Working with Verbs in ArabicYou'll be very pleased to know that verb tenses in Arabic, when compared to other languages, are fairly straightforward. Basically, you only need to be concerned with two proper verb forms: the past and the present. A future verb tense exists, but it's a derivative of the present tense that you achieve by attaching a prefix to the present tense of the verb.

Digging up the past tenseThe structural form of the past tense is one of the easiest grammatical structures in the Arabic language. Basically, every regular verb that's conjugated in the past tense follows a very strict pattern. First, you refer to all regular verbs in the past tense using the huwa (hoo-wah; he) personal pronoun. Second, the overwhelming majority of verbs in huwa form in the past tense have three consonants that are accompanied by the same vowel: the fatHa (fat-hah). The fatHa creates the "ah" sound. For example, the verb "wrote" in the past tense is kataba (kah-tah-bah); its three consonants are "k," "t," and "b." Here are some common verbs you may use while speaking Arabic:y y y y y

'akala (ah-kah-lah; ate) fa'ala (fah-ah-lah; did) dhahaba (zah-hah-bah; went) qara'a (kah-rah-ah; read) ra'a (rah-ah; saw)

The following table shows the verb kataba (kah-tah-bah; wrote) conjugated using all the personal pronouns. Note that the first part of the verb remains constant; only its suffix changes depending on the personal pronoun used. Table 1: Kataba, Conjugated Using All the Personal Pronouns Form 'anaa katabtu 'anta katabta 'anti katabtii huwa kataba Pronunciation ah-nah kah-tab-too an-tah kah-tab-tah an-tee kah-tab-tee hoo-wah kah-tah-bah Translation I wrote You wrote (MS) You wrote (FS) He wrote

hiya katabat naHnu katabnaa 'antum katabtum 'antunna katabtunna hum katabuu hunna katabna antumaa katabtumaa humaa katabaa humaa katabataa

hee-yah kah-tah-bat nah-noo kah-tab-nah an-toom kah-tab-toom an-too-nah kah-tab-too-nah hoom kah-tah-boo hoo-nah kah-tab-nah

She wrote We wrote You wrote (MP) You wrote (FP) They wrote (MP) They wrote (FP)

an-too-mah kah-tab-too-mah You wrote (dual/MP/FP) hoo-mah kah-tah-bah hoo-mah kah-tah-bah-tah They wrote (dual/MP) They wrote (dual/FP)

Every personal pronoun has a corresponding suffix used to conjugate and identify the verb form in its specific tense. Table 2 outlines these specific suffixes. Table 2: Personal Pronoun Suffixes for Verbs in the Past Tense Arabic Pronoun 'anaa 'anta 'anti huwa hiya naHnu 'antum 'antunna hum hunna 'antumaa Pronunciation Translation ah-nah an-tah an-tee hoo-wah hee-yah nah-noo an-toom an-too-nah hoom hoo-nah an-too-mah I/me you (MS) you (FS) he/it she/it we you (MP) you (FP) they (MP) they (FP) you (dual) Verb Suffix -tu -ta -tii -a -at -naa -tum -tunna -uu -na -tumaaa

humaa humaa

hoo-mah hoo-mah

they (M/dual) they (F/dual)

-aa -ataa

Anytime you come across a regular verb you want to conjugate in the past tense, use these verb suffixes with the corresponding personal pronouns. Not all regular verbs in the past tense have three consonants. Some regular verbs have more than three consonants, such as:y y

tafarraja (tah-fah-rah-jah; watched) takallama (tah-kah-lah-mah; spoke)

Even though these verbs have more than three consonants, they're still considered regular verbs. To conjugate them, you keep the first part of the word constant and only change the last consonant of the word using the corresponding suffixes to match the personal pronouns. When you know how to conjugate verbs in the past tense, your sentence-building options are endless. Here are some simple sentences that combine nouns, adjectives, and verbs in the past tense:y

'al-walad dhahaba 'ilaa al-madrasa. (al-wah-lad zah-hah-bah ee-lah al-mad-rah-sah; The boy went to the school.) al-bint takallamat fii al-qism. (al-bee-net tah-kah-lah-mat fee al-kee-sem; The girl spoke in the classroom.) 'akalnaa Ta'aam ladhiidh. (ah-kal-nah tah-am lah-zeez; We ate delicious food.)

