The Arabic alphabet is thought to be traced back to a Nabataean variation of the Aramaic alphabet, known as Nabataean Aramaic. This script itself descends from the Phoenician alphabet, an ancestral alphabet that additionally gave rise to the Armenian, Cyrillic, Devanagari, Greek, Hebrew and Latin alphabets. Nabataean Aramaic evolved into Nabataean Arabic, so-called because it represents a transitional phase between the known recognizably Aramaic and Arabic scripts. Nabataean Arabic was succeeded by Paleo-Arabic, termed as such because it dates to the pre-Islamic period in the fifth and sixth centuries CE, but is also recognizable in light of the Arabic script as expressed during the Islamic era. Finally, the standardization of the Arabic alphabet during the Islamic era led to the emergence of classical Arabic. The phase of the Arabic alphabet today is known as Modern Standard Arabic, although classical Arabic survives as a "high" variety as part of a diglossia.

There were different theories about the origin of the Arabic alphabet as attested in Arabic writings, The Musnad theory is that it can be traced back to Ancient North Arabian scripts which are derived from ancient South Arabian script ( ), this hypothesis have been discussed by the Arabic scholars Ibn Jinni and Ibn Khaldun. Ahmed Sharaf Al-Din has argued that the relationship between the Arabic alphabet and the Nabataeans is only due to the influence of the latter after its emergence (from Ancient South Arabian script). Arabic has a one-to-one correspondence with ancient South Arabian script except for the letter (reconstructed Proto-Semitic ). +Arabic and ancient South Arabian lettersScriptLettersMusnadArabic–MusnadArabic While the modern Nabatean theory is that the Arabic alphabet can be traced back to the Nabataean script. A transitional phase, between the Nabataean Aramaic script and a subsequent, recognizably Arabic script, is known as Nabataean Arabic. The pre-Islamic phase of the script as it existed in the fifth and sixth centuries, once it had become recognizably similar to the script as it came to be known in the Islamic era, is known as Paleo-Arabic.

Pre-Islamic phases The Arabic alphabet evolved either from the Nabataean, or (less widely believed) directly from the Syriac alphabet. The phases of the Arabic script, prior to the Islamic period, can be categorized as follows:

Nabataean Aramaic: In the 2nd or 1st centuries BCE, the first known records of the Nabataean alphabet were written in the Aramaic language (which was the language of communication and trade), but included some Arabic language features: the Nabataeans did not write the language which they spoke. They wrote in a form of the Aramaic alphabet, which continued to evolve; it separated into two forms: one intended for inscriptions (known as "monumental Nabataean") and the other, more cursive and hurriedly written and with joined letters, for writing on papyrus. This cursive form influenced the monumental form more and more and gradually changed into the Arabic alphabet. Nabataeo-Arabic: Starting in the third century, and until the mid-fifth century, the Nabataean Aramaic alphabet evolved into what is known as Nabataeo-Arabic. This alphabet has received this name because it contains a mixture of features from the prior Aramaic script, in addition to a number of notable features from the later fully developed Arabic script. Paleo-Arabic: A pre-Islamic phase of the Arabic alphabet, roughly having reached the standardized form of Arabic from the Islamic era, but having already been expressed from the late fifth to the sixth century.

Pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions

The first known recorded text in the Arabic alphabet is known as the Zabad inscription, composed in 512. It is a trilingual dedication in Greek, Syriac and Arabic found at the village of Zabad in northwestern Syria. The version of the Arabic alphabet used includes only 21 letters, of which only 15 are different, being used to note 28 phonemes:

PhoenicianAramaic NabataeanArabic Syriac Latin Image Text A B C D E F Z H — I K L M N — — O P — Q R S T

Many thousands of pre-Classical Arabic inscriptions are attested, mainly written in the following scripts: Safaitic (over 13,000; almost all graffiti), 11-14 Hismaic in the southern parts of central Arabia Nabataean inscriptions in Aramaic, written in the Nabataean alphabet Pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions in the Arabic alphabet are few. They mostly use no dots, making them sometimes difficult to interpret, as many letters are the same shape as other letters (they are written with rasm only)

