Arabic is composed of 2, 3, and sometimes 4 letter words. Most words can be traced back to a 3-letter root, which is the basis for a family of words each with related meanings. Take the English word paint. It acts as a base for many other nouns (things), verbs (actions), and even adjectives (qualities) through a little manipulation, e.g. painter, painted, and painterly etc. The study of how words are adapted into different patterns like this to alter their meaning is called morphology. There are thousands of roots in Arabic that students can encounter during their study, though as with any language, some words and patterns are much more frequent than others, and should be memorised first to help understand the language faster.
An important difference between English and Arabic is in the way words are classified. Grammatically, Arabic words all fall into three categories: ism (nouns, adjectives, determiners, and adverbs), fi’l (verbs), and ḥarf ‘particles’ (prepositions and conjunctions). Additionally to this, Arabic nouns and verbs will very often be combined with prefixes (at the beginning) that attach a preposition or conjunction, or suffixes (at the end) that expresses the word’s relationship with a another object or person.
The following lessons – adapted from Linguistic Miracle – cover the vast majority of classical Arabic grammar rules, and are designed for those who already have a steady ability to read Arabic with vowel markings, though cannot understand it. By focusing on one lesson a day, taking in all the content (down to every detail) of the lesson table carefully, students should be able to grasp all the basic and intermediate rules of the language in less than two weeks. Each lesson gives learners a stronger and stronger feel for how the Arabic language works, making it easier to listen to and understand the Quran, Hadiths, and Arabic speech.
Download our lesson book ‘A Perfect Ten: Learn Quranic Arabic In 10 Coloured Tables‘ below.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. Though the information contained does not necessarily represent the views of anyone other than the writer, all articles are cross-checked by brothers and sisters knowledgeable and experienced on the topic before being published on our site. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
Sometimes in English, we feel too exhausted to say our words fully. If you work in an office, trying switching out ‘admin‘, ‘decaf‘, ‘app‘, and ‘doc‘, for ‘administration‘, ‘decaffeinated‘, ‘application‘, and ‘document‘ and watch how much productivity is lost. But the way to stop in Arabic speech is really quite the time-saver, and furthermore, for those of us with smaller lungs, there are provisions in place in Quranic recitation to break up many verses using individual stopping points.
One essential principle to grasp before delving into what these various stop signs are, is the ‘temporary’ sukūn pause. Generally in Arabic, when one takes a breath at the end of a sentence, or even pauses at a word, a momentary sukun pause is imagined on the last full-form letter – thus omitting any vowels and even tanwīn ‘nunation’ following it. For example, in [ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ] ‘ÍṇnaAlllöha samī’uņ baṣīrun‘, the stop at the word ‘baṣīrun‘ means curtailing it from the ‘r‘ – ignoring the short ‘u‘ vowel and ‘n‘ nunation after it. The transliteration method used in this book uses superscript formatting to represent letters that are silent under certain conditions such as this. The stopping rule extends to words ending in long vowels, which should still be pronounced long accordingly, like in for example, [ لِنُرِيَكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا الْكُبْرَى ] ‘Linuriyaka min ǎyätinā alkubroe‘ . There are other caveats to this rule of thumb to be aware of. Firstly, any silent letters should be ignored. By spelling convention, a silent [ ا ] Alif is written at the end of 3rd person plural verbs in Arabic. These can be skipped in all cases anyway, and a reciter stopping on such a word should recite it as if the sukūn pause is instead on the [ ـو ] Wāu before it. For example, [ ءَامَنُوا] ‘-āmanūa‘ and [ كَفَرُوا] ‘kafarūa‘. Secondly, the [ ً ] fatḥatain ‘nunated accusative marker’ at the end of nouns is usually also followed by a full-form [ ا ] Alif. However, this Alif is only read out when the reciter stops at the word – which is equivalent to saying the sukūn pause should be imagined on this last Alif – giving a long vowel sound. If the reciter continues past such a word, the ‘n‘ from the nunation should be recited instead. For example, in [ وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًا ] ‘wasã-a sabīlana‘, the last word is pronounced as ‘sabīlaa‘ – ending with a long ‘ā‘ sound – if the reciter stops at it, and ‘sabīlan‘ – ending with an ‘n‘ sound – if the reciter instead continues through it. It should also be noted that a reciter is free to stop outside of the designated stop signs during recitation (to take a breath). Though when starting again, the last word/s before the stopping place should be repeated to clarify any potential misinterpretation in meaning.
