Question 1

How many letters does the first takhti teach?

Accepted Answer

29 single letters (huroof-e-mufradat). Each one has its own Arabic sound that comes from its own makhraj, so learn the sound, not only the shape.

Question 2

Which seven letters are always heavy, and how can we remember them?

Accepted Answer

The musta'liyah letters: خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ. They are gathered in the short phrase خُصَّ ضَغْطٍ قِظْ — say the phrase and you have all seven.

Question 3

How do we read the heavy letters?

Accepted Answer

With a full mouth and a thick sound (tafkheem), whatever sign they carry. The back of the tongue rises; even with zer they stay thick, only a little less than with zabar.

Question 4

Which letters are made with the lips?

Accepted Answer

Four (shafawi): ب ف م و. ب and م close both lips, و rounds them without closing, and ف touches the inside of the lower lip to the tips of the upper front teeth.

Question 5

Which letters have a whistling sound?

Accepted Answer

Three (safeer): ص س ز. They come from the tip of the tongue near the front teeth, and a light whistle is heard in them — keep it light, not sharp.

Question 6

Which letters sound close to each other, and why practise them in groups?

Accepted Answer

Sixteen letters, in seven groups (qareeb-us-sawt): ت ط · ث س ص · ذ ز ظ · د ض · ک ق · ح ہ · ء ع. Mixing up two of them can change the meaning of a word, so read each group side by side until every letter keeps its own makhraj.

Question 7

Which letters come from the throat?

Accepted Answer

Six (halqi), in three pairs: ء ہ from the deepest part, ع ح from the middle, غ خ from the part nearest the mouth. These six also matter later: before them noon sakin is read clearly (izhar).

Question 8

How are the separate letters (muqatta'at) read, and how long?

Accepted Answer

Each letter is read by its name, one by one. A three-letter name with the madd sign (لٓام، مٓیم، صٓاد…) is stretched 6 counts; a two-letter name (حا، یا، طا، ہا، را) only 2. The عٓ in کٓہٰیٰعٓصٓ and عٓسٓقٓ may be 6 or 4 counts — 6 is preferred.

Question 9

What are the harakat?

Accepted Answer

The three short vowel signs: zabar (fatha) — a small slanting line above the letter, zer (kasra) — the same line below it, and pesh (damma) — a small و-shaped sign above it.

Question 10

How should a harakah be read?

Accepted Answer

Short and clean, in an Arabic accent: one count only. Do not pull it longer, do not cut it with a jerk, and do not turn zer into "e" or pesh into "o".

Question 11

What is tanween, and why does it sound like "n"?

Accepted Answer

Tanween is a doubled sign at the end of a word: two zabar ـً, two zer ـٍ or two pesh ـٌ. It stands for a noon sakin that is heard but not written, so we read "an", "in", "un". That is also why all the noon sakin rules apply to tanween.

Question 12

What are the standing (khari) harakat?

Accepted Answer

Standing zabar ـٰ, standing zer ـٖ and ulta (inverted) pesh ـٗ. They look like small upright versions of zabar, zer and pesh.

Question 13

How long are the standing harakat?

Accepted Answer

Exactly like a madd letter: one alif, that is 2 counts. Count two on your fingers: هٰذَا, بِهٖ, لَهٗ.

Question 14

Which are the madd letters?

Accepted Answer

Three: ا و ی — alif, waw and yaa, when they lengthen the sound before them.

Question 15

When does each of them become a madd letter?

Accepted Answer

Match the sign before it: alif after zabar (alif never carries a sign of its own), waw sakin after pesh, yaa sakin after zer. Zabar–alif, pesh–waw, zer–yaa.

Question 16

How long is a madd letter on its own?

Accepted Answer

One alif = 2 counts (natural madd). Not shorter, not longer — as long as no hamzah or sukoon comes after it.

Question 17

Is alif read thick or thin?

Accepted Answer

Alif has no sound of its own, so it copies the letter before it: thick after a heavy letter (قَالَ، طَابَ، رَاعِنَا) and thin after a light one (کَانَ، بَابَ).

Question 18

What are the leen letters?

Accepted Answer

Two: waw sakin or yaa sakin with zabar before them (وْ یْ after zabar). "Leen" means soft.

Question 19

How are the leen letters read?

Accepted Answer

Gently and quickly when you are reading on: no stretching and no jerk — just a soft glide, as in قُرَیْشٍ and خَوْفٍ. (Stopping on them is a different case — see takhti 16.)