y

y

Examining the present tenseConjugating verbs in the past tense is relatively straightforward, but conjugating verbs in the present tense is a bit trickier. Instead of changing only the ending of the verb, you must also alter its beginning. You need to be familiar not only with the suffix but also the prefix that corresponds to each personal pronoun. To illustrate the difference between past and present tense, the verb kataba (wrote) is conjugated as yaktubu (yak-too-boo; to write), whereas the verb darasa (studied) is yadrusu (yad-roo-soo; to study). Here's the verb yaktubu (to write) conjugated using all the personal pronouns. Notice how both the suffixes and prefixes change in the present tense. Table 3: Yaktubu, Conjugated Using All the Personal Pronouns

Form 'anaa 'aktubu 'anta taktubu 'anti taktubiina huwa yaktubu hiya taktubu naHnu naktubu 'antum taktubuuna 'antunna taktubna hum yaktubuuna hunna yaktubna antumaa taktubaani humaa yaktubaani humaa taktubaani

Pronunciation ah-nah ak-too-boo an-tah tak-too-boo an-tee tak-too-bee-nah hoo-wah yak-too-boo hee-yah tak-too-boo nah-noo nak-too-boo an-toom tak-too-boo-nah an-too-nah tak-toob-nah hoom yak-too-boo-nah hoo-nah yak-toob-nah an-too-mah tak-too-bah-nee hoo-mah yak-too-bah-nee hoo-mah tak-too-bah-nee

Translation I am writing You are writing (MS) You are writing (FS) He is writing She is writing We are writing You are writing (MP) You are writing (FP) They are writing (MP) They are writing (FP) You are writing (dual/MP/FP) They are writing (dual/MP) They are writing (dual/FP)

As you can see, you need to be familiar with both the prefixes and suffixes to conjugate verbs in the present tense. Table 4 includes every personal pronoun with its corresponding prefix and suffix for the present tense. Table 4: Personal Pronoun Prefixes and Suffixes for Verbs in the Present Tense Arabic Pronoun 'anaa 'anta 'anti huwa hiya naHnu Pronunciation Translation ah-nah an-tah an-tee hoo-wah hee-yah nah-noo I/me you (MS) you (FS) he/it she/it we Verb Prefix Verb Suffix 'atatayatana-u -u -iina -u -u -u

'antum 'antunna hum hunna 'antumaa humaa humaa

an-toom an-too-nah hoom hoo-nah an-too-mah hoo-mah hoo-mah

you (MP) you (FP) they (MP) they (FP) you (dual) they (M/dual) they (F/dual)

tatayayatayata-

-uuna -na -uuna -na -aani -aani -aani

Aside from prefixes and suffixes, another major difference between the past and present tenses in Arabic is that every verb in the present tense has a dominant vowel that's unique and distinctive. For example, the dominant vowel in yaktubu is a damma (dah-mah; "ooh" sound). However, in the verb yaf'alu (yaf-ah-loo; to do), the dominant vowel is the fatHa (fat-hah; "ah" sound). This means that when you conjugate the verb yaf'alu using the personal pronoun 'anaa, you say 'anaa 'af'alu and not 'anaa 'af'ulu. The dominant vowel is always the middle vowel. Unfortunately, there's no hard rule you can use to determine which dominant vowel is associated with each verb. The best way to identify the dominant vowel is to look up the verb in the qaamuus (kah-moos; dictionary).

Peeking into the future tenseAlthough Arabic grammar has a future tense, you'll be glad to know that the tense has no outright verb structure. Rather, you achieve the future tense by adding the prefix sa- to the existing present tense form of the verb. For example, yaktubu means "to write." Add the prefix sa- to yaktubu and you get sayaktubu, which means "he will write." Read more: http://as.dummies.com/how-to/content/working-with-verbs-inarabic.html#ixzz0jqX5Zl8X

ARABIC TENSES

FORM-1, verb=akala=to eat, root= - - masc=m, fem=f English Pronouns Arabic Pronouns

Perfect

Imperfect

I

anaa

( ) ( ) )

akaltu

( (

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( )

aakulu

( ( (

) ) ) ) ) ) ( ) ) ) ) )

Thou (m)

anta

akalta

ta'kulu

Thou (f)

anti

(

akalti

( ( ( ( ( ( (

ta'kuliyna

He

huwa

( ) ) ( ( ( ( ) ) ) ) ) )

akala

ya'kulu

( ( (

She

hiya

(

akalat

ta'kulu

We

nahnu

akalnaa

na'kulu

You (m)

antum

akaltum

ta'kuluuna

You (f)

antunna

akaltunna

ta'kulna

( ( ( (

You two (m,f)

antumaa

akaltumaa

ta'kulaani

They two (m)

humaa

( (

akalaa

(

ya'kulaani

They two (f)

humaa

akalataa

ta'kulaani

They (m)

hum

( ) ( )

akaluu

( (

) )

ya'kuluuna

( )