Referring strictly to the madaniyy Quranic writing script, there are 6 waqf stop signs explained below:
[ ۘ ] Mandatory (M)
[ ۗ ] Recommended (QLE)
[ ۚ ] Optional (J)
[ ۖ ] Discouraged (ṢLE)
[ ۜ ] Quick (S)
[ ۛ ۛ ] Selectable
7.a) [ ۘ ] Mandatory
Summary: This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Mím. There are only a handful of such instances in the Quran. When it appears after a word, the reciter must momentarily stop (and take a breath), for continuing on so would alter the obvious meaning of the verse. If the reciter continues on from it without stoping, that portion of the recitation must be repeated.
This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Qōf and Lām, and stylised ÁlifMaqṣūroḧ. When it appears after a word, the reciter is encouraged to momentarily stop (and take a breath), for continuing on so could complicate the obvious understanding of the verse.
Notes:
• The end of the vast majority of Quranic verses themselves are also considered recommended stops
Summary: This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Jím. When it appears after a word, the reciter may momentarily stop (and take a breath).
Summary: This type of sign is written as a small superscript Ṣōd and Lām, and stylised ÁlifMaqṣūroḧ. When it appears after a word, the reciter is encouraged to continue (without taking a breath), for stopping on so could complicate the obvious understanding of the verse.
Summary: This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Sīn. It is also referred to as a sakt/aḧ. There are only a handful of such instances in the Quran. When it appears after a word, the reciter is encouraged to momentarily stop, (without taking a breath), for continuing on so could lose the rhetoric effect of the verse.
Summary: This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript mathematical ‘therefore’ sign. There are only a handful of such instances in the Quran. They always appear in pairs. When they appear around a set of words, the reciter may momentarily stop (and take a breath) at either one of the two places – but not both.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
Sometimes speaking makes the tongue tired. Given all the various sounds this fleshy set of muscles works to produce, we can all excuse a shortcut being made once in a while. Try saying for example, ‘Good day‘. Even in this simple greeting, you perhaps did not pronounce everything, fusing the two ‘d‘ letters into something like ‘goo-d-ay‘.
This merging of identical or even similar letters is a characteristic of speech that transcends any specific language, which in Quran recitation, is ìdgómul’ám ‘general fusion’. There are also instances of such found with the N-pause, though those are separated from this lesson set due to its more extensive nature (also see lesson 3.a Fused N-pause). While this principle is often overlooked as a rarity in Quran recitation, it is certainly noticeable when the fusions are not made at the right time, and should therefore be acknowledged where they arise by those serious about the thorough enhancement of their recitals.
There are 2 forms of ídgōmull’ām general fusion explained below:
Identical general fusion (Ídgōm ull’ām ulmutamāṫil)
Similar general fusion (Ídgōm ull’ām ulmutajānis)
6.a) Identical general fusion (Ídgōmull’āmulmutamāṫil)
Priority: Recommended
This type of fusion is easy to recognise. It occurs when two of the same consonant letters appear side-by-side. This means that the first of these letters has a sukūn pause on it, as it would otherwise be separated from the next letter by a vowel. In these cases, the letters are fused in a way that sounds just as if the first letter has dissappeared, and the second letter has become a shaddaḧ double letter. The two ‘identical’ letters can be within the same word, or across two words separated by a space.
6.b) Similar general fusion (Ídgōmull’āmulmutajānis)
Priority: Recommended
Summary: These instances of fusion are few enough in the Quran to be memorised case-by-case. They occur when two nearly identical consonant letters appear side-by-side. This means that the first of these letters has a sukūn pause on it, as it would otherwise be separated from the next letter by a vowel. The letters can be different either by their macōrij ‘exit points’ from the mouth, or by their vowel ṣifāt ‘characteristic’ (also see lesson set 1. Heaviness). Excluding the instances found with N-pause, the ‘similar’ letter pairs that should be fused are [ ـد ] Dāl followed with [ تـ ] Tâ; [ ـت ] Tâ followed with [ د ] Dāl; [ ـذ ] Vāl followed with [ ظـ ] Ṿô; [ ـت ] Tā followed with [ طـ ] Ṭô; [ ـل ] Lām followed with [ ر ] Rô; [ ـب ] Bâ followed with [ مـ ] Mīm; [ ـق ] Qōf followed with [ كـ ] Kāf; and [ ـث ] Ṫâ followed with [ ذ ] Vāl. In these pairings, the letters are fused in a way that sounds just as if the first letter has disappeared, and the second letter has become a shaddaḧ double letter. Two letters of a pair can be within the same word, or across two words separated by a space.