Below are descriptions of inscriptions found in the Arabic alphabet, and the inscriptions found in the Nabataean alphabet that show the beginnings of Arabic-like features. NameWhereaboutsDateLanguageAlphabetText & notesAl-HasaNejd, Historical Bahrain region4th century BC3 lines in HaseanEpigraphic South Arabian alphabetsA large funerary stone is inscribed in the Hasaean dialect using a variety of South Arabian monumental script, with three inscribed lines for the man Matmat, that records both patrilineal and matriarchal descent:

1. "Tombstone and grave of Matmat,"

2. "son of Zurubbat, those of 'Ah-"

3. "nas, her of the father of Sa'ad-"

4. "ab.." (Dr. A. Jamme)Qaryat al-FāwWadi ad-Dawasir, Nejd1st century BC10 lines in ArabicEpigraphic South Arabian alphabetsA tomb dedicatory and a prayer to Lāh, Kāhil and ʻAṯṯār to protect the tomb: "ʿIgl son of Hafʿam constructed for his brother Rabibil son of Hafʿam the tomb: both for him and for his child and his wife, and his children and their children's children and womenfolk, free members of the folk Ghalwan. And he has placed it under the protection of (the gods) Kahl and Lah and ʿAthtar al-Shariq from anyone strong or weak, and anyone who would attempt to sell or pledge it, for all time without any derogation, so long as the sky produces rain or the earth herbage." (Beeston)Ein AvdatNegev in Israelbetween AD 88 and 1503 lines Aramaic, then 3 lines ArabicNabataean with a little letter-joiningA prayer of thanks to the god Obodas for saving someone's life: "For (Obodas -the god-) works without reward or favour, and he, when death tried to claim us, did not let it claim (us), for when a wound (of ours) festered, he did not let us perish." (Bellamy)

"فيفعﻞُﻻفِ ًداوﻻاثرافكاﻦ هُنايَبْ ِغنا الموﺖُﻻأبْ ُغاﻪ فكاﻦ هُنا أدادَ ُجرﺢٌﻻيرْ ِد"Umm el-Jimal northeast of Jordanroughly end of 3rd century - 5th century Aramaic-Nabataean, Greek, LatinNabataean, much letter-joiningMore than 50 fragments discovered: 1. "Zabūd son of Māsik "

2. "[.]aynū daughter of MuΉārib"

3. "Kawza' peace!"

(Said and al-Hadad)

"([Th]is is the tomb which SHYMW … built … (2) … [for P]N, hisson, through (the help of) the god of their father … (3) … king Rabel, king of the Nabataeans …" (Butts and Hardy)

"This is the memorial of Julianos, weighed down by long sleep, for whom his father Agathos built it while shedding a tear beside the boundary of the communal cemetery of the people of Christ, in order that a better people might always sing of him openly, being formerly the beloved faithful [son?] of Agathos the presbyter, aged twelve. In the year 239 [of the era of the Provincia Arabia = 344 AD]." (Trombley)

