Q: Allah (Exalted be He) says: فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أُنْزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَأَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ [If then they answer you not, know then that it [the Revelation (this Qur’ân)] is sent down with the Knowledge of Allâh and that Lâ ilâha illa Huwa: (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! Will you then be Muslims (those who submit in Islâm)?] In the Arabic script of this Ayah (Qur'anic verse), the words (فَإِلَمْ) [according to standard modern Arabic, they are written فإن لم] are written with the letter (ن) dropped by merging it into the first letter of the subsequent word (ل), which is not the case in other occurrences throughout the Qur'an. I would like your Eminence to comment on the reason of omitting that letter from such an Ayah in particular.

A: Muslim scholars unanimously agreed on the obligation of recording the Mus-haf in the `Uthmany script, and it is not permissible to write it in different scripts. Therefore, scholars paid meticulous care to the rules and criteria of calligraphy in separate chapters of books dealing with the sciences of the Qur'an, such as Al-Itqan by Al-Suyuty (may Allah be merciful to him), and in whole books authored on the topic, such as Iqadh Al-A`lam bi Wujub Itiba` Rasm Mus-haf `Uthman Al-Imam by Muhammad Al-Khadir Al-Maliky (may Allah be merciful to him). These rules of the `Uthmany script include the rule of separation and succession that applies to the Ayah no. 14 in Surah Hud, which reads: فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ [If then they answer you not]... The Arabic script of this Ayah is written without the letter (ن) - a case which is not available elsewhere in the Qur'an. (Part No. 3; Page No. 52) Scribes of the Mus-haf (copy of the Qur'an) unanimously agreed on that way, as stated in the book entitled Al-Masahif by Ibn Abu Dawud (may Allah be merciful to him).Scholars of Qira’at (recitation styles) tried to find some secrets behind the different ways of scribing the Qur'an, but the researching competent scholars of Qira’at held that we should abide by these rules without endeavoring to discover the secrets. That is because Qur'an is miraculous in letter and spirit, and this difference pertains to miracles of the Qur'an in letter.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.