)

They (f)

hunna

akalna

ya'kulna

(

Discussion of Arabic Tenses There are two main tenses in the Arabic language. 1.Perfect Tense, 2.Imperfect Tense or the Present Tense. The action is completed in the perfect tense. You may also call this as the past tense because the action is completed before the present so it belongs to the past. For example, one may say, "I ate". The action of eating was finished in the past. The past could be a few minutes or a few decades before the present time. Alternately, in the second tense, i.e., the imperfect, the action is still continuing. For example, you knock on the door and walk in. You see he is eating his meal. He says to you, "I am eating". The action is still continuing, he is still eating while talking to you. This is the present tense in English. It is also the "imperfect tense" in Arabic. You look at the table above and locate the pronoun "I" on the left column and follow it to the right to the "imperfect" column. You will see the verb, "aakulu". It means, "I am eating" or "I eat".

What about the future tense? Well, there is not such a thing as the future tense in Arabic. This is done by adding the prefix "sa" to the imperfect form of the verb. For example, let's look at the table above to find out the imperfect form of the verb "akala". It is "ya'kulu". Add the prefix "sa" to the "ya'kulu" you get, "saya'kulu" which means "He will eat". Click on the link Here to go to the next chapter which explains the perfect tense of the verb "akala".

Final

MERGED Middle

Initial

ISOLATED

he letter Hamzah ( )There are two types of hamzah that appear in the Qur'an. Both are read and treated differently

y y

y

Sign in Qur'an is May appear anywhere within a word. It is always pronounced

y y y

Sign in the Qur'an is Appears only at the beginning of a word. Pronounced only if there is no letter before it.

Hamza tul Wasl (y y y y

)

It occurs only at the beginning of the word. It occurs without any harakah (vowel) on it. It is written as It can be pronounced or skipped Skipped If the reader connects the word which begins with hamza tul wasl with the letter preceding it, this letter is directly connected to the letter following hamza tul wasl.

Pronounced

If the reader starts reading from the word starting with hamza tul wasl, then it should be pronounced.

y

Hamza tul wasl will be assigned with a dammah, if the 3rd letter of the verb carries a dammah. Hamza tul Wasl Extract from Verse Surah : Verse 7:55

3rd Letter

Dammah

Dammah

Dammah

Dammah

12:9

y

Exceptional cases. The following words are the only verbs in the Qur'an where the 3rd letter carries a dammah but a kasrah is assigned to the hamza tul wasl (if he starts reading with it) :

y

Hamza tul wasl will be assigned with a kasrah, if the 3rd letter of the verb carries a fattah or kasrah. Hamza tul Wasl Extract from Verse Surah : Verse 9:9

3rd Letter

Fattah

Kasrah

Kasrah

Kasrah

1:6

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the rules on pronouncing Hamza tul Wasl

Click here to view a printable chart summarizing the rules of Hamza tul Wasl

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Hamza tul Wasl

Hamza tul Qat'a (

)

The letter Hamzah appears in many different forms in the Arabic language, but pronounced the sameE.g

Note that the Alif and Hamzah are 2 different letters. The letter Alif in the Arabic language is always free from any type of harakah. If an Alif seems to have a harakah, then in actual fact it is a HamzahPoints relating to the letter Hamzah 1. When pronouncing a Hamzah that carries a sukoon , care should be taken that it is , Ya or an Alif

pronounced correctly. Failing to do so may change it into a Waw

E.g (104:8)

may sound as

E.g (2:58)

may sound as

E.g (21:61)

may sound as

2. When there appear 2 Hamzahs together, ensure both are pronounced distinctively E.g (79:27)

E.g

(21:62)

3. Where the letters Hamzah and Aeyn clearly E.g (114:1)

appear together, ensure that both are differentiated

E.g

(99:6)

E.g

(21.81)

he Rules of the letter ('RA')There are 2 categories as the letter 1. Tafkheem (rough / thick) 2. Tarqeeq (soft / thin) Tafkheem can either be:

To produce this sound the back of the tongue rises in the mouth. This elevation of the tongue produces a thick or heavy sound. There are 5 categories for when the1. When it carries a Fattah E.g (91:13)

produces a thick, round sound:

or dammah

(91:14)

2. When it carries a sukoon E.g (91:6)

and the letter before it carries a fattah

or dammah

(102:2)

3. When it carries a sukoon

and the letter before it carries a kasrah

, and the letter after the

is a rough letter (ista'ala) that doesn't carry a kasrah E.g (78:21)

4. When it carries a sukoon kasra) E.g (89:28)

and the letter before it carries a 'helping' kasra (not an original

5. When it carries a sukoon

as a result of wanting to stop (therefore not an original sukoon), and carries a sukoon , and the letter before that has

and the letter before it is not a ya either a Fattah or dammah E.g (103:1)

(103:2)

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Tafkheem

Tarqeeq

To produce this sound, the back of the tongue lowers so that a flat sound is produced. There are 4 categories for when the1. When it carries a kasrah E.g (79:36)

produces a thin sound:

(80:37)

2. When it carries a sukoon and the letter before it carries an original kasra in the same word and a letter of ista'ala (thick) doesn't follow it E.g (79:17)

3. When it carries a sukoon the letter before it is a E.g (100:11)

(as a result of stopping, either in the middle or end of an ayah) and (elongated or otherwise) and the carries a sukoon

(85:11)

4. When it carries a sukoon

(due to stopping either in the middle or end of an ayah), and the , and the letter before this letter before it is a letter of istifaal (thin) which carries a sukoon carries a kasrah

E.g

(89:5)

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Tarqeeq

Click on the 'Summary Chart' link on the right hand sidebar to view a summarised chart for the rules of the letter 'RA' ( ) Click here to view a printable image that summarizes the difference between the two categories of the letter

The Letter ('Laam')Like the letter 'ra', the letter 'laam' can also be pronounced as a thick / full mouth (tafkheem) or thin (tarqeeq) letter.Tafkheem

To produce this sound, the tongue elevates in the mouth producing a thick/ heavy sound. 2 categories:1. The in the pronunciation of the name 'Allah' Dammah , when it is preceded by a Fattah or

ExamplesExtract from Verse Fattah Surah : Verse (112:1)

Dammah

(110:1)

2. The in the pronunciation of the name 'Allah' ; when it is preceded by a sukoon letter before that carries a Fattah or Dammah Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

, and the

Dammah

(2:185)

Dammah

(2:189)

CAUTION! If the letter preceding the name 'Allah' is a thin one, be careful not to pronounce it thick as this can easily be done due to the letter laam being pronounced thickE.g (2:7)

The letter

should be pronounced thin even though the laam is being pronounced thick

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Tafkheem

Tarqeeq

To produce this sound, the back of the tongue lowers so that a flat sound is produced 3 categories:1. The E.g in the pronunciation of the name 'Allah' (85:8) when it is preceded by a kasra

(82:19)

2. The in the pronunciation of the name 'Allah' preceded by a kasra

when it is preceded by a sukoon, and this is

E.g

(3:144)

3. In all other instances E.g (111:1) (111:2)

(108:2)

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Tarqeeq

Miscellaneous

When the letter preceding the name 'Allah' is a will determine if the

, the harakaat of the letter preceding the

in Allah's name is pronounced thick or thin

Extract from Verse Tafkheem (thick) Tarqeeq (thin)

Surah : Verse (2:143)

(3:86)

Click on the 'Summary Chart' link on the right hand sidebar to view a summarised chart for the rules of the letter 'LAAM' ( )

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the rules of the letter

The Rules of Meem Saakina

The rules of shafawee ( ) as the makhraj of the is the lips (shafatain = pair of lips)

are called

Idghaam Shafaweey y y y

Presence of a followed by another The first one carries a and the second carries a vowel Hence, a will be created and shown on the second Resulting in ghunnah, held for 2 counts

ExampleExtract from Verse Surah : Verse (104:8) Audio

(106:4)

Ikhfaa Shafawee

y y y y

Presence of a

followed by a

The carries a saakin and the carries a vowel Ghunnah is pronounced, for 2 counts The is concealed by the ghunnah

Another opinion in which this particular ghunnah is recited, is that the lips should remain slightly open, just enough as to allow a sheet of paper to pass through ExampleExtract from Verse Surah : Verse (105:4) (88:22) Audio

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Meem Saakina with ghunnah (Ikhfaa & Idghaam)

