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Quranic Arabic Stop Signs (Waqf) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 7

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

Falá yaḥzuńka qouluhum. Ìnná na’lamu má yusirrúna wamá yu’linúna

[Quran 36:76…]

Sometimes in English, we feel too exhausted to say our words fully. If you work in an office, trying swtiching out ‘admin‘, ‘decaf‘, ‘app‘, and ‘doc‘, for ‘administration‘, ‘decaffeinated‘, ‘application‘, and ‘document‘ and watch how much productiviy 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’ sukún 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 tanwín ‘nunation’ following it. For example, in [ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ ] ‘Ìnna Alllōha samí’uň baṣírun‘, the stop at the word ‘baṣírun‘ means curtailing it from the ‘r‘ – ignoring the short ‘u‘ vowel and ‘n‘ nunation after it. The transliteration method used here 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 ٱلْكُبْرَى ] ‘Linuriyaka min -áyātiná 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 sukún pause is instead on the [ ـو ] Wáu before it. For example, [ ءَامَنُوا۟ ] ‘-ámanúa‘ and [ كَفَرُوا۟ ] ‘kafarúa‘. 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 sukún 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 sabílana‘, the last word is pronounced as ‘sabílaa‘  – ending with a long ‘á‘ sound – if the reciter stops at it, and ‘sabílan‘ – ending with an ‘n‘ sound – if the reciter continues past at it. It should also be noted that a reciter is free to stop outside of the designated stop signs during formal recitation (to take a breath), though when starting again, the last few 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 7 waqf stop signs explained below:

  • [ ۘ  ] Mandatory (M)
  • [ ۗ ] Recommended (QL)
  • [ ۚ ] Optional (J)
  • [ ۖ ] Discouraged (ṢL)
  • [ ۙ ] Prohibited (LÁ)
  • [ ۜ ] Quick (S)
  • [ ۛ ۛ ] Selectable

7.a) [ ۘ  ] Mandatory

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.

E.g.

فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

Falá yaḥzuńka qouluhum. Ìnná na’lamu má yusirrúna wamá yu’linúna

[Quran 36:76…]

7.b) [ ۗ  ] Recommended

This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Qóf and Lám. 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

E.g.

إِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ غَرَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ دِينُهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

Ìv yaqúlu almunāfiqúna waallavína fie qulúbihim mmaroḍun gorro hãùlã-i dínuhum: Wamaņ yatawakkal ‘alae Alllōhi faìnna Alllōha ‘azízun ḥakímuņ

[Quran 8:49]

7.c) [ ۚ  ] Optional

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).

E.g.

وَأَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّۭ وَلَّىٰ مُدْبِرًۭا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ۚ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّى لَا يَخَافُ لَدَىَّ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

Waàlqi ‘aṣóka; Falammá roǎhá tahtazzu kaànnahá jãnnuņ wallaē mudbiroņa walam yu’aqqib; YāMúsaē lá tacof ìnnie lá yacófu ladayya almursalúna

[Quran 27:10]

7.d) [ ۖ  ] Discouraged

This type of sign is written as a small superscript Ṣód and Lám. 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.

E.g.

وَلِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ ٱلرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌۭ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌۭ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُۥ عَيْنَ ٱلْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ مَن يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِۦ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ

WaliSulaimāna alrríḥa guduwwuhá ṡahruņ warowáḥuhá ṡahruņ, waàsalná lahū ‘aina alqiṭri, wamina aljinni maņ ya’malu baina yadaihī biìvni Robbihī, wamaņ yazig minhum ‘an àmriná nuviqhu min ‘avábi alsSa’íri

[Quran 34:12]

7.e) [ ۙ  ] Prohibited

This type of sign is written as a small superscript Lám and Alif. There are only a handful of such instances in the Quran. When it appears after a word, the reciter must continue (without taking a breath), for stopping on so would alter the obvious meaning of the verse. If the reciter stops on it, that portion of the recitation must be repeated.

