reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

170 Gerd-R. Puin3. The alifThe basic concept of the letter alifis sometimes visible in the orthography of the :Standard Text in comparison with old manuscripts, although one cannot be surewhich of the two preserves the older orthography, e.g.:(92) i_$~(93) iAk.:i(94) ~i:;.{;I~(95) (ikt.l(96) \,.{§t.;.in StT 36:35, as opposed toin StT 24:27, as opposed toin StT 6:42; 7:94, instead ofin StT 33:5, instead ofin StT 13:34, instead ofl~inms.D,I~ in A and Lewis' Pa\., 21W4 in mss. J and Berlin 314,Zif'>-1 in ms. Berlin 349, 23•_,...:;l.. inms. H.The dilemma is evident if we observe in the same manuscriptdistribution of the alifis opposite:(97) ,:,_,!4(98) ,:,;~(99) .,_,_;.-~in ms. H, instead ofin ms. Berlin 349, instead ofin ms. A instead of&A in StT 43:19, ort~in StT 33:13, or[,_,~in StT 16:61.A glimpse at this problem must be sufficient for now, with a more thoroughinvestigation reserved for the future. . ...Vowel/etters and ortho-epic writing in the Qur 'an 171manu!;cripts as well as in the orthography of Classical Arabic there are no vari- ·concerning the writing of the one-letter particle li- with the elision of the a/iffollowing definite article, as in 4lil'ahi. Thus, in manuscripts (as in D, 5:96the writing of.~ corresponds perfectly with the writing of •.Jt;ll! in theq