Notes:
• There is one letter pair that undergoes only a partial fusion. If [ ـط ] Ṭô is followed by [ تـ ] Tâ; the resulting sound is a hybrid equally between the two, for example, in [ فَرَّطتُمْ ] farroṭtum. No qolqolaḧ plosion should be heard after the first Ṭô (ṭ) in such cases.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
When the Arabs cooked over an open fire, the pot would often get hot enough to start vibrating. The word used for this phenomenon, where it was neither in motion, nor completely still, was [ قَلْقَلَة ] qolqolaḧ (lit. ‘shaking’).
In Arabic phonetics, the word refers to a characteristic found in a group of 5 plosives – letters that require a quick exhalation of air to fully pronounce. These are [ ـب ] Bâ, [ ـج] Jīm, [ ـد ] Dāl, [ ـط ] Ṭô, and [ ـق ] Qōf. To illustrate the importance of properly expressing plosive letters, Consider if you ever once told someone to, “Stopl”. The letter ‘p‘ at the end is a plosive letter. Say the word with your hand to your mouth. You should notice a small bust of air after saying that letter. Now pronounce the word but finishing short at the last letter without breathing out. It does not have the same passion to it. In fact, it would be audibly indistinguishable from the word ‘stock‘ for example, which also ends with a plosive letter, if you did the same thing. Similarly in Arabic, it is vital to express this burst of air with any of the five plosive letters if they are to be clearly distinguished in speech. The letters can be summarised in the Arabic mnemonic [ قُطبِ جَد ] quṭbi jad.
There are 2 forms of qolqolaḧ plosion explained below:
Smallplosion (Qolqolaḧuṣṣugroe)
Largeplosion (Qolqolaḧulkubroe)
5.a) Small plosion (Qolqolaḧuṣṣugroe)
Priority: Recommended
Summary: This type of plosion should be restrained enough when employed to avoid ambiguous recitation. It appears when one of the five Arabic qolqolaḧ plosive letters inside a word has a permanent sukūn pause – thus followed by another consonant. The burst of plosive air made pronouncing such a letter is ‘small’ due to the immediate need to pronounce the letter after it.
Notes:
• The extent of the small plosion should be subtle enough to hear, though not exaggerated as to permit the interpretation of a vowel sound after the plosion letter – since there is not
• This instance of plosion is often exaggerated due to being the larger of the two types. It appears when a reciter stops at an Arabic word ending in one of the five Arabic qolqolaḧ plosive letters. The word can end on such a letter either via a permant sukún pause – most often seen in imperative verbs, or via a temporary sukún pause (also see introduction to lesson set 7. Stop Signs). The burst of plosive air made pronouncing such a letter is ‘large’ due to the time given by the moment of silence after it.
Notes:
This category of plosion is often split into two on the belief that ending on a plosive letter via a sukūn pause – so called ‘medium’ plosion – is different from ending on a shaddaḧ double plosive letter – so called ‘large’ plosion. This distinction is a myth. Since a letter with a shaddaḧ double diacritic over it is equivalent to two of the same letter with the first having a sukūn pause, stopping on a double plosive letter evokes the same amount of plosion as stopping on a single plosive letter
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
Sometimes letters are emphasised by extending them. Say the word ‘room mate‘. The two ‘m‘ sounds here feel so repetitive that you might have just merged them into a longer ‘mm‘ – giving something like ‘roo-mm-ate‘.
Pronouncing the ‘m’ sound requires two things: the lips to be closed, and air to pass through the nasal cavity (nose). To understand the importance of this latter element of pronunciation, notice the difficulty of trying to extend the word ‘gummm‘ while pinching the nose closed. This second element of air reverberation happens frequently in Arabic too, and is referred to as gunnaḧ ‘nasalisation’. Sometimes, when a reciter either reads out a Mīm (m) that has a sukūn pause on it, or stops on a word that ends with ‘m‘, the ‘m‘ sound stands to be potentially altered by the following letter. Another consonant that may alter likewise is [ ن ] Nūn (n) (also see lesson set 3. N-Pause). As it happens, there are only two letters that affect the pronunciation of the Arabic ‘m‘. These are [ ب ] Bâ, and [ م] Mīm (m), itself. Besides these letters, any other cases gives the preceding ‘m‘ what is called [ إِظْهَار ] íṿhār ‘overtness’ in Arabic, meaning that it should be pronounced clearly and fully.
There are 2 forms of Mīm sākinaḧ M-pause explained below:
Obscurity (Ícfâ)
Fusion (Ídgōm)
4.a) Obscurity (Ìcfâ)
Priority: Recommended
Summary: This type of M-pause is one that is partially ‘obscured’ by the next letter. It should occur when an ‘m‘ sound is followed by [ ب ] Bâ. To apply Ícfâ to the ‘m‘ when it is followed by such, hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while keeping the mouth closed – before proceeding on.