E.g.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُونَ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مَنًّۭا وَلَآ أَذًۭى ۙ لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ٢٦٢

Allavína yuńfiqúna àmwālahum fie sabíli Alllāhi ṫumma lá yutbi’úna mã àńfaqúa mannaņa walã àvana—lahum àjruhum ‘ińda Robbihim walá coufun ‘alaihim walá hum yaḥzanúna

[Quran 2:262]

7.f) [ ۜ  ] Quick

Priority: Recommended

This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript Sín. 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.

E.g.

وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍۢ

Waqíla man … róqiņ

[Quran 75:27]

7.g) [ ۛ ۛ  ] Selectable

Priority: Optional

This type of stop sign is written as a small superscript methematical ‘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.

E.g.

قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ۛ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۭ ۛ يَتِيهُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ

Qóla faìnnahá muḥarromaẗun ‘alaihim – àrba’ína sanaẗaņ – yatíhúna fie alàrḍi; Falá ta-sa ‘alae alqoumi alfāsiqína

[Quran 5:26]


Allah knows best.


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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.

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Quranic Arabic General Fusion (Ìdgóm ul’ám) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 6

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍۢ مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ

Ànamá takúnúa yudrikkkumu almautu walau kuńtum fie burújiņ mmuṡayyadaḧiņ…

[Quran 4:78…]

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 ìdgóm ul’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 ìdgóm ull’ám general fusion explained below:

  • Identical general fusion (Ìdgóm ull’ám ulmutamáṫil)
  • Similar general fusion (Ìdgóm ull’ám ulmutajánis)

6.a) Identical general fusion (Ìdgóm ull’ám ulmutamáṫil)

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 sukún 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.

E.g.

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍۢ مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ

Ànamá takúnúa yudrikkkumu almautu walau kuńtum fie burújiņ mmuṡayyadaḧiņ…

[Quran 4:78…]

وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًۭا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا فَلَا يُسْرِف فِّى ٱلْقَتْلِ

…Wamań qutila maṿlúmańa faqod ja’alná liwaliyyihī sulṭōnańa falá yusrif ffie alqotli…

[Quran 17:…33…]

وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ

Wataroe alṡṡamsa ìvá ṭola’at ttazāwaru ‘ań kahfihim váta alyamíni waìvá gorobat ttaqriḍuhum váta alṡṡimáli wahum fie fajwaẗiņ mminhu

[Quran 18:17…]

6.b) Similar general fusion (Ìdgóm ull’ám ulmutajánis)

Priority: Recommended

These instances of fusion are few enough in the Quran to be potentially 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 sukún pause on it, as it would otherwise be separated from the next letter by a vowel. The letters can be different either by their macórij ‘exit points’ from the mouth, or by their vowel ṣifát ‘charactristic’ (also see lesson set 1. Heaviness). Excluding the instances found with N-pause, the ‘similar’ letter pairs that should be fused are [ ـد ] Dál followed with [ تـ ] Tâ; [ ـت ] Tâ followed with [ د ] Dál; [ ـذ ] Vál followed with [ ظـ ] Ṿô; [ ـت ] Tá followed with [ طـ ] Ṭô; [ ـل ] Lám followed with [ ر ] Rô; [ ـب ] Bâ followed with [ مـ ] Mím; [ ـق ] Qóf followed with [ كـ ] Káf; and [ ـث ] Ṫâ followed with [ ذ ] Vál. 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.

E.g.

وَدَّت طَّآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَوْ يُضِلُّونَكُمْ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

Waddat ṭṭõìfaẗuņ mmin Àhli alKitābi lau yuḍillúnakum wamá yuḍillúna ìllã àńfusahum wamá yaṡ’urúna

[Quran 3:69]

أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍۢ مَّهِينٍۢ

Àlam nacluqkkum mmiņ mmã-iņ mmahíniń

[Quran 77:20]

وَهِىَ تَجْرِى بِهِمْ فِى مَوْجٍۢ كَٱلْجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ٱبْنَهُۥ وَكَانَ فِى مَعْزِلٍۢ يَـٰبُنَىَّ ٱرْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

Wahiya tajrie bihim fie maujiń kaaljibáli wanádaē Núḥun abnahū wakána fie ma’ziliņ yābunayya arkab mma’aná walá takuņ mma’a alkāfirína

[Quran 11:42]


Allah knows best.


