Fun Fact: Arabic Braille is Read from Left to Right!
Many sighted people are surprised to learn this fact. We know that visual Arabic script is written and read from Right-to-Left. However, when converted to Braille, the reading direction changes to Left-to-Right.
1. Why is that?
The Braille system was created by Louis Braille based on the linear (left-to-right) Latin alphabet. When this system was adopted for Arabic (Hijaiyah) at the 1951 UNESCO conference, experts decided to maintain the logical order of Braille dots so that it remains universal.
If Arabic Braille were reversed to right-to-left, dot numbering (1-2-3, 4-5-6) would be flipped, confusing visually impaired people who also learn Latin/English. Therefore, physical Braille Qurans are read by moving fingers from left to right, even though the language is Arabic.
2. Hijaiyah Dot Code (Arabic Braille)
This system maps Arabic letters to Braille patterns that sound most similar phonetically to Latin/European letters. Examples:
- The letter Ba (ب) maps to dots 1-2 (same as the letter B).
- The letter Dal (د) maps to dots 1-4-5 (same as the letter D).
- The letter Fa (ف) maps to dots 1-2-4 (same as the letter F).
This standardization makes it easier for visually impaired individuals worldwide to learn Arabic as a second language.
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