Ith-haar Shafawee

y y y

Presence of a

followed by any letter other than

or

The

carries a saakin (

), and the second letter carries a vowelis pronounced clearly,

There is no ghunnah, and the

Example

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse (98:8) (98:8)

Audio

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Meem Saakina without ghunnah (Ithhaar)

SUMMARY

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the Rules of Meem Saakin ( )

in and TanweenA noon saakin ( ) and tanween are considered the same because the sound of a tanween sounds just like a noon saakin. Because of this similarity, the two take the same rules Example

Tanween(Nunnation) an un in an un in ban bun bin

Example ban bun bin

Ith'haar

To pronounce the letters from their makhraj, clearly and distinctly, without any changesPresence of or tanween followed by any letter of the throat or tanween is pronounced clearly, there is no ghunnah

y y y

Examples

Letter

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse

(108:2)

(79:40)

(79:33)

(7:43)

(80:18)

(80:10)

TANWEENLetter Extract from Verse Surah : Verse (101:11)

(99:7)

(102:8)

(95:6)

(113:3)

(97:5)

Idghaam

The 6 letters of Idghaam are collected in the following word : ) Two types of Idghaam :1. Without ghunnah 2. With ghunnah Idghaam without ghunnah

)

It is called the complete idghaam and its determining letters arePresence of followed by or tanween Or

and

y y y y y

Or gets a shaddah ghunnah is not pronounced (this means a complete assimilation where no trace of the sound is left)

Examples

Extract from Verse

Surah : Extract from Verse Verse (112:4)

Surah: Verse (96:15)

(96:7)

(83:15)

TANWEEN

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse (79:26)

Extract from Verse

Surah: Verse (104:1)

(101:7)

(81:25)

Idghaam with ghunnah

It is called the incomplete idghaam, and its four determining letters are collected in the word )Presence of or tanween followed by any of the following : ghunnah is pronounced, 2 counts (this means that some of the sound will be heard as it is incomplete blending or assimilation)

)

y y y y

Examples

Letter

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse (99:7)

Extract from Verse

Surah: Verse (90:5)

(13:11)

(13:34)

(111:5)

(86:6)

(92:19)

(14:11)

TANWEENExtract from Letter Verse Surah : Verse (89:23) Extract from Verse Surah: Verse (78:40)

(111:1)

(106:4)

(111:5)

(105:4)

(14:44)

(2:58)

NOTE The rule of idghaam will be applied on a provided it is the last letter of the word. If it appears in the middle of a word, then there will be no idghaam There are only 4 such words in the entire Qur'an to which this rule appliesLetter Extract from Verse Surah : Extract from Verse Verse (61:4) Surah: Verse (30:7)

(6:99)

(13:4)

NB : Tanween cannot appear in the middle of a word

Iqlaab

The changing of a sound from its original makhraj, in this case changing the

or tanween into a

y y y y

Presence of followed by

or tanween which is vowelled

Turn the into a sound ghunnah is pronounced, 2 counts Surah : Verse

Extract from Verse

(98:4)

(104:4)

Ikhfaa

The concealment of the

sound

y y y

Presence of or tanween followed by any of the 15 remaining letters of the alphabet These are

y

ghunnah is pronounced, 2 counts

(this ghunnah is slight, not too deep, unlike the idghaam and

or )

Method for pronouncing Ikhfaa

When an ikhfaa occurs, the makhraj of the or tanween is ignored and instead it is pronounced at or near the makhraj of the letter of ikhfaa. Therefore, the reader should make his tongue distant from the makhraj of the and close to the makhraj of the letter of ikhfaa during ghunnah, ready to pronounce the letter of Ikhfaa. TANWEENExtract from Verse Surah : Extract from Verse Verse (78:40) Surah: Verse (92:14)

(101:6)

(78:14)

(80:2)

(89:20)

(91:10)

(89:21)

(78:40)

(90:14)

(78:14)

(18:74)

(79:35)

(18:22)

(78:39)

(78:12)

(94:7)

(89:22)

(88:6)

(30:54)

(79:37)

(34:15)

(78:40)

(4:57)

(78:18)

(90:14)

(94:3)

(78:40)

(81:28)

(79:12)

NOTE ghunnah can be pronounced as thick or thin depending on whether a thick or thin letter follows. or tanween followed by thick letter = thick ghunnah or tanween followed by thin letter = thin ghunnah To pronounce the ghunnah thick, the mouth should be positioned as a dome shape, and then ready to pronounce the thick letter Example

