Some arguably ascribe the Naskh script to `Abdullah Al-Hassan ibn Muqla, the brother of the calligrapher `Ali ibn Muqla, while others perceive that the Naskh is much older than Ibn Muqla.

Ibn Muqla actually developed the handwriting to its current form, distinguishing it from other handwritings. It was named Naskh (meaning “copy”) because writers used it in the copying of the Qur’an, the Hadith, and other books. It was also used in writing on metal, wood, marble, and plaster. Ibn Muqla named this script Al-Badei` (radiant or exquisite) due to its aesthetic nature. Naskh is close to Thuluth in its beauty, glamour, and accuracy. It is decorated, but to a lesser extent than Thuluth. The tashkil (diacritical signs) add to its beauty and elegance.

Naskh script is considered as an element of decoration and gained much attention in Iraq in the Abbasid era. It was developed in the Atabiki age, which started around AH 545, and was known as the Atabiki Naskh. It was used in the writing of the Qur’an in the Islamic middle ages and it replaced the Kufi script for copying the Qur’an and decorating the walls of the mosques. Both Naskh and Thuluth became the most prevalent scripts. Naskh can be differentiated from Thuluth by the small size of its letters. The size and sequence mean the writer can use the pen more swiftly than when writing the Thuluth, but still retain harmony and beauty.