Summary: This type of M-pause is one that is mostly or wholly ‘fused’ to the next letter. It should occur when an ‘m‘ sound is followed by another [ م ] Mīm itself. To apply ídgōm fusion to the ‘m‘ when it is followed by such, hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while keeping the mouth closed – before proceeding on. Because an ‘m‘ with a shaddaḧ double diacritic over it is equivalent to two of the same letter with the first having a sukūn pause, stopping on a double Mīm (mm) also evokes the principle of ídgōm fusion with nasalisation for 2 beats.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
Some vocal sounds are quite difficult to render in sequence. Say the word ‘month‘. The ‘n‘ here is so uncomfortable (often especially for foreign speakers) that you might have just merged the ‘n‘ into the ‘th‘ – giving something like ‘mo-ng-th‘.
Pronouncing the ‘n’ sound requires two things: the tongue to press against the roof of the mouth, and air to pass through the nasal cavity (nose). To understand the importance of this latter element of pronunciation, notice the difficulty of trying to extend the word ‘pinnn‘ while pinching the nose closed. This second element of air reverberation can be isolated by lowering the tongue away from the roof of the mouth – resulting in the ‘ng‘ sound. This stripping away of ‘n’ into the ‘ng’ sound happens frequently in Arabic too, and is referred to as gunnaḧ ‘nasalisation’. Every time a reciter either reads out a Nūn (n) that has a sukūn pause on it, or stops on a word that ends with tanwīn nunation, the ‘n‘ sound stands to be potentially altered by the following letter. Another consonant that may alter likewise is [ م ] Mím (m) (also see lesson set 4. M-Pause). As it happens, there are so many letters that affect the pronunciation of the Arabic ‘n‘, that it is easier to list those that do not first. These are [ ء ] Hamzaḧ, [ ح] Ḥâ, [ خ ] Cô, [ ع ] ‘Ain, [ غ ] Goin, and [ ه ] Hâ. These five letters, and the hamzaḧ glottal stop, all give the preceding Nūn (n) what is called [ إِظْهَار ] íṿhār ‘overtness’ in Arabic, meaning that it should be pronounced clearly and fully.
There are 3 forms of Nūn sākinaḧ N-pause explained below:
Obscurity (Ícfâ)
Fusion (Ídgōm)
Inversion (Íqlāb)
3.a) Obscurity (Ícfâ)
Priority: Recommended
Summary: This type of N-pause is one that is partially ‘obscured’ by the next letter. It should occur when an ‘n‘ sound is followed by one of 15 Arabic letters. These are [ ت ] Tâ, [ ث] Ṫâ, [ ج ] Jīm, [ د ] ‘Dāl, [ ذ ] Vāl, [ ز ] Zāi, [ س ] Sīn, [ ش ] Ṡīn, [ ص ] Ṣōd, [ ض ] Ḍōd, [ ط ] Ṭô, [ ظ ] Ṿô, [ ف ] Fâ, [ ق ] Qōf, and [ ك ] Kāf. In the Arabic madaniyy script, when a Nūn (n) with a pause appears before one of these letters, the [ ْ ] sukūn diacritic is omitted. To apply Ícfâ to the ‘n‘ when in such cases, hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while shaping the mouth to the letter coming after the ‘n‘ – before proceeding on.
Notes:
• When the ‘n‘ sound appears just before one of the aforementioned 15 letters within the same word (via a sukūn pause on the Nūn (n)) the principle of Ícfâ still applies on it
Summary: This type of N-pause is one that is mostly or wholly ‘fused’ to the next letter. It should occur when an ‘n‘ sound is followed by one of 6 Arabic letters. These are [ ر ] Rô, [ ل] Lām, [ م ] Mīm, [ ن ] Nūn itself, [ و ] Wāu, and [ ي ] Yâ. The letters can be summarised in the Arabic mnemonic [ يَرْمَلُون ] yarmalūn (lit. ‘they are widowed’). In the Arabic madaniyy script, when a Nūn (n) with a pause appears before one of these letters, the [ ْ ] sukūn diacritic is omitted. To apply ídgōm fusion to the ‘n‘ in such cases (except Rô and Lām), hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while pronouncing the letter coming after the ‘n‘ – before proceeding on. Because an ‘n‘ with a shaddaḧ double diacritic over it is equivalent to two of the same letter with the first having a sukūn pause, stopping on a double Nūn (nn) also evokes the principle of ídgōm fusion with nasalisation for 2 beats. In the cases of Rô and Lām, the nasalisation is omitted – and the 2 beats are instead held on the Rô or Lām respectively, thereby removing the ‘n‘ sound entirely.
