In relation to others, Islam has been the first civilization to have promoted the cause of unity in diversity. Islam has therefore remained a condensing rendezvous within which a great number of local cultures have the right to coexist without necessarily having to attempt to monopolize or proud upon one another. In fact, the cultural diversity in itself is a clear indication of the infinite power of God. "Oh you believers We have created you in pairs; man and woman and made you nations and tribes so that you may recognize (the difference between) one another. Verily, the best amongst you before Allah is the most pious from amongst you. Verily, Allah is all knower." (Quran, Hujurat, 13). "From among His signs He created the heavens and the earth and (created) the differences of your languages and the color of your skin. Verily, there is a great sign in that to the universe" (Rome, 21)

In line with this pluralistic view to the culture, the Muslims the world over turned their attention to writing their languages in Arabic script which has a spiritual bearing in linking them with the Holy Quran and the prophetic traditions. More over, the Arabic script serves the purpose of bringing the Muslim worlds together and makes it to identify again with it in terms of literature, culture, as well as its art of theology. In the central part of Asia, this script has since been being used in writing the Iranian, the Turkish and the Bangladesh languages. Talking about the languages of the African Muslims, the script has also been being used in writing Hausa, Fulfulde and Swahili languages.

• They have created a shield between Muslims and the original sources of their Islamic culture, being the Holy Quran, the prophetic traditions and other sources of Islamic knowledge documented in Arabic language.
• Putting a stop for the continuity of the take-and-give process between Arabic and other languages of the Muslims around the world. This age-long relationship has yielded in the past a lot of benefits to both Arabic and the Muslim languages lexically, structurally as well as many other linguistic and literary benefits.
• An ever-increasing wide gap in socio-cultural and politico-economic history of a number of some of the Muslims. This is a direct result of the phenomenon of the absence of cultural communication between the generation of fathers and that of children.
• The tendency of psychological barrier between these people and the modern education being introduced using Latin alphabet and the language of the colonial master, perpetuating the symbol of the cultural colonization and going contrary to the Islamic identity. On its side, this accelerated the rate of illiteracy among the Muslims around the world.

Be it as it may, education in general and illiteracy eradication in particular remains central in the developmental issues all over the world, but they can not be as scientific and civilized as they should until they are designed within the context of the ideological culture of their subjects. This can only be possible if the issue of identity and all the available symbols are given the class consideration in the designation of such programs. This brings to mind the fact that reclaiming Arabic script in writing the languages of Muslims all over the world is very central to this cultural clash being imposed on Muslims today.

Going by the objectives of the Islamic Scientific Educational, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) which aims at improving mutual understanding and cooperation among the member states in the education, science and culture sectors, as well as exploiting the new technology in line with the Islamic code of behaviors and values and protecting Islam from cultural and ideological attacks or misrepresentation, the organization embarked on this project of Qur'anic script. The project aims at standardizing the Qur'anic script used in transcribing Muslim languages in order to reverse all kinds of the barrier created and imposed between the script and the Muslims around the world, at local and international levels alike. This is also to reestablish a cordial relation ship between the Muslims and their original literary culture, be it the written and non written ones in a way that enough publicity will be given to the heritage through magazines, newspapers, books and periodical references.

The Arabic script has continued to be used in Qur'anic schools and writing the local languages to date. Statistics show that one third of the children of those parts of the world undergo educational training in the earliest part of their life with this script. This phenomenon has continued to enjoy the concern of the organizations ready to promote the cause of education and culture. In line with that, the Islamic scientific, educational and cultural organization ISESCO has designed a special program to take care of the use of Arabic script in writing the languages of non-Arab Muslims. This formed part of the triangle partnership agreed to be implemented between 1985 and 1988. Another program forming part of the same partnership agreement is that of standardizing the script between 1989 and 1991.

 The following were set to be the objectives of the project:

• Polishing and improving phonetics of the Arabic script and putting it to the service of writing the languages of Muslims around the world.
• Preserving the heritage of the civilizations of the Muslim people and improving their languages and their culture so that they can be able to cope adequately with the scientific revolution evidently seen in the transportation and communication technology.
• Bringing together the Muslim languages through the use of Arabic script and then bringing all of them together with Arabic language and preparing a conducive atmosphere for cultural exchange between all of them.
• Controlling and reducing the political and economic influence of foreign languages on the Muslim people around the world
• Fighting the illiteracy which is devastatingly drawing the back the development of Muslim people, that should be done within the frame work of developing their languages and writing them in accordance with the features of the their identity and within the context of the educational system of using the local language as a method in the process of learning and teaching.

