Sacred Spellings

Author: Saaima Yacoob
Publisher: Zam Zam Publishers
Pages: 299
Binding: Softcover

About the Book:
Sacred Spellings is a translation and commentary on ʿAqīlat Atrāb al-Qaṣāʾīd fī Asnā al-Maqāṣid by Imam al-Shāṭibī. ʿAqīlat Atrāb describes the unique orthography of the Qurʾān and the differences among the codices that were sent by ʿUthmān RA to the various cities in the Muslim world. Sacred Spellings provides a line-by-line translation and commentary of the Arabic text. It also includes important introductory material in the science of rasm, such as definitions of important terms and why the orthography of copies of the Qurʾān published in various parts of the world may differ. This work makes a classical text on rasm accessible to students who may not understand Arabic and allows for the science of rasm to be studied in more detail in classrooms where English is the language of instruction.

About the Author:
Saima Yacoob moved to the United States at a young age, and now lives and teaches in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to holding multiple ijazahs in Tajweed and the Variant Readings of the Quran (Qiraat), she holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. She taught Kindergarten, First, and Second grade at the ADAMS Radiant Hearts Academy in Sterling, Virginia for seven years. In order to pursue her love for teaching Quran full-time, she joined the ADAMS Tahfeedh-ul-Quran Program as a lead teacher where she was able use her training in Quran as well as her skills as a certified teacher. After teaching at the ADAMS Tahfeedh-ul-Quran program for four years, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Her journey of studying Tajweed began at the age of 10, and she received her first ijazah in Hafs ‘An ‘Asim in 2010 from Sheikh Hatim Yousseff.  She continued her studies in Amman, Jordan, receiving ijazah in Hafs ‘An ‘Asim from Sheikh Hussain Ashraq Laban and in Qaloon ‘An Nafi’ from the Tareeq of Tayyibah from Sheikh Abdullah Abu Mahfouzh.  She also holds ijazah in Tuhfat-ul-Atfal and Muqadimmah Al-Jazariyyah from Sheikh Mufti Umer Esmail. After receiving ijazah in Hafs, she continued to study the Shatibiyyah and Durrah, receiving ijazah in all 10 qira’at from Sheikh Mufti Umer Esmail. She has permission to teach as well as to grant ijazah to others through her teachers.

Her greatest passion is to inspire others to recite the Quran with Tajweed, and to develop future certified teachers of Quran. It is her hope that she continues to benefit from her teachers, and is accepted by Allah Taala to be a source of benefit for the ummah of His beloved Prophet (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).

Reviews:
I had the honor of going through this well written work and truly enjoyed it. The work is a display of the vastness of the author’s research and knowledge. May Allāh Taʿālā increase her in beneficial knowledge. I have benefitted from this book tremendously. I would recommend every Qurʾānic student and scholar to study this.
–QĀRĪ MUAJUL CHOWDHURY, Director, Darul Iftaa New York

Sacred Spellings by Shaykhah Saaima Yacoob is a luminous guide that brings the profound knowledge found in Imam al-Shāṭibī’s work to English-speaking readers for the first time. Relying on a number of invaluable sources in both the Arabic and Urdu languages, the line-by-line translation and analysis make this work an essential resource for those seeking insight into the sciences of the Qurʾan and in particular the subject of rasm.
–QĀRĪ MUHAMMAD ZIYAD BATHA, United Kingdom

Continuing in the footsteps of Mufti Mohamed-Umer Esmail, may Allah be pleased with him, Ustadha Saaima Yacoob has meticulously given the science of rasm a devotion that it needs in our times. Far surpassing the more common points that bring about confusion in reciters such as why manuscripts may differ, this work brings into English the seminal text of Imam al-Shaṭibī in the science with extensive research from other sources. An understanding of qira’āt is not complete without it. A study of this text leaves the student with, at the very least, a deep awe of the painstaking work of the scholars of rasm as part of the Divine protection of the Book of Allah.
–USTADHA SULMA BADRUDDUJA, Teacher of Qirāʾāt, USA