Qur’an references and honorifics in captions
Captions are read fast and out of context, so consistency matters more than any one convention. Pick a citation format, an honorific style and a transliteration standard, and keep them for the whole channel. Deenscribe applies all three as settings.
Qur’an citations
| Whisper hears | Full | Short | Numeric |
|---|---|---|---|
| surah al baqarah verse two fifty five | Surah Al-Baqarah (2:255) | Al-Baqarah 2:255 | Qur'an 2:255 |
| chapter two verse two hundred and fifty five | Surah Al-Baqarah (2:255) | Al-Baqarah 2:255 | Qur'an 2:255 |
| baqarah ayah two fifty five to two fifty seven | Surah Al-Baqarah (2:255–257) | Al-Baqarah 2:255–257 | Qur'an 2:255–257 |
| verse three of surat al asr | Surah Al-Asr (103:3) | Al-Asr 103:3 | Qur'an 103:3 |
| surah yaseen | Surah Ya-Sin (36) | Ya-Sin 36 | Qur'an 36 |
| juz amma | Juz' 30 (Juz' 'Amma) | Juz' 30 (Juz' 'Amma) | Juz' 30 (Juz' 'Amma) |
Deenscribe formats the reference the khatib spoke. It does not check the ayah number against the mushaf, so a slip of the tongue stays a slip; the corrections panel exists so a reviewer can catch it.
Honorifics
| Whisper hears | Arabic | Abbreviated | Transliterated | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam | the Prophet ﷺ | the Prophet (SAW) | the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam | the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) |
| Abu Bakr radi allahu anhu | Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه | Abu Bakr (RA) | Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu | Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) |
| Musa peace be upon him | Musa عليه السلام | Musa (AS) | Musa alayhis salam | Musa (peace be upon him) |
| Allah subhanahu wa taala | Allah ﷻ | Allah (SWT) | Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala | Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) |
| Imam Nawawi rahimahullah | Imam al-Nawawi رحمه الله | Imam al-Nawawi (RH) | Imam al-Nawawi rahimahullah | Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) |
“Peace be upon him” is ambiguous in English: after the Prophet Muhammad it means ﷺ, after Musa or Isa it means عليه السلام. Deenscribe looks at the preceding name to decide.
Transliteration
- Simple is the spelling most English-speaking Muslims use: salah, Insha’Allah, Ibn Taymiyyah, Surah Al-Baqarah.
- Academic follows the ALA-LC / IJMES standard used by universities and publishers: ṣalāh, in shāʾ Allāh, Ibn Taymiyyah, Sūrah al-Baqarah.