Within that context and also in partnership with the Malian Ministry of Education, the Dakar regional office of UNESCO and Rabat institute of research and studies for Arabization, a committee was set to study and unify the selected script for writing Bolar, Fulfulde, Songhai, and Zarma languages. Other participants in this in the committee include experts from the countries speaking these languages. These are Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, guinea and Niger. In March 1998, another committee was set in Rabat to give a final review to the work of unification of the script.

From 16-18 February 1998, an evaluation regional conference was organized in Dakar, to evaluate the regional project of UNESCO. Participated in the conference are expert from Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. Others are the funding bodies namely, Islamic Development Bank, (IDB) and International Association for Islamic Call. Equally represented in the conference are Khartoum Institute of Arabic Language, Rabat Institute of studies and research and Islamic Call Organization. The conference arrived at very encouraging facts and conclusions. Part of the p activities of ISESCO is its participation in the two meetings organized in Jeddah by the Islamic Development Bank on the project of writing language in Qur'anic script. ISESCO has stepped further by designing an independent project on writing Qur'anic script and presented the same to the Islamic Development Bank for funding. In the designed project, 6 eastern African languages were specified to be studied. These are Comoros, Swahili, Aroma, Denka, Lakbara and Loganda. The project has generated two conferences the first of which was held in August 1989 in Khartoum while the second was in Rabat in September 1989. Participated in the conferences are Khartoum Institute of Arabic Language, Rabat Institute of Studies and Research and Islamic Development Bank. The biggest achievement registered by these conferences, is the unification of the script of these 6 languages and unifying them with Bolar, Fulfulde, Songhai/ Zarma of the West Africa.

In the light of the encouraging results of the evaluation job and also with the spirit of continuity especially that the project has gone along way, a decision was made to include additional West African languages, precisely; Hausa, Kanuri, Tamashuq, Manlike, Bambara, Swoswo, Soninke and Sarakole. ISESCO made it a point of duty to be organizing national conferences in the countries speaking any one of these languages. These are Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Gambia. The 1991 conferences suggested in an unmistakable terms the ways in which the selected letters should standardized and later be unified with the ones done before in the then upcoming regional conference. In partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, ISESCO organized another conference in Conakry of Guinea. From 11 to 16, 1991, the conference has witnessed the participation of experts from Comoros, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal. This is in addition to the representatives of ISESCO, IDB, and of course Rabat Institute of Studies and Research. Two important objectives were specified to be achieved by the conference:

1. Unifying the letter selected for writing the following languages: Hausa, Kanuri, Tamashuq, Manlike, Bambara, Swoswo, Soninke and Sarakole and Wolof. This is in addition to the already standardized languages Bolar, Fulfulde, Songhai and Zarma of the West Africa, Swahili, Aroma, Denka, Lakbara and Loganda of Eastern part of Africa.
2. 2. Observing and rate of occurrence of some sounds in the languages in question for a purposeful placement of the same in the designation of computer key board for Arabic script.

Generally speaking, the achievements of the conferences can be summarized in the following points:

• Determining the suitable letters to be used for representing particular linguistic sounds. This was achieved after a lengthy analysis of the linguistic sounds individually and in relation to other sound.
• The agreement of experts over the nature of some particular linguistic sounds after a lengthy intellectual debate. Some sounds especially, generated a lot of arguments before the agreement was lastly achieved. These include some linguistic sounds in Fulfulde, Tamashuq and Hausa. The diphthongs of the 15 languages stated above are another example of the sounds that generated a lot of debate before lastly reaching the agreement.
• Adopting a set of symbols to be used in representation of the new sounds, those that were not represented before. The selection put into consideration the standards given by the previous conferences. These were the 1987 conference of Bamako, the 1988 conference of Rabat, 1989 conference of Khartoum, and lastly the 1989 conference of Rabat.

Since 1985, Usman Danfodio University in the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been seriously in support of Qur'anic script project within the context of writing Hausa language in Ajami. The university since then set an 18 member experts committee drawn from different academic institutions in the country. The committee has since set the following as its aims and objectives:

• Unifying the Arabic script used in writing Hausa language all over the world.
• Polishing and supporting the ajami so that the ajami reader will be able to communicate to with the literary heritage of the society

After a number of meetings, the committee registered the success of adopting letters to be used in representation of the Hausa sounds not available in the Arabic language.

