Quranic Arabic Elongation (Madd) – Tajwid Enhancement Lesson 2

Written by Noorislam Uddin (MArch)

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.

E.g.

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).

E.g.

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.

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).

E.g.

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.

E.g.