This document summarizes the rules for distinguishing between heavy and light letters in Arabic. It discusses the characteristics of heavy letters, which involve raising the back of the tongue, and light letters, which involve lowering the tongue. It also describes some letters that can be either heavy or light depending on context, such as alif madd and the letter ra. For alif madd, its heaviness depends on the preceding letter. For ra, certain spellings and word positions cause it to be heavy while others make it light. Memorizing these rules is important for properly reciting and understanding Arabic texts.

1. The Heavy and light Letters
‫والرتقيق‬ ‫التفخيم‬ ‫حروف‬

2. Heavy letters
• They are collected in the phrase :
ْ‫ظ‬ِ‫ق‬ ٍ‫ط‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ض‬ َّ‫ص‬ُ‫خ‬
• It is a fat letter.
• A part of the tongue (mostly the back
part) rises up to the roof .
• EX:
‫ين‬ِ‫د‬ِ‫ال‬َ‫خل‬‫ا‬–‫ني‬ِ‫ال‬َّ‫الض‬–‫ور‬ُ‫ف‬َ‫غ‬‫ال‬–‫ة‬َّ‫ام‬َّ‫ط‬‫ال‬–‫ال‬َ‫ق‬–‫ا‬ً‫ري‬ِ‫ه‬َ‫ظ‬–
‫اط‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ص‬–‫ني‬ِ‫ط‬–‫يم‬ِ‫ق‬َ‫ست‬ُ‫م‬–‫ة‬َ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫خ‬–ً‫ار‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ض‬‫ا‬

3. Light Letters
• All the letters other than the heavy
letters ( (ْ‫ظ‬ِ‫ق‬ ٍ‫ط‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ض‬ َّ‫ص‬ُ‫خ‬ and the temporary
heavy and light letters which are (Alif
Madd – Laam of Exalted name of Allah
– Letter Raa’)
• Lowering the tongue .
• EX:
‫ار‬َ‫َّه‬‫الن‬–‫اء‬َ‫م‬َّ‫الس‬–‫اب‬َ‫ت‬ِ‫ْك‬‫ل‬‫ا‬–‫َّار‬‫ن‬‫ال‬–‫ني‬ِ‫اط‬َ‫ي‬َ‫ش‬–َْ‫ل‬‫ا‬‫َّة‬‫ن‬-‫ر‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫ْع‬‫ل‬‫ا‬

4. Temporary heavy and light
Letters
1- Alif Madd
• Alif Madd being heavy or light depends on
the letter preceding Alif Madd:
- If the letter before Alif Madd was light, so
Alif Madd should accordingly take a light
sound.
- ‫ار‬َ‫َّه‬‫الن‬–‫َّار‬‫ن‬‫ال‬–‫اء‬َ‫م‬َّ‫الس‬–‫ني‬ِ‫م‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ْع‬‫ل‬‫ا‬
- And if the letter before Alif Madd was heavy,
so Alif Madd should accordingly take a
heavy sound.
‫ال‬َ‫ق‬–‫ا‬ً‫د‬ِ‫ال‬َ‫خ‬–‫ين‬ِ‫ر‬ِ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫ص‬–ً‫ًل‬ِ‫اف‬َ‫غ‬-‫اف‬َ‫ط‬ُ‫ي‬

5. Temporary heavy and light
Letters
2- The Laam of The Exalted Name of Allah
- If there is a Fatha or a Dhamma before the
word of Allah or Allahum, So the laam in
Allah or Allahum will be heavy.
ْ‫ب‬َ‫ع‬ُ‫د‬‫هللا‬–‫ا‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ل‬‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َّ‫ل‬‫ال‬-َ‫ت‬‫هلل‬
- If there is a kasrah before the word Allah, So
the Laam in Allah or Allahum will be light.
ْ‫س‬ِ‫ب‬ِ‫م‬‫هللا‬–ِ‫ب‬‫هلل‬–ُ‫ق‬ِ‫ل‬‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َّ‫ل‬‫ال‬
- If the reader starts reading with the name of
Allah, then Laam in Allah or Allahom will be
heavy.

8. Temporary heavy and light
Letters
3-“Raa’ “
• Heavy Raa’
1- َ‫ر‬:‫ان‬َ‫ض‬َ‫م‬َ‫ر‬
2- ُ‫ر‬:‫ان‬َّ‫م‬ُ‫ر‬
3- ْ‫ر‬ ََ:َ‫ي‬ْ‫ر‬َ‫م‬
4- ْ‫ر‬َُ:‫ان‬َ‫ء‬ْ‫ر‬ُ‫ق‬
5- ْ‫ر‬ ََْ:‫ر‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫الع‬
6- ْ‫ر‬ َُْ:‫ر‬ْ‫س‬ُ‫خ‬
7- ْ‫ر‬ْ‫ا‬:‫ى‬َ‫ض‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫ار‬
8- ْ‫ر‬ َِ(‫ط‬–‫ق‬–‫ص‬: )‫اس‬َ‫ط‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫ق‬–
‫اد‬َ‫ص‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ل‬–‫ادا‬َ‫ص‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫م‬–َ‫ق‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫ف‬‫ة‬-‫ا‬ً‫اد‬َ‫ص‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫و‬
• Light Raa’
1- ِ‫ر‬:‫يح‬ِ‫الر‬
2- ْ‫ر‬ َِ:‫ن‬ْ‫و‬َ‫ع‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫ف‬
3- ْ‫ر‬ َِْ:‫ر‬ْ‫ح‬ِ‫الس‬
4- ْ‫ر‬‫ي‬:‫ير‬ِ‫د‬َ‫ق‬

9. Heavy or Light Raa’
• ‫ر‬ْ‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ Surat Yūsuf:21,99 - Surat Az-Zukhruf:51 - Surat Yūnus:87
when stopping on the Raa’ heavy or light is
right
• ‫ر‬ْ‫ط‬ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬ Surat Saba’:12
when stopping on the Raa’ heavy or light is
right
• ٍ‫ق‬ْ‫ر‬ِ‫ف‬ Surat Ash-Shūraá: 63
when continuing the reading heavy or light
is right.

10. My best wishes for success
Teacher Moshira