Question 20

What does jazm (sukun) tell us, and how is that letter read?

Accepted Answer

The sign ـْ means the letter has no vowel. Join it to the letter before it in one breath: اَبْ is read "ab", قُلْ is read "qul".

Question 21

What does the word "qalqalah" mean?

Accepted Answer

Shaking or echoing. When a qalqalah letter is sakin, its makhraj is let go with a small bounce, so a short echo is heard — without adding any vowel to it.

Question 22

Which letters have qalqalah?

Accepted Answer

Five: ق ط ب ج د. Keep them together with the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ.

Question 23

When is qalqalah heard most clearly?

Accepted Answer

Whenever the letter is sakin. In the middle of a word it is light (یَجْعَلُوْنَ); when you stop on it at the end of a word it is at its strongest (اَحَدْ، الْفَلَقْ).

Question 24

How is a hamzah with jazm read?

Accepted Answer

With a clean, sudden catch in the throat — the sound stops sharply at the hamzah. Do not drop it, and do not turn it into a long vowel.

Question 25

In how many ways can noon sakin or tanween be read?

Accepted Answer

Four, decided by the letter that comes next: izhar (clear), ikhfa (hidden), idgham (merged) and iqlab (changed into meem). Izhar and ikhfa are practised in this takhti; idgham and iqlab in takhti 14.

Question 26

What is izhar, and when do we do it?

Accepted Answer

Izhar means "making clear". When one of the six throat letters (ء ہ ع ح غ خ) comes after noon sakin or tanween, say the noon clearly from its own place, with no nasal ghunnah: اَنْعَمْتَ، مَنْ اٰمَنَ، عَذَابٌ اَلِیْمٌ.

Question 27

What is ikhfa?

Accepted Answer

Ikhfa means "hiding". When one of the 15 ikhfa letters comes after noon sakin or tanween, the noon is not pronounced fully with the tongue; it is hidden in the nose with ghunnah for about 2 counts, and the mouth already prepares for the next letter: اَنْزَلْنَا، مِنْ شَرِّ.

Question 28

Which are the 15 ikhfa letters — is there an easy way to remember them?

Accepted Answer

ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ک. A traditional memory line gives them as the first letters of its words: صِفْ ذَا ثَنَا کَمْ جَادَ شَخْصٌ قَدْ سَمَا ۞ دُمْ طَیِّبًا زِدْ فِیْ تُقًی ضَعْ ظَالِمَا. Or simply: every letter that is not a throat letter, not a yarmaloon letter and not ب or ا.

Question 29

What is tashdeed, and what do we call a letter that has it?

Accepted Answer

Tashdeed is the small sign ـّ (shaped like a little "w") written on a letter. That letter is called mushaddad — "doubled".

Question 30

How is a mushaddad letter read?

Accepted Answer

As two letters in one: first it is sakin and joins the voweled letter before it, then it is read again with its own harakah — firmly, with a slight hold. اَبَّ = اَبْ + بَ.

Question 31

What is ghunnah, and how long does it last?

Accepted Answer

Ghunnah is the humming sound that comes through the nose. It lasts one alif — 2 counts. Try it: hold your nose on نّ and the sound stops.

Question 32

How are نّ and مّ read?

Accepted Answer

Always with ghunnah for 2 counts — in the middle of reading and also when you stop on them.

Question 33

How are qalqalah letters with tashdeed read?

Accepted Answer

Pressed firmly, with their full weight. If you stop on such a letter at the end of a word (الْحَقّْ), keep the doubling and give the strongest qalqalah.

Question 34

What do tafkheem and tarqeeq mean?

Accepted Answer

Tafkheem: reading a letter thick and full-mouthed (as in قَ). Tarqeeq: reading it thin and light (as in کَ). The seven heavy letters are always tafkheem; ر, the lam of اللّٰه and alif can be either.

Question 35

When is the lam of the name اللّٰه heavy, and when is it light?

Accepted Answer

Look at the letter just before it. Zabar or pesh → heavy (قَالَ اللّٰهُ، رُسُلُ اللّٰهِ; also when you begin with اَللّٰهُ). Zer → light (بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ، لِلّٰهِ).

Question 36

Why is the lam of اَلْ silent in اَلشَّمْسُ but read in اَلْقَمَرُ?

