One of the basic concepts in Tajweed, the discipline of reciting the Quran using proper pronunciation, is how to pronounce Laam Sakinah. This rule guarantees that when the letter Laam (ل) appears without a vowel or “Sukoon,” reciters of the Quran will pronounce it correctly. To guarantee that the Quran is recited accurately and in compliance with the guidelines established by recitation scholars, any student of Tajweed must study the rules of Laam Sakinah.
The norms of Laam Sakinah will be discussed in this article together with examples of Laam Al-Ism (لَام الاِسْم),
Laam Al-Fi’il (لَام الفِعْل), and Laam Al-Harf (لَام الحَرف), In order to make the principles more understandable, we will also go into detail about the particular situations of Laam Al-Jalalah in Allah’s name and offer several examples.
What is Laam Sakinah?
When the letter Laam (ل) is in a state of sukoon (rest) and does not contain a vowel or harakah, it is referred to as Laam Sakinah. This condition arises when the letter is calm, meaning it is not followed by a Dammah ( َ ), Kasrah ( ِ ), or Dammah ( ُ ).The context, particularly the letters that come before or after it, impacts how Laam Sakinah is pronounced.
Depending on how Laam Sakinah appears in different grammatical forms, including nouns, verbs, and statements, its pronunciation differs.
Rules of laam in tajweed
Three major categories result from this:
- (Laam in Nouns) Laam Al-Ism
- (Laam in Verbs) Laam Al-Fi’il
- (Laam in Particles and Statements) Laam Al-Harf
We shall now study the various pronunciation guidelines that Laam Sakinah adheres to in each of these areas.
1. Laam Al-Ism (The Laam in Nouns)
The Laam found in nouns is referred to as Laam Al-Ism. Like “the” in English, Laam mainly appears in nouns when it is a component of the definite article Al (ال). Laam At-Ta’reef (لام التعريف) is the name given to this Laam since it makes a noun definite.
Rule of Laam Al-Ism: The type of letter that comes after Laam At-Ta’reef determines how it should be pronounced. Shamsiyah (Sun Letters) and Qamariyah (Moon Letters) are the two categories of letters.z
a) Laam Al-Shamsiyah (Sun Laam)
Laam At-Ta’reef is not pronounced when it is followed by a sun letter. Rather, a shaddah, which doubles the consonant sound, is used for pronouncing the next letter.
Some examples of sun letters are: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن..
For example, الشَّمْس (As-Shams) – “The sun.”
The Laam is not pronounced in this instance since it is followed by the sun letter “ش“ (Sheen). The shaddah, on the other hand, doubles the sheen.
Quranic Example of Laam Al-Shamsiyah:
الشَّمْس (Ash-Shams) – “The sun” [Surah Ash-Shams: 1].
The Laam is not pronounced because it is followed by the sun letter Sheen (ش). Instead, the Sheen is pronounced with a shaddah (doubled sound).
النَّاس (An-Naas) – “The people” [Surah An-Naas: 1].
Here, the Laam is followed by Noon (ن), another sun letter, and the Noon is doubled with shaddah.
b) Laam Al-Qamariyah (Moon Laam)
Laam At-Ta’reef is pronounced clearly when it is followed by a moon letter.
The moon letters are أ ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م و ه ي .
الْقَمَر (Al-Qamar) is an example of “The moon.”
Since the letter “ق” (Qaaf) is a moon letter, the Laam is pronounced here. The following letter has no shaddah.
For Tajweed, the difference between Laam Al-Shamsiyah and Laam Al-Qamariyah is important because it guarantees that every letter is spoken correctly and that the Quran is read with care and clarity.
Quranic Example of Laam Al-Qamariyah:
الْقَمَر (Al-Qamar) – “The moon” [Surah Al-Qamar: 1].
The Laam is pronounced clearly because it is followed by the moon letter Qaaf (ق).
الْكِتَاب (Al-Kitaab) – “The Book” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2].
In this example, the Laam is pronounced because it is followed by Kaaf (ك), a moon letter.
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Start Your Quran Journey Now2. Laam Al-Fi’il (The Laam in Verbs)
The Laam that appears inside verbs is referred to as Laam Al-Fi’il. Similar to Laam Al-Ism, Laam Al-Fi’il can use sukoon in specific situations, such as when a verb requires conjugation or when specific forms of grammar are employed.
Rule of Laam Al-Fi’il: Laam Al-Fi’il should always be spoken clearly. Its precise pronunciation, however, could differ slightly depending on the following letters.
Quranic Example of Laam Al-Fi’il:
قُلْ (Qul) – “Say” [Surah Al-Ikhlas: 1].
The Laam in Qul is pronounced clearly with a sukoon, and it isn’t modified by the following letters.
فَعَلْتُ (Fa’altu) – “I did” [Surah Al-A’raf: 12].
In this example, Laam appears in the past tense verb and is pronounced clearly.
Making sure they pronounce the Laam clearly without pronouncing it too much or too little is one of the main challenges for Tajweed learners, even when it comes to verbs which may come up quickly after other sounds.
3. Laam Al-Harf (The Laam in Particles and Prepositions)
Laam that occurs in particles or predicates is referred to as Laam Al-Harf. This can be found in Arabic in short functional words like Li (لِـ), which means “for” or “to.”
Rule of Laam Al-Harf: Regardless of the following letter, the Laam in particles and statements is pronounced clearly.
Quranic Example of Laam Al-Harf:
لِمَن (Li-man) – “For whom” [Surah Al-Mulk: 15].
The Laam in Li-man is pronounced clearly, regardless of the following letter Meem.
لِلَّهِ (Lillaah) – “For Allah” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 29].
The Laam is pronounced clearly here, and the following Laam in Allah’s name follows its own unique rule, which we will discuss next.
Because these short words are used commonly in the Quran and because missing them might change a verse’s meaning or flow, it is important to learn how to pronounce Laam Al-Harf.
4. Special Case: Laam in Lafz al-Jalalah (The Name of Allah)
Because Allah’s name is vital and requires a specific pronunciation, the Laam in Allah’s name (Lafz al-Jalalah) is handled as a different case in Tajweed.
Rule of Laam in Lafz al-Jalalah:
The vowel that comes before Laam affects how it should be pronounced in Allah’s name:
- The Laam is pronounced with Tafkheem (a full, heavy sound) if the letter before it contains a Fatha ( َ ) or Dammah ( ُ ),
- Tarqeeq, a thinner, lighter sound, is used to pronounce the Laam if the previous letter has a Kasrah ( ِ ).
Quranic Examples of Lafz Al-Jalalah:
تَالله (Tallaah) – “By Allah” [Surah Yusuf: 73].
The Laam is pronounced with Tafkheem because the preceding letter has a Fatha.
بِالله (Billaah) – “In the name of Allah” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 112].
The Laam in this instance is pronounced with Tarqeeq because the preceding letter has a Kasrah.
Because misunderstanding the Laam in Lafz al-Jalalah could change the respect and dedication that should be shown when reciting Allah’s name, it needs extra attention.
Conclusion
In Tajweed, the principles of Laam Sakinah are vital because they maintain the correct pronunciation of the Quran and help maintain its linguistic beauty. Quran readers must learn the differences between Laam Al-Ism, Laam Al-Fi’il, and Laam Al-Harf in addition to the unique guidelines for Lafz al-Jalalah. Despite the level of detail, these guidelines are simpler to follow with practice.
For those looking to deepen their understanding of laam sakinah’ and other aspects of Qur’anic recitation, enrolling in an online Tajweed course can be highly beneficial. This structured learning approach helps to master the Tajweed rules to improving one’s recitation accuracy.
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