Notes:
• Besides the case of a shaddaḧ double ‘n‘, if the ‘n‘ sound appears just before one of the aforementioned 5 letters within the same word (via a sukūn pause on the Nūn (n)) the principle of ídgōm does not apply on it
Summary: This type of N-pause is one that is wholly ‘inverted’ to a different letter. It should occur when an ‘n‘ sound is followed by [ ب ] Bâ. To apply íqlāb inversion to the ‘n‘ in such cases, hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while pronouncing the letter like a Mīm (m) with slightly open lips – before proceeding on to the Bâ ‘b‘.
Notes:
When the ‘n‘ sound appears just before a Bâ ‘b‘ within the same word (via a sukūn pause on the Nūn (n)) the principle of iqlāb still applies on it
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
The Arabic word [ مَدّ ] madd means ‘extension’, or ‘elongation’. The principle of madd elongation exists in almost every language for rhythmic purposes, or as a method to distinguish meanings (Chinese being a notable exception). Pronounce for example, the English word ‘content‘. The meaning changes depending on which vowel you elongate. If the ‘o‘ is elongated (extended), and the ‘e‘ kept short, it would mean ‘things held or included‘. If on the other hand, the ‘e‘ is elongated, and the ‘o‘ kept short, it would mean ‘in a state of peaceful satisfaction‘. In linguistics, this elongation of particular vowels is called ‘stress’, and is often indicated in European languages via accent marks.
In Arabic, any of the 3 vowel letters may experience this elongation; [ ا ] Alif, [ و ] Wau, and [ ي ] Yâ. In Quranic Arabic however, elongation can happen to varying lengths, depending on the context of the vowel where the elongation occurs, and it thus becomes necessary to introduce a base unit of time to measure them. Such units are referred to as ḥarokāt ‘beats‘ (lit. ‘motions’), each of which lasts approximately half a second under formal recitation speed. In the English example above, one could describe the differentiation in meaning as the choice between elongating either the ‘o‘, or the ‘e‘, from 1 beat, to 2 beats. Quran reciters in particular should familiarise themselves with the possibility of either 1, 2, 4, 5, or a maximum of 6 beats of elongation for some vowels in Arabic.
There are 5 forms of madd elongation explained below:
Natural elongation (alMadduṭṭobī’ie)
Connected elongation (alMaddulmuttaṣil)
Disconnected elongation (alMaddulmunfaṣil)
Halting elongation (alMaddullāzim)
Temporary pause elongation (Maddul’āriḍlissukūn)
2.a) Natural elongation (alMadduṭṭobī’ie)
Priority: Mandatory
Summary: This type of elongation is inherently acquired by anyone learning to speak Arabic. It is expressed in the marked Quranic text, as well as unmarked Arabic texts, as any of the Arabic vowel letters following a ḥarokāḧ diactritic of the same ‘nature’. These are [ ـا ] Alif after [ َ ] fatḥaḧ, [ ـو ] Wau after [ َ ] ḍommaḧ, or [ ـي ] Yâ after [ َ ] kasroḧ. These three instances can be summarised with the Arabic word [ نُوحِيهَا ] nūḥīhā (lit. ‘we inspired her/it’) where we can see each long vowel with its natural diacritic placed on the consonant before it. These pairings are important because it is the preceding diacritic (short vowel) that determines whether the letter is indeed acting as a vowel or not. If they are of the same nature, the letter is a long vowel which must be elongated for 2beats (approx. 1 second). Otherwise, the letter is a consonant (or a ‘seat’ for hamzaḧ) and the preceding short vowel diacritic is of only 1 beat duration.
Notes:
• The three vowels of natural elongation can also appear exclusively in the Quran as diacritics [ ٰ ] AlifConjariyyaḧ ‘dagger Alif‘, [ ۥ ] Wau Ṣogīroḧ ‘small Wau‘, and [ ۦ ] Yâ Ṣogīroḧ ‘small Yâ‘ above or after letters. Dagger Alif appears in many common words, such as [ الله ] Allöh ‘God’ and [ ذَٰلِكَ ] välika ‘that’. Small Wau and Yâ almost always appear at the end of a word as the repeated pronouns …hü and …hï respectively (both meaning ‘him/it/his/its’) (also see introduction to lesson set 7. Stop Signs). They should also be elongated for 2 beats when appearing after their natural vowel diacritic, just like with the full-form vowels. Diacritic long vowels are represented in this transliteration with a macron accent (¯) over the vowel, while full-form long vowels are represented with an acute accent (´)
Summary: This instance of elongation is a frequent and standout feature of Quran recitation. It occurs when a long vowel within a word – ‘connected’ by letters either side of it – appears just before a [ ء ] hamzaḧ (–) glottal stop. The Arabic diacritic used to denote it is [ ٓ ] madd – itself named so for its general use whenever an elongation longer than the usual 2 beats arises. The hamzaḧ following it can appear full-form, or as a [ ٔ ] diacritic over another vowel too. Regardless of the form of the hamzaḧ, the preceding vowel must be elongated for 5beats (approx. 2.5 seconds).
