U+0671 "ٱ" Arabic Letter Alef Wasla Unicode Character

U+0671 "ٱ" Arabic Letter Alef Wasla is a variant of the Arabic letter alef used primarily in the Quranic orthography and classical Arabic texts to mark what is known as hamzat al-wasl, or the "connecting hamza." Unlike a standard alef with a hamza above, this character indicates a glottal stop that is not pronounced when the preceding word ends in a vowel, facilitating smooth pronunciation across word boundaries in connected speech. It appears most notably at the beginning of certain definite articles and imperative verb forms, serving as a critical diacritical aid for accurate recitation and understanding of Arabic grammar, particularly in religious and scholarly contexts.