# Kashida as a layout primitive

> What stretching letters taught me about flexible UI.

By Abdlmu'tii (@abdlmutii) · 2026-10-12 · design, branding, business · https://mutii.me/blog/kashida-layout/

## The stretch

Arabic scribes justify a line by lengthening the connecting stroke between letters — the kashida — instead of widening the gaps between words. The text stays whole; one stroke absorbs the slack.

<aside class="hashiya">Browsers can do this too: `text-justify: inter-character` gets close for Arabic.</aside>

## In CSS

A flex row with one `flex: 1` child behaves the same way: everything keeps its size and a single element soaks up the space.

```css
.row { display: flex; }
.row .kashida { flex: 1; }
```

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