Notes:
• Some ‘words’ in the Quran appear to contain a connected elongation, but are actually disconnected (also see lesson 2.c) on the disconnected elongation). This is because in speech they are understood as two words, yet when written, they are together without a space in between due to convention. The two most common Quranic examples are [ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ] yãáyyuhā (yã + áyyuhā) and [ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ] hãúlã-i (hã + úlã-i). Both of these words contain an ‘ã‘ long vowel which is technically disconnected and thus optional to elongate, though notice how in the example hãúlã-i, the second elongated ‘ã‘ is connected and so indeed mandatory
Summary: This instance of elongation is not inherent to any particular word, but emerges rather organically in between certain pairs of words. It occurs when a long vowel at the end of one word – ‘disconnected’ from the word next to it by a space – appears before a [ ء ] hamzaḧ (–) glottal stop at the beginning of that next word. The Arabic diacritic used to denote it is [ ٓ ] madd – itself named so for its general use whenever an elongation longer than the usual 2 beats arises. The hamzaḧ following it can appear full-form, or as a [ ٔ ] diacritic over another vowel too. Regardless of the form of the hamzaḧ, the preceding vowel can be elongated for 4beats (approx. 2 seconds). If however, the reciter chooses not to elongate the vowel for 4 beats, then it must be elongated like that of the natural elongation for 2beats.
Summary: Though this form of elongation (lit. ‘necessary elongation’) does not appear in the Quran often, it is very noticeable when it does, for it is the longest form of elongation required. It occurs when a long vowel comes just before a consonant with a permanent [ ْ ] sukūn ‘pause’ (lit. ‘standstill’) (also see introduction to lesson set 7. Stop Signs). Since a [ ّ ] shaddaḧ ‘double’ (lit. ’emphasis’) diacritic over a letter is equivalent to two of the same letter with the first having a pause, a long vowel before a double letter is also elongated the same way. The Arabic diacritic used to denote it is [ ٓ ] madd – itself named so for its general use whenever an elongation longer than the usual 2 beats arises. Whether a long vowel is preceded by a double shaddaḧ letter, or a permanent sukūn pause, it must be elongated for 6beats (approx. 3 seconds).
Notes:
• A sukūn pause on a letter can appear over it as a [ ْ ] diacritic, or be invisible in some cases (also see lesson set 3. N-pause)
• The ḥurūfulmuqoṭṭo’āt ‘disconnected letters’ at the beginning of many a sūroḧ section of the Quran are also often subject to the rules of the halting elongation. This is because the letters are pronounced individually by their name (instead of together as words) of which, many happen to end with a long vowel before a sukūn pause. Examples are [ الر ] AlifLãmRā, and [ جم ] ḤâMïm. All the disconnected letters that require the halting elongation can be summarised in the Arabic sentence [ سَنَقُص لَكُم ] sanaquṣ lakum (lit. ‘we will tell you all’)
This form of elongation is not marked in Arabic text, as it presents itself conditionally. It arises when a reciter makes a ‘temporary’ sukūn pause during the recitation at a word which has a long vowel just before its last letter. This temporary pause can be within ǎyäẗ ‘verses’, and, more usually, at the end of them (also see introduction to lesson set 7. Stop Signs). Regardless of where the temporary pause is made, the penultimate letter being a long vowel can thus be elongated for 2, 4, or 6beats (approx. 1, 2, or 3 seconds respectively). If however, the reciter chooses not to elongate the vowel for 4 or 6 beats, then it must be elongated like that of the natural elongation for 2beats.
Notes:
• The principle of temporary elongation also extends to when a Wau or Yâ is preceded by a fatḥaḧ. This particular case is also referred to as alMaddullīn ‘temporary dipthong elongation’ (lit. ‘gentle elongation’). In such cases, the second vowel sound in the dipthong can be extended for 2, 4, or 6 beats. Examples are [ الْبَيْت ] albait or [ الْيَوم ] alyaum
• One’s choice on the length of the temporary elongation, be it 2, 4, or 6 beats, should remain consistent at that duration for every such instance during the course of the recital
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
The ‘weight’ of a letter in Arabic relates to the nature of its macroj ‘exit point’ from the mouth, and its corresponding vowel ṣifaḧ ‘characteristic’. Though there is plenty for English-speakers to struggle with when learning to speak Arabic, vowels need not be one of them. Vowels are sounded by gently exhaling while vibrating the vocal tract; they are then distinguished by the shape of the lips during this process.