On its part, ISESCO has identified with the project and acknowledged the pioneering role Usman Danfodio University is playing generally in promoting the Islamic culture which is in line with the strategic position of Nigeria in the development and progress of the project.

In July, 1992 ISESCO has met with Usman Danfodio University and Research and Studies Center for Arabization in Rabat in order to sign a liaison agreement. The meeting resulted in a preliminary agreement of a unanimous adoption of the alphabetical symbols proposed before by the ISESCO and its partners. In February of 1993, the center of Islamic studies, an affiliate of Danfodio University, hosted the second liaison meeting in Sokoto. Apart from the representatives of the remaining two partners, experts from educational and cultural institutions from Nigeria and Niger also attended the meeting. In that meeting, the following was achieved:

• Sealing the Rabat preliminary agreement of adopting the alphabetical system previously proposed by ISESCO and its partners for Writing Hausa, Fulfulde and Kanuri.
• Identifying the linguistic sounds and adopting specific symbols for Yoruba language in order to include it in the list of the standardized African languages Arabic script. With that agreement, Yoruba was to become the number 16 in the list of the languages written in Arabic script.

Hausa:

Hausa is L1 (mother tongue) to more than 30 million people in northern Nigeria (25 million) and southern Niger Republic (5 million). It’s the second language of about 15 million along the West Africa. Hausa people and their groupings are scattered in West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and the Arabia.

Hausa language belongs to the Chadic family of languages; a sub family of the Afro-asiatic family of languages under whose umbrella we find languages as Barbaric, Cushitic, old Egyptian and Semitic languages. A great deal of evidence about this affiliation is available.

Wolof:

The people speaking this language reside along the cost of the lake of Senegal down to the river side of Gambia. This line comprises of three countries; Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. In these countries, Wolof remain the native language by the side of the official or national languages; English, French and Arabic. The situation though, differs from country to another. While in Gambia for example, the Wolof speakers constitute 16% of the population of about 700,000, in Mauritania, they constitute 5% of about 2000,000 populations. In Senegal, Wolof is LI (native language) for about 44% of the whole population of the country. In addition, about 22% of the population speaks Wolof as LII (second language) as the remaining population used Wolof for one reason or another. With the analysis above, Wolof is considered the mother of the Senegalese languages. This explains the reason why the language monopolizes the local languages broadcasting activity in the country with a lion share 88%. The language also plays an important role in television programs that include daily news casting, monthly programs, short films, advertisement and publicity. Talking about religious activities in Senegal, Wolof is the principal language used in the mosques for theological talks, commentary on the Quran, religious poetry and as well as in political congregations.

Soninke:

This language is one of the branches of Mondi, an affiliate of Congo/Niger languages. The people speaking Soninke as their LI (native language) are scattered in Mali, Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania. Soninke serve as one of the native languages of each of these countries. Although, an accurate statistics of the population of Soninke in these countries is not available, the population is variously put at 1.5 and 2.5 million.

The Soninke people were the pillars of the 9th century Ghana Empire whose history first documented by Arab geographers and later recorded by historians. This empire was extended up to upper part of Niger and Timbuktu in the 10th century, the time when the empire was flourishing. Towards the end of the 11th century when the Murabituns captured the empire, the Soninke people embraced Islam. As a result, tons of Arabic words find their way into Soninke language and lastly, the Arabic script was used for writing the Soninke language.

Songhai/Zarma:

The Songhai people are resides in the central part of the west of the republic of Niger with two major subdivisions of the language known as:

• Zarma Kanda residing in Walam city.
• Zarma Tuareg, residing in Niamey and Doso.

Mandingo:

Mandingo is group of dialects scattered over the countries of West Africa from Senegal to Nigeria. These dialects are named differently in many different countries but all are mutually intelligible are closely related in their grammar, morphology, phonology, syntax, Lexus and structure. For this and other reasons, Mandingo came second after Hausa as a language of communication in the West Africa. The number of people speaking Mandingo as either LI or LII is estimated at about 12 million.

A number of materials in history state that Mandingo people were the most influential in the history of West African empires especially the empire of Mali that transformed into an Islamic state in the 13th century and extended to include the lake of Guinea and Bilad et-Tukroor to the cost of the lake of Senegal up to the desert and valleys of the present day Niger republic. The spread of Islam in these areas created larger space for Mandingo language. This is because Mandingo remained in all these areas the second language of Islam after the Arabic. Being directly responsible for communicating Islam in those areas, Mandingo language has to accommodate tones of Arabic lexical items into its lexical system and lastly advanced the relation by adopting Arabic script.