Letter Type Tafkheem

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse (107:5)

(thick)Tafkheem (98:3)

(thick)Tarqeeq (2:9)

(thin)

Tarqeeq

(2:10)

(thin)

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the Rules of Noon Saakin ( ) or Tanween

Idghaam (

)

Outside the rules of or Tanween, Idghaam can also occur in the Qur'an due to certain circumstances as will be mentioned now in this section Idghaam can be separated into 3 different categories:

Idghaam Mutamaathilain (Idghaam of 2 identical letters)

This occurs when 2 same letters are found together, the first is saakina and the second is mutaharrik

y y y

As the 2 letters are the same, they therefore share the same makhraj and sifaat So the first letter is blended into the second, hence the second letter takes a shaddah ( ) This applies whether it is in one or two words (whether both letters fall into the same word, or one letter falls at the end of the first word, and the second letter falls into the start of the second word) ghunnah is NOT pronounced (except for the letters and ,as ghunnah is ALWAYS pronounced for these 2 letters when they carry a shaddah)

y

Examples(Surah:Verse) (24:33) (2:16)

Extract from Verse

y

If the saakin letter is a letter of prolongation and is the last letter of a word, then this letter will NOT be assimilated into the following same letter (the mutahaarik one)

Examples(Surah:Verse) (90:14)

Extract from Verse

Please note, Idghaam can either be complete or incomplete: Complete when there is absolutely NO trace of the saakin letter during pronunciation, as is in this category of Idghaam Mutamaathilain. Incomplete when there is SOME trace of the saakin letter during pronunciation, as you can see in the examples below, and later.

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Idghaam Mutamaathilain

Idghaam Mutajaanisain (Idghaam of Similarity)

Requirement :y y

This occurs when 2 letters have the same makhaarij, but different sifaat The 1st letter is saakina, the 2nd is mutaharrik

Effect :y y y

The 2nd letter takes a shaddah Incomplete Idghaam or Complete Idghaam depending on the order of the 2 letters The saakined letter is blended into the mutaharrik letter

Further Notes :y

This idghaam occurs at 3 makhaarij:

1. The makhraj of

Complete Idghaam (no trace of the saakined letter) i. The blended into theand is tip of tongue)

y y y y y

2 letters of the SAME makhraj ( But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

(Surah:Verse) (2:256)

Extract from Verse

ii.y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (10:89)

Extract from Verse

iii.y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj (from the tip of the tongue) But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (3:122)

Extract from Verse

Incomplete Idghaam There is emergence of some of the sifaat of the first (saakined) letter

i.y y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik The is incomplete so it will have some trace of its characteristics. The thickness will remain but the qalqalah will go These rules apply whether they are in the same word (as in this example), or in two different words (as in the previous 2 examples)

Example(Surah:Verse) (5:28)

Extract from Verse

2. The makhraj of Complete Idghaam

i.y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj (tip of the tongue) But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (4:64)

Extract from Verse

ii.y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj (tip of tongue) But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (7:176)

Extract from Verse

3. The makhraj of

Complete Idghaami.y y y y y y

The

blended into the

2 letters of the SAME makhraj (lips) But DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Ghunnah is pronounced for 2 counts Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (11:42)

Extract from Verse

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Idghaam Mutajaanisain

Idghaam Mutaqaaribain (near, close) This idghaam occurs when 2 letters have a makhraj that are close together (whereas the previous 2 idghaam shared the same makhaarij)

This Idghaam occurs at 2 makhaarij, but carry different sifaat1. The makhraj of

Complete Idghaami.y y y y y

the

blended into the

2 letters of a CLOSE makhraj (side and tip of tongue) And carry DIFFERENT sifaat 1st letter is saakina 2nd letter is mutaharrik Therefore, is not pronounced

Example(Surah:Verse) (18:22)

Extract from Verse

2. The makhraj of the The following example can be pronounced either way, incomplete or complete

Incomplete Idghaam

i.

The

blended into the

y

the possesses 2 main sifaat, but the ista'ala remains and the qalqalah qoes

Example(Surah:Verse) (77:20)

Extract from Verse

Complete Idghaamii. The blended into the

y y y

the is blended completely (nothing remains of it), and the gets a shaddah this is an exception of a thick letter being blended into a thin letter, which is why it can be pronounced either way although both ways of recitation are correct, the complete idghaam is preferred

Example(Surah:Verse) (77:20)

Extract from Verse

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Idghaam Mutaqaaribain

Click here to view a printable chart summarizing the rules of Idghaam

The Rules of MaddMadd means to prolong the sound of a vowel. The minimum prolongation of a vowel is to the measure of two vowels (2 counts), which is equal to the measure of one alif.