The Arabic vowels ‘a‘, ‘u‘, and ‘i‘, are expressed in writing with harokāt diacritics, and letters [ ا ] Alif, [ و ] Wau, and [ ي ] Yâ respectively. Though Arabic vowels are commonly taught as being three, there are more precisely four, as the Arabic fatḥaħ/Álif is actually used to represent two English vowel sounds. To understand this, read out for example, the words ‘bat‘ and ‘ball‘. Did you notice how each vowel sounds different, despite being spelled with the same letter? English spelling is notorious, and we could have more intuitively written ‘boll’ instead of ‘ball’. However, this example helps us understand more about the Arabic fatḥaħ/Álif, which is also used to represent two vowel sounds. In English, these two sounds are conventionally referred to as ‘lighta‘, and ‘heavya‘. There is also a subtle distinction that the trained ear can hear between the Arabic light and heavy ‘i‘, and even less so between light and heavy ‘u‘. The reason why these two vowel sound weights are usually not distinguished in Arabic education however, is because the sound is technically attached to the letter before it; it is actually the consonants that are categorised as either [ مُفَخَّم ] mufaccom ‘heavy‘ (giving the following vowel a heavy sound), or [ مُرَقَّق ] muroqqoq ‘light‘ (giving the following vowel a light sound). This ‘heavya‘ sound in Arabic is practically an ‘o‘ sound, like that of ‘lock‘, and is thus represented as an ‘o‘ in the transliteration of this book. It should be sounded as such whenever a heavy Arabic consonant is followed by the fatḥaħ/Álif.
There are 2 forms of tafcīm heaviness explained below:
Permanent heaviness (Tafcīm ul’lāzim)
Temporary heaviness (Tafcīm ul’āriḍ)
1.a) Permanent heaviness (Tafcīmul’lāzim)
Priority: Mandatory
Summary: There are 7 Arabic consonants that carry a ‘permanent’ heaviness, in all their attached vowel sounds due to the nature of their macōrij exit points. These are [ خ ] Cô, [ ص] Ṣōd, [ ض ] Ḍōd, [ ط ] Ṭô, [ ظ ] Ṿô, [ غ ] Goin, and [ ق ] Qōf. The letters can be summarised in the Arabic mnemonic [ خُص ضَغطٍ قِظ ] cuṣ ḍogṭin qiṿ. They are articulated by curving the tongue downwards, as if there is a ‘heavy’ ball placed on it, so allowing air to fill the mouth while the letters are pronounced.
Summary: There are 2 Arabic consonants that carry a ‘temporary’ heaviness, in that their proceeding vowel sounds are only heavy in certain circumstances. These are [ ر ] Rô, and [ ل ] Lām. The Rô is only heavy when followed by a fatḥaħ ‘o‘ or ḍommaħ ‘u‘. The Lām is only heavy when it is in the grand name ‘Allöh‘ God, except when this word is commenced with the kasroḧ ‘i‘ vowel, for example in ‘liLlähi‘.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
• The Arabic fatḥaħ/Àlif can be used to represent two vowel sounds – light ‘a’ or heavy ‘o’ – depending on the consonant before it.
• The Grand Name – ‘Allah’ – is exceptionally pronounced with the second vowel heavy – as ‘Allōh‘ – despite Lám not being a heavy consonant.
• ‘Allah’ is still pronounced with light ‘a’ vowels when begun by the kasroħ ‘i’ sound.
In our honest efforts to learn the recitation of the Noble Quran, one can often neglect taking time to master the basics of the ancient language – allowing mispronunciations to set into habit. In this article, we look at the truly unique rules associated with pronouncing the Grandest of names – الله ‘Allah‘ – which non-Arab muslims without a formal training, and even many among those who do have, surprisingly find themselves misrepresenting.
Allah in stone in Rohtas Fort, District Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan
Arabic Vowels
Before understanding the nuances of the word ‘Allah’, let us first recap the system of Arabic vowels and their association with ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ letters.
There is plenty for English-speakers to struggle with when learning to speak Arabic, but vowels need not be one of them. Vowels are sounded by gently exhaling while vibrating the vocal tract; they are then distinguished by the shape of the lips during this process. The Arabic vowels ‘a‘, ‘u‘, and ‘i‘ can be expressed in writing with [harokát] diacritics, and letters ا Àlif, و Wau, and ي Yá respectively.