Accepted Answer

Because of the next letter. Before the 14 "sun letters" (ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن) the lam merges into them and they take a shadda. Before the other 14, the "moon letters", the lam is read clearly with jazm.

Question 37

What is idgham with noon sakin or tanween?

Accepted Answer

Idgham means "merging". When a yarmaloon letter starts the next word, the noon disappears into it and that letter is read doubled (with a shadda): مِنْ رَّبِّهِمْ، مَنْ یَّقُوْلُ.

Question 38

Which are the yarmaloon letters, and where is there ghunnah?

Accepted Answer

Six: ی ر م ل و ن, from the word یَرْمَلُوْنَ. With four of them — ی ن م و (یَنْمُوْ) — the merge has ghunnah; with ل and ر it has no ghunnah at all.

Question 39

Is there ever no idgham even though ی or و comes after noon sakin?

Accepted Answer

Yes — when both are inside the same word. Then the noon is read clearly (izhar mutlaq), without ghunnah. In the Qur'an this happens in four words only: دُنْیَا، بُنْیَانٌ، قِنْوَانٌ، صِنْوَانٌ.

Question 40

What is iqlab?

Accepted Answer

Iqlab means "turning over". When ب comes after noon sakin or tanween, the noon is changed into a meem and that meem is hidden with ghunnah, lips gently closed. The mushaf shows it with a small meem ۢ: مِنْۢ بَعْدِ.

Question 41

What are the three rules of meem sakin?

Accepted Answer

Idgham shafawi, ikhfa shafawi and izhar shafawi. "Shafawi" means "of the lips", because meem is a lip letter. Which rule applies depends on the letter after the meem.

Question 42

When do we do idgham shafawi?

Accepted Answer

When meem sakin is followed by another meem: the two meems become one doubled meem, read with ghunnah for 2 counts — لَهُمْ مَّا، کَمْ مِّنْ.

Question 43

When do we do ikhfa shafawi?

Accepted Answer

When meem sakin is followed by ب: the meem is hidden with ghunnah, the lips touching lightly, and then the ب is read — تَرْمِیْهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ.

Question 44

When do we do izhar shafawi?

Accepted Answer

Before every letter except م and ب: the meem is read clearly, with no ghunnah — عَلَیْهِمْ غَیْرِ. Be extra careful before و and ف, where the lips tempt us to hide it: هُمْ فِیْهَا.

Question 45

What does madd mean, and what can make it longer than 2 counts?

Accepted Answer

Madd means "stretching". A madd letter is 2 counts by nature; it grows longer only for a reason, and there are just two reasons: a hamzah (ء) or a sukoon coming after it.

Question 46

Which kinds of long madd should a Qaida student know?

Accepted Answer

Six. Because of a hamzah: madd muttasil and madd munfasil. Because of a permanent sukoon: madd lazim and madd leen lazim. Because of a sukoon that appears only when stopping: madd 'arid and madd leen 'arid.

Question 47

What is madd muttasil, and how long is it?

Accepted Answer

"Joined" madd: the madd letter and the hamzah are in the same word — جَآءَ، السَّمَآءِ. Stretch it 4 or 5 counts (2 or 2½ alif), and keep the same length every time.

Question 48

What is madd munfasil, and how long is it?

Accepted Answer

"Separated" madd: the madd letter ends one word and the hamzah begins the next — بِمَآ اُنْزِلَ، یٰٓاَیُّهَا. It is also stretched 4 or 5 counts.

Question 49

What is madd lazim, and how long is it?

Accepted Answer

A madd letter followed by a sukoon that never goes away — a jazm or a shadda in the same word: الضَّآلِّیْنَ، دَآبَّةٍ، آٰلْئٰنَ. It is the longest madd: always a full 6 counts (3 alif).

Question 50

What is madd leen lazim?

Accepted Answer

A leen letter followed by a permanent sukoon. It occurs only in the name of the letter عٓ (ʿayn) in کٓهٰیٰعٓصٓ (Maryam 1) and حٰمٓ ۚ عٓسٓقٓ (Ash-Shura 1–2). Stretch it 6 counts; 4 is also allowed, but 6 is preferred.

Question 51

What is madd 'arid?

Accepted Answer

When you stop on a word, its last letter becomes sakin. If a madd letter stands just before that letter, the madd may be read 2, 4 or 6 counts: الْعٰلَمِیْنْ، نَسْتَعِیْنْ. Choose one length and keep it the same throughout your recitation.

