Arabic Small Low Seen

Place ۣ immediately after its Arabic host letter.

ۣ is a nonspacing Arabic combining mark: it attaches to the letter immediately before it. Entered alone, it may float or render detached; the host letter, nearby Arabic marks, and font support affect its placement.

What does ۣ mean under ص?

It marks a permitted choice for reading the written Arabic letter.

At Qur’an 52:37, the sign sits below ص. It is a miniature form of س, so the reciter may keep the written letter’s usual reading, which is preferred, or use the indicated س reading. The mark records that option while leaving ص in place.

When does this small Arabic mark appear in manuscripts?

A recognizable ancestor appears by the late eighth or early ninth century.

An Arabic papyrus—a writing sheet made from the papyrus plant—dated to the late eighth or early ninth century shows a small form of س below another letter.

Qur’anic notation grew in layers: early manuscripts use sparse dots and strokes; later scribes added miniature letter signs and fuller reading aids. ۣ belongs to that gradual scribal practice.