In the 5th century barracks were built. In their southeast tower, which stands to a height of six stories, the names of the archangels—"Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael"—are inscribed. (Micah Key)Raqush (this is not a place-name)Mada'in Saleh in Saudi Arabia267Mixture of Arabic and Aramaic, 1 vertical line in ThamudicNabataean, some letter-joining. Has a few diacritic dots.Last inscription in Nabataean language. Epitaph to one Raqush, including curse against grave-violaters: "This is a grave K b. H has taken care of for his mother, Raqush bint ʿA. She died in al-Hijr in the year 162 in the month of Tammuz. May the Lord of the world curse anyone who desecrates this grave and opens it up, except his offspring! May he [also] curse anyone who buries [someone in the grave] and [then] removes [him] from it! May who buries.... be cursed!" (Healey and Smith)an-Namāra100 km SE of Damascus328–329ArabicNabataean, more letter-joining than previousA long epitaph for the famous Arab poet and war-leader Imru'ul-Qays, describing his war deeds: "This is the funerary monument of Imru' al-Qays, son of 'Amr, king of the Arabs, and (?) his title of honour was Master of Asad and Madhhij. And he subdued the Asadis and they were overwhelmed together with their kings, and he put to flight Madhhij thereafter, and came driving them to the gates of Najran, the city of Shammar, and he subdued Ma'add, and he dealt gently with the nobles of the tribes, and appointed them viceroys, and they became phylarchs for the Romans. And no king has equalled his achievements. Thereafter he died in the year 223 on the 7th day of Kaslul. Oh the good fortune of those who were his friends!" (Bellamy)Jabal Ramm50 km east of Aqaba, Jordan3rd or likelier late 4th century3 lines in Arabic, 1 bent line in ThamudicArabic. Has some diacritic dots.In a temple of Allat. Boast or thanks of an energetic man who made his fortune: "I rose and made all sorts of money, which no world-weary man has [ever] collected. I have collected gold and silver; I announce it to those who are fed up and unwilling." (Bellamy)Sakakahin Saudi ArabiaundatedArabicArabic, some Nabataean features, & dotsIncludes diacritical points associated with Arabic letters ب, ت, and ن [T, B and N]. (Winnett and Reed)Sakakahin Saudi Arabia3rd or 4th centuryArabicArabic"Hama son of Garm" Sakakahin Saudi Arabia4th centuryArabicArabic"B-`-s-w son of `Abd-Imru'-al-Qais son of Mal(i)k"Umm al-Jimālnortheast of Jordan4th or 5th centuryArabicsimilar to Arabic"This [inscription] was set up by colleagues of ʿUlayh son of ʿUbaydah, secretary of the cohort Augusta Secunda Philadelphiana; may he go mad who effaces it." (Bellamy)Zabadin Syria, south of Aleppo512Arabic, Greek and SyriacArabicChristian dedicatory. The Arabic says "God's help" & 6 names. "God" is written as , see Allah#Typography: "With the help of God! Sergius, son of Amat Manaf, and Tobi, son of Imru'l-qais and Sergius, son of Sa‘d, and Sitr, and Shouraih." (C. Rabin)Jabal Usaysin Syria528ArabicArabicRecord of a military expedition by Ibrahim ibn Mughirah on behalf of the king al-Harith, presumably Al-Harith ibn Jabalah (Arethas in Greek), king of the Ghassanid vassals of the Byzantines: "This is Ruqaym, son of Mughayr the Awsite. Al-Ḥārith the king, sent me to 'Usays, upon his military posts in the year 423 [528 CE]"Harrānin Leija district, south of Damascus568Arabic, GreekArabicChristian dedicatory, in a martyrium. It records Sharahil ibn Zalim building the martyrium a year after the destruction of Khaybar: "[I] Sharaḥīl, son of Talimu built this martyrium in the year 463 after the destruction of Khaybar by a year."

Early Islamic changes

The Arabic alphabet is first attested in its classical form in the 7th century. See PERF 558 for the first surviving Islamic Arabic writing.

The Quran was transcribed in Kufic script at first, which was then developed along with the Meccan and scripts, according to Ibn an-Nadim in Al-Fihrist.

In the 7th century, probably in the early years of Islam while writing down the Qur'an, scribes realized that working out which of the ambiguous letters a particular letter was from context was laborious and not always possible, so a proper remedy was required. Writings in the Nabataean and Syriac alphabets already had sporadic examples of dots being used to distinguish letters which had become identical, for example as in the table on the right. By analogy with this, a system of dots was added to the Arabic alphabet to make enough different letters for Classical Arabic's 28 phonemes. Sometimes the resulting new letters were put in alphabetical order after their un-dotted originals, and sometimes at the end.