Question 52

What is madd leen 'arid?

Accepted Answer

The same idea with a leen letter: when you stop on a word and a leen letter comes just before its last letter, it may be read 2, 4 or 6 counts — خَوْفْ، الْبَیْتْ. While reading on, the leen stays short and soft.

Question 53

When is raa (ر) read heavy?

Accepted Answer

(1) When it has zabar, pesh, two zabar, two pesh or a standing zabar — رَبُّ، رُسُلٌ، ذِکْرٰی.
(2) When it is sakin and the letter before has zabar or pesh — مَرْیَمَ، قُرْاٰنٌ.
(3) When it is sakin after a temporary zer — اِرْجِعِیْ.
(4) When it is sakin after a zer that belongs to the previous word — رَبِّ ارْجِعُوْنِ.
(5) When it is sakin after zer but a heavy letter follows it in the same word — مِرْصَادًا، قِرْطَاسٍ.

Question 54

When is raa (ر) read light?

Accepted Answer

(1) When it has zer or two zer — رِجَالٌ.
(2) When it is sakin after an original zer in the same word and no heavy letter comes after it — فِرْعَوْنَ.
(3) When you stop on it and a sakin ی comes before it — خَیْرْ، قَدِیْرْ.

Question 55

What is a temporary zer (kasrah 'aridiyyah)?

Accepted Answer

Some Qur'anic words begin with an alif that has no sign of its own (hamzat-ul-wasl). When you start reading from such a word you give that alif a zer just to begin — اِرْجِعِیْ. That zer is borrowed, not part of the word, so a sakin ر after it stays heavy.

Question 56

What is waqf, and what happens to the last letter?

Accepted Answer

Waqf means stopping: ending the voice — and usually taking a breath — at the end of a word, then reading on. On the stopped word, any zabar, zer, pesh, two zer or two pesh on the last letter is dropped and the letter becomes sakin: نَسْتَعِیْنُ → نَسْتَعِیْنْ.

Question 57

How do we stop on a word that ends in two zabar?

Accepted Answer

The two zabar turn into an alif: read one zabar and a 2-count alif — عَلِیْمًا becomes "عَلِیْمَا", ہُدًی becomes "ہُدٰی".

Question 58

How do we stop on a round taa (ۃ)?

Accepted Answer

Whatever sign it carries, it is read as a sakin ہ when you stop: رَحْمَةٌ → رَحْمَہْ, الْجَنَّةِ → الْجَنَّہْ.

Question 59

What does the circle at the end of an ayah tell us?

Accepted Answer

The ayah is complete (waqf taam). This is the natural place to stop and take a breath. If a لا is written above the circle, scholars differ on stopping there; both stopping and joining are acceptable.

Question 60

What do the waqf signs م ط ج ز ص mean?

Accepted Answer

م (waqf lazim): you must stop — joining could change the meaning. ط (waqf mutlaq): stop here. ج (waqf jaiz): stopping is better, joining is allowed. ز (mujawwaz): you may stop, but joining is better. ص (murakhkhas): join if you can; stop only when you need to, for example to take a breath.

Question 61

What should we do at the sign لا?

Accepted Answer

When لا stands on its own in the line, do not stop there — stopping can break the meaning. If your breath runs out and you stop, go back a word or two and join (i'adah). When لا is above an ayah circle, see the ayah-end rule.

Question 62

What is i'adah?

Accepted Answer

Going back after a stop: you repeat a word or two before the place where you stopped and join them to what comes next, so that the meaning is read complete.

Question 63

What is saktah, and where does it occur?

Accepted Answer

A very short pause: the sound stops for a moment without taking a breath, then you carry on. In the recitation of Hafs it is required in four places: عِوَجًا (Al-Kahf 1), مَّرْقَدِنَا (Ya-Sin 52), مَنْ رَاقٍ (Al-Qiyamah 27) and بَلْ رَانَ (Al-Mutaffifin 14).

Question 64

What is noon qutni?

Accepted Answer

When a tanween is followed by a hamzat-ul-wasl, the hamzah drops as you join, and two sakin sounds would meet. So the hidden noon of the tanween takes a zer to link them; the mushaf shows it as a small noon: لُّمَزَةِ ۨالَّذِیْ is read "lumazatinil-ladhee".

Tajweed rules — 67 questions & answers

Single letters