Why do printed Arabic numerals not follow the printed alphabet rules for thick and thin?

Question

In traditional fonts, the horizontals in the Arabic numerals 2, 3 (flat-topped), 5 and 7 are thick, but in the alphabet, horizontals are thin. Why this difference?

Answer 1

I'm not sure I fully understand, but one of the reasons I think is because there are distinct styles for traditional and official documentation and mosque decoration and a more relaxed and casual style for everyday use. The following is quoted from the wikipedia page on Arabic calligraphy:

"After the definitive fixing of the Arabic script around 786, by Khalil ibn Ahmad al Farahidi, many styles were developed, both for the writing down of the Qur'an and other books, and for inscriptions on monuments as decoration.

The first of those to gain popularity was known as the Kufic script; it was angular, made of square and short horizontal strokes, long verticals, and bold, compact circles. It would be the main script used to copy the Qur'an for three centuries; its static aspect made it suitable for monumental inscriptions, too. It would develop many serifs, small decorations added to each character.

More often used for casual writing was the cursive Naskh script, with rounder letters and thin lines; with refinement of its writing techniques it would come to be preferred to Kufic for copying the Qur'an. Most children are taught Naskh first, and at a later stage they are introduced to the Riq'a script. Almost all printed material in Arabic is in Naskh so, to avoid confusion, children are taught to write in the same script. It is also clearer and easier to decipher."

The numbers, likewise, have distinct styles - Abjad numerals and the Hindu-Arabic numerals (please see links given below). Hindu-Arabic numbers run from left to right. So, to answer Trueblue88, the Arabic numerals of the West actually originated in India and are called Indian numerals by the Arabic countries. Hindu-Arabic numerals are considered the language of mathematics, so for practical purposes this is why they are considered universal.

I have given links below which are extremely informative.

Answer 2

I don't know. I've always wondered why, if Arabic is written from right to left, we still write the numbers from left to right.

Answer 3

no idea