Last updated:

Further tajwíd enhancement study:

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.

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Quranic Arabic Plosion (Qolqolaḧ) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 5

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ

Waàmmá allavína fie qulúbihim mmaroḍuń fazádathum rijsana ìlaē rijsihim wamátúa wahum kāfirúna

[Quran 9:125]

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 ] Jím, [ ـد ] Dál, [ ـط ] Ṭô, and [ ـق ] Qóf. To illustrate the importance of properly expressing plosive letters, Consider if you ever once told someone to, “Stop!”. 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:

  • Small plosion (Qolqolaḧ uṣṣugroe)
  • Large plosion (Qolqolaḧ ulkubroe)

5.a) Small plosion (Qolqolaḧ uṣṣugroe)

Priority: Recommended

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 sukún 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

E.g.

وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ

Waàmmá allavína fie qulúbihim mmaroḍuń fazádathum rijsana ìlaē rijsihim wamátúa wahum kāfirúna

[Quran 9:125]

أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْمِيزَانِ

Àllá taṭgoua fie almízáni

[Quran 55:8]

وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱقْتَتَلُوا۟ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْأُخْرَىٰ فَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى تَبْغِى حَتَّىٰ تَفِىٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فَآءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَهُمَا بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ

Waìń ṭõìfatáni mina almu-minína aqtatalúa faàṣliḥúa bainahumá, faìň bagot ìḥdāhumá ‘alae alùcroē faqōtilúa allatie tabgie ḥattaē tafaẽ-a ìlaẽ àmri Alllāhi; Faìń fãàt faàṣliḥúa bainahumá bial’adli waàqsiṭũa, ìnna Alllōha yuḥibbu almuqsiṭína

[Quran 49:9]

1.b) Temporary heaviness (Tafcím ul’áriḍ)

Priority: Recommended

• 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 sukún 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 sukún pause, stopping on a double plosive letter evokes the same amount of plosion as stopping on a single plosive letter

E.g.

بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى تَكْذِيبٍۢ

Bali allavína kafarúa fie takvíbiņ

[Quran 85:19]

وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ

WaAlllōhu miņ warõ-ihim mmuḥíṭuň

[Quran 85:20]

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ

Bal huwa qur-ánuņ mmajíduń

[Quran 85:21]


Allah knows best.


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Quranic Arabic M-Pause (Mím Sákinaḧ) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 4

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

فَتَنَـٰزَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ

Fatanāza’ũa àmrohuḿ bainahum waàsarrúa alnnajwaē

[Quran 20:62]

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 Mím (m) that has a sukún 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 ] Nún (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] Mím (m), itself. Besides these letters, any other cases gives the preceding ‘m‘ what is called [ إِظْهَار ] ìṿhár ‘overtness’ in Arabic, meaning that it should be pronounced clearly and fully. There are 2 forms of Mím sákinaḧ M-pause explained below:

  • Obscurity (Ìcfâ)
  • Fusion (Ìdgóm)

4.a) Obscurity (Ìcfâ)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Bá. To apply Ìcfâ 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.

E.g.

فَتَنَـٰزَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ

Fatanāza’ũa àmrohuḿ bainahum waàsarrúa alnnajwaē

[Quran 20:62]

ذَٰلِكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَمْرَحُونَ

Vālikuḿ bimá kuńtum tafroḥúna fie alàrḍi bigoiri alḥaqqi wabimá kuńtum tamroḥúna

[Quran 40:75]

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Àlam ya’laḿ biànna Alllōha yaroē

[Quran 96:14]

4.b) Fusion (Ìdgóm)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Mím itself. To apply ìdgóm 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 sukún pause, stopping on a double Mím (mm) also evokes the principle of ìdgóm fusion with nasalisation for 2 beats.