NATURAL MADD (Madd Letter

)

This is pronounced from the jawf, for two counts (Surah:Verse) (79:8) (79:15) (79:15) Extract from Verse

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of the Natural MaddALL THE OTHER MADD ARE BUILT ON THIS BASIC / NATURAL MADD RULE, DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES AFTER IT

Click on the 'Summary Chart for Madd' link on the right hand sidebar to view a summarised chart for the types and branches of Madd

The Rules of Stopping (Waqf)Definition

'To stop on the last letter of a complete word, which is disconnected from the word after it, and giving the last letter a sukoon and by breaking the breath, then taking a new breath to read the next word.' (Jami-ul-waqaf)y

The proper way to stop in a word is by putting a on the last letter of the word. If there is a harakah ( ) or tanween ( ) on the last letter of a word before a stop, that letter is made into a sukoon

E.g(112:1) will be read as

The last word will be read 'ahad' and not 'ahadun'y

If it is a tanween

then the last word is pronounced as an alif

E.g(78:16) will be read as

Will be read 'al faa faa' and not 'al faa fan'y

If the last letter is a 'taa marbutah' ( ), it is read as 'ha' ( )

E.g(88:5) will be read as

Will be read 'aa-niah' and not 'aa-niatin'y

If the last letter of a word contains a 'hamzah' ( ), the harakah on the hamzah is changed into a sukoon ( ), and the hamzah is read clearly. A common mistake when stopping at a hamzah is not to indicate the presence of the hamzah at all

E.g(14:24) will be read as

(7:156)

will be read as

y

If the last letter of a word contains a 'tashdeed' ( ), the mashaddad letter is changed into a saakin letter, BUT making sure the tashdeed is still read i.e. by spending more time on the letter (refer to Shaddah )

(111:1)

will be read as (but without the qalqalah)

(78:39)

(but without the qalqalah)

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of ending with Shaddah

NB remember to tighten / emphasize the saakin letter so to differentiate from an ordinary saakin lettery y y

A waqf is only correct if breath is taken before reading the following word. To read the last letter as sukoon ( ) and not to renew the breath is incorrect. The opposite of waqf is known as 'wasl'. Wasl means to join verses / sentences without stopping. Different letters / symbols are placed to indicate compulsory stops, recommended stops, better to read on, and other such commands:

The compulsory stop - we have to stop, wasl is prohibited

The prohibited stop - we can not stop

The good stop - it is better to continue, but stopping is allowed

The sufficient stop - it is better to stop

The quality stop - it is the same to stop or continue

The subtle stop/pause - stop vocal sound for a brief time, without taking breath

Necessary stop - denotes end of sentence Stopping at either of the points but not at both

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the symbols of Waqf (where to and where not to stop)

Click 'here' to view practice exercises for the rules of Waqf

Finishing Touches1. Supplication to begin reading 2. The seven kinds of Alif

3. above / below the letter 4. Prostration during recitation 5. Lahn (incorrect pronunciation) Supplication to begin reading

At-ta'awwuth (y

)

You must always begin a recitation with the ta'awwuth

'I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected shaitaan'y

Allah (

) says in the Qur'an

'So when you recite the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from the shaitaan, the outcast (cursed one)' Surah An Nahl (16:98)y

It can be said quietly or aloud when one is reading alone, but if reading in a group, the first will say it aloud and then the other readers should say it quietly before their recitation

Basmala (

)

'In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful'y

y y

If one begins the recitation at the beginning of a surah, the reader should say the Basmala (as part of the surah), but if the reader starts in the middle of the surah, the reader has a choice of saying the Basmala after the ta'awwuth or just saying the ta'awwuth It is obligatory in Surah Al- Fatihah according to the Shafi'i school According to all, it is not said in the beginning of Surah At-Taubah - Surah 9 (it is not written)

