Page 140 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

120 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'ANIC TEXT

3. The inscription of Imru' al-Kais at Namarah (lOOkm southwest of
Damascus), dated to 223 years after Bosra (c. 328 C.E.). While
Gruendler regards it as Nabataean.!" others including Cantineau
and Abbott treat it as Arabic. 15
Ali\6'\]'~1~~cf~~'?J>'1' )-W6to11J M
~1,'1»"Pi+"..>~1 tJ:D1.LU<j ~1V~ Y'tr«~ ~,
caujO~ 4~ ~q'J.b.f&llS~I'1>--.l >..>)(tJJt
~~~~~~~~~~~;b)~~

Figure 9.4: Arabic inscription if Imru' al-Kais, Namiirah, corresponding to
c. 328 C.E. Source: Cantineau, Le Nabateen, ii:49.

From these examples we can ascertain that the dividing line between
Arabic and so-called Nabataean inscriptions is very hazy indeed; with the
Raqush now reinterpreted as an Arabic text, it has become the oldest
known dated Arabic inscription. The great resemblance among these
three inscriptions is due to their script. They are all Nabataean.

ii. What Language Did the Nabataeans Speak?

Growing up in Makkah from his earliest childhood Isma'll, eldest son of
Ibrahim, was raised among the Jurhum tribe and married within them
twice. This tribe spoke Arabic," and so undoubtedly must have Isma'il.
TheJurhum Arabic probably lacked the sophistication and polish of the
QuraishI Arabic, preceding it as it did by almost two thousand years; Ibn
Ushta records a statement from Ibn 'Abbas, that the first person to initiate
setrules for the Arabic grammar and alphabet was none other than Isma'il.!"
Eventually Allah commissioned Isma'tl as a messenger and prophet," to

H Gruendler, TheDevelopment if the Arabic Script, pp. 11-12. The author claims that it
is"the earliest extant text in the Arabic language, though it still usesNabatean characters."
[ibid, p. 11].
15 Cantineau, LeNabateen, ii:49-50 (under the heading 'Textes Arabes Archaiques');
Abbott, TheRiseif the North Arabic Script, Plate (I - 2). Quoting Healey and Smith, "...
from the time of its discovery almost, [the Namarah text] has been held up as the
earliest dated Arabic inscription." ['jaussen-Savignac 17 - The Earliest Dated Arabic
Document (A.D. 276)", al-Ailiil, xii:82].
16 See al-Bukhari, SaJ;T/.l, al-Anbiya', hadith no. 3364; see also Ibn Qutaiba, al-Ma'iirif,
p.34.
17 As-Suyuti, al-Itqiin, iv:145, quoting Ibn Ushta.
18 Qur'an 2:135; 3:84.