Qur’an was revealed. This piece fits beautifully anywhere, whether it be a living room, nursery, office, or school. Lavishly illuminated, this Ottoman manuscript was designed for a student to learn to read Arabic, It’s illumination is in the Ottoman Baroque style, which mixes European and traditional Islamic influences. Purposefully and creatively assimilated, the style’s cross-cultural borrowings were combined with Byzantine references that asserted the Ottomans’ entitlement to the Classical artistic heritage of Europe. The original manuscript was inaccessible, so we worked with an artist to recreate and recolor the alphabet. We are happy to remaster this piece for all to enjoy and dwell on this beautiful and sacred alphabet. The top du’a, ‘rabbi yassirli wa la tu'assir’ meaning ‘Oh Lord, ease [my task] and make it not difficult’ was customarily written