Application of Braille in Quranic and Sunnah Studies

Application of Braille in Quranic and Sunnah Studies (QAA 4013) 6 th Lecture (10 th Feb 2009) Dr. Muhammad Mustaqim Mohd Zarif Director, Centre for General Studies Islamic Science University of Malaysia

Structure of Presentation n Quranic Braille Code (PERTIS) Characteristics & Structure - Methods - Examples -

Quranic Braille Code (PERTIS) PERTIS has developed its own version of Quranic Braille since the 1990 s. n It is the only Quranic Braille which was approved & verified by JAKIM n This Quranic Braille is based on Arabic Language Braille Grade 1 n It means: no contractions are used in writing it. n

n PERTIS’ Quranic Braille is similar to YAKETUNIS’ Quranic Braille- but there also some variations in terms of spelling, the use of word signs such as madd signs, etc n Currently, it is the only error-free Quranic Braille available in Malaysia

Structure of Quranic Braille Code Grade 1

Quranic/Arabic Braille Code Grade 1

Other Characters used in Quranic/Arabic Braille Code Grade 1

1) Basic reading signs (harakat) 1 Fathah Kasrah Dammah ○○ ●○ ○● ○○ ●○ ○○ ●● 2 1&5 13&6

2) Basic reading signs (harakat) 2 Fathatayn Kasratayn Dammatayn ○○ ●○ ●○ ○○ ○● ●○ ○○ ●○ ○● 23 3&5 2&6

3) Basic reading signs (harakat) 3 Sukun Shaddah ○○ ●● ○○ ○○ ○○ ○● 2&5 6

4) Basic word signs (‘alamat al-huruf) Fathah Ishba‘iyyah ﺫﻟﻚ Kasrah Ishba‘iyyah ﺭﺳﻠﻪ Dammah Ishba‘iyyah ﺃﻤﺮﻩ ، ﻟﻪ ○● ○○ ○○ ○● ○● ○○ ●● 4 4&5 3&46

Methods of Writing Like ordinary Braille, Quranic Braille is written from left to right. n Quranic Braille is written on one line only. i. e. every word & its signs (harakat) are written on a single line & NOT above or below the characters as in the ordinary Quran. n Every sign (fathah, kasrah, dammah, etc) must be written in Quranic Braille n

n How to write the signs (harakat)? (alphabet) + (sign) Example: Ba + kasrah ●○ ●○ ○● ○○

Exception n n Shaddah sign must be written before the alphabet. How? [shaddah] + (alphabet) + (sign) Example: [shaddah] + (ba) + (fathah) ○● ●○ ●○ ○○ ○○ ○○ ○● ●○ ●○ ○○ ○○ ●○ ○● ○● ○○ ●○ ○○

n If the word contains huruf madd (alif/ waw/ ya), the harakat sign for the alphabet is not mentioned. Example: ●● ●● ●○ ●○ ○○ ○○ ●○ ●○ ●○ ○● ●● ○● ●○ ○○ ○○

n Remember: Every word must be completed on one line n Only (1 2 3 & 6) is written without the harakat. ●○ ●○ ●●

Thank You