Rules of reciting the Basmala between two surahs

COMPLETE SEPARATION Not joining the end of the previous surah with the basmala of the next surah and not joining the basmala with the words of that surah. The reader would not stop at each of these points PARTIAL SEPARATION Stopping at the end of the surah, but then joining the basmala with the beginning of the next surah The opposite of this: joining the end of the surah with the basmala of the next surah and then stopping, and then beginning the next surah by itself, is FORBIDDEN COMPLETE CONNECTION Connecting everything together, the end of the previous surah with the basmala and also the basmala with the beginning of the following surah NB For Surah Taubah, you either stop at the end of the previous surah or join onto the first ayah of Surah Taubah. There is no partial connection option as there is no basmala

Click here to view a printable chart that depicts the rules of basmala between two surahs

The seven kinds of Alify y

This applies only when the alif is the last letter of the word The following uses of Alif are affirmed upon stopping and omitted upon a continuous reading :

1. Alif in

This means 'I' in the English language. The alif is always omitted due to not stressing the individual but focussing on Allah the Most High, and not ones self or nafs Therefore, the alif in is never recited whether continuing to recite, or if stopping

For the following 6 Alifs, the Alif is again omitted when continuing to recite, but when stopping it is elongated 2 counts. This applies whether stopping in the middle or end of an ayah.

2. Alif in Surah Al-Kahf (18:38)

3. Alif in Surah Al-Ahzab (33:10)

4. Alif in Surah Al-Ahzab (33:66)

5. Alif in Surah Al-Ahzab (33:67)

6. Alif in Surah Al-Ahzab (76:4)

It is permissible in the case of stopping on the word then takes a .

to stop on the

, which

Omit the Alif / Madd and say Thus there are 2 possibilities in the case of stopping :

1. To stop at the laam saakina

without an alif after it

2. To stop on the alif after the laam

above / below the letter

There are 4 places in the Qur'an where there is a small seen letter saad . The question arises as to which letter ( or The following should help :y

written either above or below the ) should actually be read.

In both the verses below, the reader should read the letter read even though it is written there 1. 2.

. The letter

should NOT be

y

In the following verse, the reader has the OPTION of reading either the

or

y

In the verse below the reader should only read the letter

. The

should NOT be read

Note: It is advisable that a note be made of this in your personal Qur'an so the correct letter is read whilst reciting these verses without any unnecessary confusion. (source: Ahsan-ut-Tajweed. Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji (Al-Qaasmi) Moulana Ilyas Kola)

Prostration during Recitation

There are fourteen verses in the Qur'aan where prostration is to be performed during recitation. These verses are :No. Extract from Verse 1 Surah : Verse (7:206)

2

(13:15)

3

(16:49)

4

(17:107)

5

(19:58)

6

(22:18)

7

(25:60)

8

(27:25)

9

(32:15)

10

(38:24)

11

(41:37)

12

(53:62)

13

(84:21)

14

(96:19)

LAHN What is Lahn ( )? The word lahn literally means 'incorrect pronunciation'. In the Science of Tajweed, lahn can be described as:

'Failing to adhere to the rules of Tajweed whilst reciting the Qur'an' There are 2 types of lahn:1. Jalee ( )- major or obvious 2. Khafee ( )- minor or not obvious

To recite the Qur'an whilst being guilty of Lahney Jalee is haraam and to do so intentionally can plunge into the act of a major in, so much that it can lead one to the brink of kufr. Whereas to commit Lahney Khafee is makrooh (undesirable, not commendable).Lahney Jalee 1. Not to pronounce the letters from their correct origins and their respective qualities

E.g

To recite To recite To recite To recite To recite

as as as as as

2. To make any addition to the words

E.gTo recite To recite To recite as as as

3. To make omissions

E.gTo recite To recite To recite as as as

4. To replace a Harakah (dammah, Fattah, kasrah) with a sukoon

E.gTo recite To recite To recite as as as

5. To replace a sukoon

with a harakah

E.g

To recite To recite To recite Lahney Khafee

as as as

Reading the Qur'an whilst being guilty of Lahney Khafee is makrooh. It does not necessarily alter the meaning of the Qur'an. However, it does deprive the Holy Qur'an of its real elegance and beauty. EXAMPLES OF LAHNEY KHAFEE:1. To overlook the rules of the thick / full mouth (tafkheem) letters and the thin / empty mouth (tarqeeq) letters. 2. Not to adhere to the rules of ith'har, idghaam and ikhfaa in their respective places whilst reciting the Qur'an. 3. Not to prolong a letter when a Madd is present

(soure: Basic Tajweed for Primary Madris. Shaykh Hasib Ahmed Ibn Yusuf Mayet)

Click here to view a printable chart depicting the types of lahn