E.g.

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ

Allavína ìvã àṣōbathum mmuṣíbaẗuń qólũa ìnná liLlāhi waìnnã ìlaihi rōji’úna

[Quran 2:156]

أَمَّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ جُندٌۭ لَّكُمْ يَنصُرُكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ إِلَّا فِى غُرُورٍ

Àmman hāvá allavie huwa juńduņ llakum yańṣurukum mmiń dúni alrRoḥmāni; Ìni alkāfirúna ìllá fie gurúrin

[Quran 67:20]

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Ṫumma kallá saufa ta’lamúna

[Quran 102:4]


Allah knows best.


Last updated:

Further tajwíd enhancement study:

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.

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Quranic Arabic N-Pause (Nún Sákinaḧ) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 3

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

قَالُوا۟ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمْ كَـٰذِبِينَ

Qólúa famá jazã-uhũ ìń kuńtum kāvibína

[Quran 12:74]

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 Nún (n) that has a sukún pause on it, or stops on a word that ends with tanwín 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 Nún  (n) what is called [ إِظْهَار ] ìṿhár ‘overtness’ in Arabic, meaning that it should be pronounced clearly and fully. There are 3 forms of Nún sákinaḧ N-pause explained below:

  • Obscurity (Ìcfâ)
  • Fusion (Ìdgóm)
  • Inversion (Ìqláb)

3.a) Obscurity (Ìcfâ)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Jím, [ د ] ‘Dál, [ ذ ] Vál, [ ز ] Zái, [ س ] Sín, [ ش ] Ṡín, [ ص ] Ṣód, [ ض ] Ḍód, [ ط ] Ṭô, [ ظ ] Ṿô, [ ف ] Fâ, [ ق ] Qóf, and [ ك ] Káf. In the Arabic madaniyy script, when a Nún (n) with a pause appears before one of these letters, the [ ْ  ] sukún diacritic is omitted. To apply Ìcfâ 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 sukún pause on the Nún (n)) the principle of Ìcfâ still applies on it

E.g.

قَالُوا۟ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمْ كَـٰذِبِينَ

Qólúa famá jazã-uhũ ìń kuńtum kāvibína

[Quran 12:74]

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِن تَكْفُرُوٓا۟ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

Waqóla Músaẽ ìń takfurũa àńtum wamań fie alàrḍi jamí’ańa faìnna Alllōha lagoniyyun ḥamídun

[Quran 14:8]

إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا۟ سَلَـٰمًۭا ۖ قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌۭ قَوْمٌۭ مُّنكَرُونَ

Ìv dacolúa ‘alaihi faqólúa salāmańa, qóla salāmuń qoumuņ mmuńkarúna

[Quran 51:25]

3.b) Fusion (Ìdgóm)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Lám, [ م ] Mím, [ ن ] Nún itself, [ و ] Wáu, and [ ي ] Yâ. The letters can be summarised in the Arabic mnemonic [ يَرْمَلُون ] yarmalún (lit. ‘they are widowed’). In the Arabic madaniyy script, when a Nún (n) with a pause appears before one of these letters, the [ ْ  ] sukún diacritic is omitted. To apply ìdgóm fusion to the ‘n‘ in such cases (except Rô and Lám), 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 sukún pause, stopping on a double Nún (nn) also evokes the principle of ìdgóm fusion with nasalisation for 2 beats. In the cases of Rô and Lám, the nasalisation is omitted – and the 2 beats are instead held on the Rô or Lám respectively, thereby removing the ‘n‘ sound entirely.

Notes:
  • • Besides the case of a shaddaḧ double ‘n‘, when the ‘n‘ sound appears just before one of the aforementioned 5 letters within the same word (via a sukún pause on the Nún (n)) the principle of ìdgóm does not apply on it

E.g.

وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ

Wamaņ yargobu ‘aņ mmillaẗi Ìbrōhīma ìllá mań safiha nafsahū…

[Quran 2:130…]

وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌۭ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌۭ وَجَنَّـٰتٌۭ مِّنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍۢ وَزَرْعٌۭ وَنَخِيلٌۭ صِنْوَانٌۭ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍۢ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَآءٍۢ وَٰحِدٍۢ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ فِى ٱلْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ

Wafie alàrḍi qiṭo’uņ mmutajáwiróẗuņ wajannātuņ mmin à’nābiņ wazar’uņ wanacíluń ṣinwánuņ wagoiru ṣinwániņ yusqoē bimã-iņ wāḥidiņ wanufaḍḍilu ba’ḍohá ‘alaē ba’ḍiń fie alùkuli; Ìnna fie vālika laǎyātiņ lliqoumiņ ya’qilúna

[Quran 13:4]

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُۥ هَرَبًۭا

Waànná ṿonannã àņ llaņ nnu’jiza Alllōha fie alàrḍi walaņ nnu’jizahū harobaņa

[Quran 72:12]

3.c) Inversion (Ìqláb)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Bá. To apply ìqláb inversion to the ‘n‘ when it is followed by such, hold the gunnaḧ nasalisation for 2 beats (approx. 1 second), while pronouncing the letter like a Mím (m) – before proceeding on to the Bâ ‘b‘.

Notes:

• When the ‘n‘ sound appears just before a Bá ‘b‘ within the same word (via a sukún pause on the Nún (n)) the principle of iqláb still applies on it

E.g.

وَٱلْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَـٰهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مَّوْزُونٍۢ

Walàrḍo madadnāhá waàlqoiná fíhá rowāsiya waàňbatná fíhá miń kulli ṡai-iņ mmauzúniņ

[Quran 15:19]

جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Jazã-aň bimá kánúa ya’malúna

[Quran 56:24]

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَهَبْ لِى مُلْكًۭا لَّا يَنۢبَغِى لِأَحَدٍۢ مِّنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ

Qóla Robbi agfir lie wahab lie mulkaņa llá yaňbagie, liàḥadiņ mmiň ba’diẽ ìnnaka àńta alWahhábu

[Quran 38:35]


Allah knows best.


Last updated:

Further tajwíd enhancement study:

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.

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Quranic Arabic Elongation (Madd) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 2

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

Vālika alkitābu lá roiba – fíhi – hudaņa llilmuttaqína

[Quran 2:2]

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 ḥarokát ‘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 (alMadd uṭṭobí’ie)
  • Connected elongation (alMadd ulmuttaṣil)
  • Disconnected elongation (alMadd ulmunfaṣil)
  • Halting elongation (alMadd ullázim)
  • Temporary pause elongation (Madd ul’áriḍ lissukún)

2.a) Natural elongation (alMadd uṭṭobí’ie)

Priority: Mandatory

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 ḥarokáḧ 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 ]  núḥíhá (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 2 beats (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 [ ٰ  ] Alif Conjariyyaḧ ‘dagger Alif‘, [ ۥ ] Wau Ṣogíroḧ ‘small Wau‘, and [ ۦ ] Yâ Ṣogíroḧ ‘small Yâ‘ above or after letters. Dagger Alif appears in many common words, such as [ الله ] Allōh ‘God’ and [ ذَٰلِكَ ] vālika ‘that’. Small Wau and Yâ almost always appear at the end of a word as the repeated pronouns …hū and …hī 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 (´)

E.g.

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

Vālika alkitābu lá roiba – fíhi – hudaņa llilmuttaqína

[Quran 2:2]

وَمَا تَأْتِيهِم مِّنْ ءَايَةٍۢ مِّنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ

Wamá ta-tíhim mmin –áyaẗiņ mmin –áyāti Robbihim ìllá kánúa ‘anhá mu’riḍína

[Quran 6:4]

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

Kaburo maqtana ‘ińda Alllōhi àń taqúlúa má lá taf’alúna

[Quran 61:3]

2.b) Connected elongation (alMadd ulmuttaṣil)

Priority: Mandatory

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 5 beats (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 ] yãàyyuhá (yã + àyyuhá) and [ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ] hãùlã-i (hã + ùlã-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 hãùlã-i, the second elongated ‘ã‘ is connected and so indeed mandatory

E.g.

