Choosing a Mushaf: Indo-Pak vs. Uthmani (Madani) Script

If you've shopped for a Quran in the UK, USA or Europe, you've probably noticed two very different-looking styles. Both contain exactly the same Quran — the difference is in the script and markings.

Indo-Pak script

Common in South Asian communities and many UK and US mosques.

• Thicker, bolder letters.
• More vowel marks written out explicitly, which many beginners find helpful.
• Marginal markings such as the ع for ruku‘.
• Often printed with 13, 15 or 16 lines per page.

Uthmani (Madani) script

The style printed by the King Fahd Complex in Madinah and common across the Arab world.

• Finer, more elegant letters based on the Uthmani rasm.
• Some vowel and madd marks shown differently.
• The standard 15-line, 604-page layout, where each page ends at the end of a verse — very popular for memorization.

Which should you use?

• Learning to read: use whichever your teacher uses. Switching later is easy once you can read.
• Memorizing: stick to one mushaf so your visual memory stays consistent — many use the 604-page Madani layout. See hifz tips.
• Older learners: a large-print edition in either style.

Don't worry about "right" or "wrong"

Both scripts represent the same recitation (usually Hafs ‘an ‘Asim). The best mushaf is the one you'll actually read every day.

Our Noorani Qaida prepares you to read either style. Book a free trial lesson.