SOUNDING THE THREE MAIN ARABIC VOWELS:
• ‘a‘ – as in ‘bat’ – represented by a [fatḥah] diacritic above the letter, and elongated with an Àlif
• ‘u‘ – not found in English, between that of ‘look’ and ‘lock’ – represented by a [ḍommah] diacritic above the letter, and extended with a Wáu. Occasionally represented with ‘o’ instead
• ‘i‘ – as in ‘meet’ – represented by a [kasroh] diacritic below the letter, and extended with a yá. Occasionally represented with an ‘e’ instead
Now we turn to the confusion. Though Arabic vowels are commonly taught as being three, there are more precisely four, as the Arabic fatḥaħ/Àlif is actually used to represent two vowel sounds. To understand this, read out for example, the words ‘bat‘ and ‘ball‘. Notice how their vowels sound different, despite being spelled with the same letter? English spelling is notorious mind, and we could have more intuitively written ‘boll‘ instead of ‘ball’. However, this example helps us understand more about the Arabic fatḥaħ/Àlif, which is also used to represent two vowel sounds.
In English, these two sounds are conventionally referred to as ‘light’ ‘a’, and ‘heavy’ ‘a’. The reason why these two sounds are usually not distinguished in Arabic education however, is because the sound is technically attached to the consonant letter before it. It is actually the consonants that are categorised as either مُفَخَّم [mufaccom] ‘heavy‘ (giving the following fatḥaħ/Àlif the ‘o’ sound ), or مُرَقَّق ‘muroqqoq‘ ‘light‘ (giving the following fatḥaħ/Àlif the ‘a’ sound).1 Thus, you may have noticed by now that the transliteration of both sounds are being distinguished in this article using the letter ‘a’ for light or the letter ‘o’ for heavy.
So what are these heavy Arabic consonants that invoke the differing ‘o’ sound? Take note of the list below if you are unsure –
[MUFACCOM] ‘HEAVY’ LETTERS:
•خ Cóf •ص Ṣód •ض Ḍód •ط Ṭo •ظ Ṿo • غ Goin •ق Qóf
Please note, ر Ró is a special case that is only heavy when it is followed by a fatḥaħ or ḍommaħ.
The uniqueness of ‘Allah’
The second ‘a’ in ‘Allah’ (which is extended – and is represented here in the English with a macron) should be pronounced with a heavy ‘o’ by default, and is better spelled as ‘Allōh‘. Please note however, this ‘o’ is actually like the ‘u’ sound in ‘luck’ rather than the ‘o’ sound in lock, but the difference is very slight, and it is being transliterated as ‘o’ to avoid confusion with the usage of ‘u’ to represent the sound made from ḍommah/wáu.2 So for example:
The word for ‘God’ in Surah Iklaas should be pronounced ‘Allōh‘ with a heavy vowel (not ‘Allāh’).
Now you might have realised that ل Lám, despite preceding the second heavy ‘o’ in ‘Allōh‘, is not amongst the list of heavy Arabic consonants. This is what makes the word easy to mispronounce for the unacquainted reciter; it should indeed be pronounced with a heavy ‘o’ sound.
Finally, if things were not complicated enough, one should also remember the important exception to this practice – if the first Àlif [waṣl] in ‘Allah’ is preceded or replaced by the kasroħ ‘i’ vowel, then the second Àlif in ‘Allah’ becomes light again, and should be pronounced ‘a’. The two most famous examples of this exception in the Quran are in the first Ayah of Surah Fatiha, as introduced at the beginning of this article, and the Basmala itself, where the first two words should be pronounced ‘Bismi Llāh‘ (not ‘Bismi Llōh‘).
TO SUMMARISE:
• The Arabic fatḥaħ/Àlif can be used to represent two vowel sounds – light ‘a’ or heavy ‘o’ – depending on the consonant before it.
• The Grand Name – ‘Allah’ – is exceptionally pronounced with the second vowel heavy – as ‘Allōh‘ – despite Lám not being a heavy consonant.
• ‘Allah’ is still pronounced with light ‘a’ vowels when begun by the kasroħ ‘i’ sound.
Jazak-Allah for reading. All knowledge, opinions, and translations expressed in our articles are the earnest study and reflections of the writer, prioritising honest interpretations of the Quran and authentic Hadith as evidence. Though the information contained does not necessarily represent the views of anyone other than the writer, all articles are cross-checked by brothers and sisters knowledgeable and experienced on the topic before being published on our site. We ask for forgiveness for presenting any information that comes to be incorrect or misleading, and accept that Allah is the Most-Knowing One.