Bolar/Fulfulde:

This is the language of the Fulani people whose origin is traceable to the desert of Sanhaja. Fulani most of whom live a nomadic life are scattered along a large space starting from the river of Senegal to the west, up to the area behind the borders of the republic of Chad to the East. Fulani accepted Islam in the 11th century in the hands of Murabituns. Ever since, Fulani became one of the most active, passionate, enthusiastic, and zealous groups of people about spreading Islam. With a cursory survey, we can point at 4 Fulani Islamic states:

• The Fulani state of Futa Toro in Senegal goes back to the 18th century. The Tukroor people who were mixed with Fulani joined them to establish the state on the ruins of Wolof kingdom. This state continued to spread Islam until when the French colonization came and destroy the state.
• Fulani state in Futa djalon (Guinea); the origin of this state goes back to the 16th century. It coincided with the demise of the Songhai empire. Fulani made a lot of effort to spread Islam in that area.
• • Fulani state in the Masina area (northern Nigeria): the state was able to extend to Masina in the central part of Niger in the middle of 17th century. In the middle of the 19th century, this state joined the Sokoto caliphate of Usman Dan fodio, who family was also Fulani.
• Fulani state of Adamawa (eastern Nigeria and northern Cameroun): the Sokoto caliphate contributed in the establishment of this state in the 19th century. Ever since, the state continued to spread Islam in the area until recently when the state was destroyed by the British.

Comoros Language:

These are the languages in Comoros Island. They are collective of intelligible dialects united in their structures and grammar and lexicography. Like Swahili, Comoros collective of intelligible dialects belong to the Bantu family of languages. However, the size of the Arabic borrowed into Comoros languages is very high. This is not unconnected with the high estimation of the Comoros people to the holy Quran.

The origin of Comoros people can be traced to both African and Arabian ancestors. Resulting from migrations and trade, the spread of Islam in the Comoros Island goes back to the 11th century which accompanied the adoption of Arabic script for writing the language. The independence of the Comoros Island from the colonial master saw the replacement of Arabic script with the Latin one resulting from the objective of the nationalist government eradicate illiteracy and introduce Comoros language in the administrative and educational activities. A number of organizations today, are in support of the Latin scripted Comoros language. An example is the Comoros National Institute for Adult Education and the National Center of Scientific Research and Documentation responsible for producing publications on national literary heritage. However, French language remained the administrative, though; little Arabic is also in use. Although, the Quranic schools maintained their popularity among the populace, Arabic and Islamic education remained a sidelined in the official transactions.

Swoswo:

The Swoswo people, a branch of Mondi tribe, dominated the Ghana Kingdom in the end of the 19th century. As they became more powerful, Swoswo expanded the kingdom to cover the city of Adagasht, the renowned commercial center that brought together the caravans of the western and northern parts of Africa in those days. The kingdom became the most powerful in the whole western Sudan as it extended to the shores of the River Niger and the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the middle of the 11th century when the Murabituns took over the kingdom, the Swoswo people embraced Islam in their entirety as did the neighboring tribes. Effected by the North African culture, the Swoswo language borrowed tones of words and later adopted its script.

Tamashug:

This is the language of Sahara wandering Tuaregs. This people are the masters of the great Sahara and its routes. They carry on their expeditious activities along the modern international borders of Libya, Algeria, Mauritania and Niger. As permanent residents, these people are found in Niger more than any other place, where they constitute 10% of the population of the country that stood at about 6m.

Tuaregs are a combination of barbers, ancient inhabitant of the Sahara and Murabituns. They were recorded by history for the first time, when they formed an alliance with the banu Hilal people and fought against the Muwahhideens and when they invaded Timbuktu for a short while in the 15th century.

The language of Tuaregs belongs to the Hermitic family of languages together with most of the north and east African languages. The language has a lot in common with the languages within the Semitic family.

Yoruba:

Yoruba is on of the three most important languages in federal republic of Nigeria. Yoruba is the dominant language in the south western region of Nigeria down to the republic of Benin. Even though the Islamic mission reached the Yoruba land relatively late, the population of adherents to Islam ranges between 65% and 70%. Like other Muslim languages, Yoruba language soon after borrowed tones of Arabic words after which the Arabic script was adopted. Until the arrival of the British colonization, Yoruba people didn’t use any other script apart from Arabic. However the colonial master introduced the Latin script, religious materials are still written in Arabic script.