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًۭا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءًۭ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Allavie ja’ala lakumu alàrḍo firōṡaņa waalssamã-a binã-aņ waàńzala mina alssamã-i mã-ań faàcroja bihī mina alṫṫamarōti rizqoņa llakum, falá taj’alúa liLlāhi àńdádaņa waàńtum ta’lamúna

[Quran 2:22]

وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَـٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةًۭ ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍۢ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًۭا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًۭٔا مَّرِيٓـًۭٔا

Wa-átúa alnnisã-a ṣoduqōtihinna niḥlaḧań; Faìń ṭibna lakum ‘ań ṡai-iņ mminhu nafsańa fakulúhu hanĩ-aņa mmarĩ-aņa

[Quran 4:4]

إِنِّىٓ أُرِيدُ أَن تَبُوٓأَ بِإِثْمِى وَإِثْمِكَ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Ìnniẽ ùrídu àń tabũà biìṫmie waìṫmika fatakúna min àṣḥābi alnNári; Wavālika jazã-u alṿṿōlimína

[Quran 5:29]

2.c) Disconnected elongation (alMadd ulmunfaṣil)

Priority: Optional

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 4 beats (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 2 beats.

E.g.

فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَـٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ

Falaulá kánat qoryaẗun -ámanat fanafa’ahã ǐmānuhã ìllá qouma Yúnusa lammã -ámanúa kaṡafná ‘anhum ‘avába alcizyi fie alḥayāuẗi aldDunyá wamatta’nāhum ìlaē ḥíniņ

[Quran 10:98]

يَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثْلِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Ya’iṿukumu Alllōhu àń ta’údúa limiṫlihiĩ àbadana ìń kuńtum mmu-minína

[Quran 24:17]

وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُوا۟ فَكِهِينَ

Waìvá ańqolabũa ìlaẽ àhlihimu ańqolabúa fakihína

[Quran 83:31]

2.d) Halting elongation (alMadd ullázim)

Priority: Mandatory

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 [ ْ  ] sukún ‘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 sukún pause, it must be elongated for 6 beats (approx. 3 seconds).

Notes:
  • • A sukún 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 ḥurúf ulmuqoṭṭo’át ‘disconnected letters’ at the beginning of many a súroḧ 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 sukún pause. Examples are [ الر ] Alif Lãm Rá, and [ جم ] Ḥâ Mīm. 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’)

E.g.

صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

Ṣirōṭo allavína àn’amta ‘alaihim goiri almagḍúbi ‘alaihim walá alḍḍõllína

[Quran 1:7]

وَحَآجَّهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ ۚ قَالَ أَتُحَـٰٓجُّوٓنِّى فِى ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَىٰنِ

Waḥãjjahu qoumuhū; Qóla àtuḥãjjũnnie fie Alllōhi waqod hadāni…

[Quran 6:80…]

ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

-Ãlǎna waqod ‘aṣoita qoblu wakuńta mina almufsidína

[Quran 10:91]

2.e) Temporary pause elongation (Madd ul’áriḍ lissukún)

Priority: Optional

This form of elongation is not marked in Arabic text, as it presents itself conditionally. It arises when a reciter makes a ‘temporary’ sukún pause during the recitation at a word which has a long vowel just before its last letter. This temporary pause can be within ǎyāẗ ‘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 6 beats (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 2 beats.

Notes:
  • • The principle of temporary elongation also extends to when a Wau or Yâ is preceeded by a fatḥaḧ. This particular case is also referred to as alMadd ullín ‘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 [ ٱلْبَيْت ] albait or [ ٱلْيَوم ] 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

E.g.

غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ

Gulibaẗi alrRúmu

[Quran 30:2]

فِىٓ أَدْنَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ

Fiẽ àdnae alàrḍi wahum mmiň ba’di golabihim sayaglibúna

[Quran 30:3]

ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

Fie biḍ’i sinína: LiLlāhi alàmru miń qoblu wamiň ba’du; Wayaumaìviņ yafroḥu almu-minúna

[Quran 30:4]


Allah knows best.


Last updated:

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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.

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Quranic Arabic Heaviness (Tafcím) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 1

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَـٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ

Àni a‘mal sābigōẗiņ waqoddir fie alssardi, waa‘malúa ṣōliḥana, ìnnie bimá ta’malúna baṣíruņ

[Quran 34:11]

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 Arabic writing with harokát 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/Àlif 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/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‘. 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 ‘heavy a‘ sound in Arabic is practically an ‘o‘ sound, like that of ‘lock‘, and is thus represented as an ‘o‘ in transliteration here. It should be sounded as such whenever a heavy Arabic consonant is followed by the fatḥaħ/Àlif. There are 2 forms of tafcím heaviness explained below:

  • Permanent heaviness (Tafcím ul’lázim)
  • Temporary heaviness (Tafcím ul’áriḍ)

1.a) Permanent heaviness (Tafcím ul’lázim)

Priority: Mandatory

There are 7 Arabic consonants that carry a ‘permanent’ heaviness, in all their attached vowel sounds due to the nature of their macórij exit points. These are  [ خ ] Cô, [ ص] Ṣód, [ ض ] Ḍód, [ ط ] Ṭô, [ ظ ] Ṿô, [ غ ] Goin, and [ ق ] Qóf. 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.

E.g.

أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَـٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ

Àni a‘mal sābigōẗiņ waqoddir fie alssardi, waa‘malúa ṣōliḥana, ìnnie bimá ta’malúna baṣíruņ

[Quran 34:11]

وَٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

Waallavie jã-a bialṣṣidqi waṣoddaqo bihiẽ ùulãìka humu almuttaqúna

[Quran 39:33]

أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ

Àlá ya’lamu man colaqo waHuwa allLaṭífu alCobíru

[Quran 67:14]

1.b) Temporary heaviness (Tafcím ul’áriḍ)

Priority: Recommended

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 ] Lám. The Rô is only heavy when followed by a fatḥaħ ‘o‘ or ḍommaħ ‘u‘. The Lám is only heavy when it is in the grand name ‘Allōh‘ God, except when this word is commenced with the kasroḧ ‘i‘ vowel, for example in ‘liLlāhi‘.

E.g.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Bismi Alllāhi alrRoḥmāni alrRoḥími

[Quran 1:1]

بَرَآءَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَـٰهَدتُّم مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

Barõàtuņ mmina Alllōhi warosúlihiẽ ìlae allavína ‘āhadttum mmina almuṡrikína

[Quran 9:1]

مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍۢ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ

Mmá yuqólu laka ìllá má qod qíla lilrrusuli miń qoblika; Ìnna Robbaka lavú magfiroẗiņ wavú ‘iqóbin àlímiņ

[Quran 41:43]


Allah knows best.


Last updated:

Further tajwíd enhancement study:

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.

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How to pronounce ‘Allah’


Part of: Series


Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

Checked by Mostafa Rady (MEng)

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Alḥamdu liLlāhi Robbi al’Ālamína

[The] commends are God’s – Master of [the] World[s],

[Quran 1:2]
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.

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:

قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

Qul Huwa Alllōhu àḥadun

Say, “He is the only God.

[Quran 112:1]

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.


Allōh knows best.


Last updated:

  1. Gerald Drißner [June 16, 2018], How do you pronounce Allah correctly?.
    ↩︎
  2. Arabic 101 [May 17, 2020], How to PROPERLY pronounce the word (Allah) in the Holy Quran – Arabic 101.
    ↩︎

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.

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