Tajweed Q&A 12

Question

Dear Brother,

I just learned that there are several terminologies for the letter haa':

1 Haa Kinayah or Haa Dhamir

2 Haa Kalimah

3 Haa ta'nith

4 Haa Sakta

I wish to know what is the explanation for this type of haa and how is the way to pronounce words with such occurrence especially in Surah Al-Haqqah.

jazakallah.

Answer

Assalaam alaikum.

The pronoun called or is attached to a word and means his, or to him, depending on its placement. This has a place in Arabic grammar and a clear meaning. The is pronounced when continuing and stopping, and under certain circumstances, the dhammah or kasrah on the is lengthened. Please see click here and here for more explanation on when it is lengthened. Examples are: , .

We are not aware of the existence of the term “ha’ al-kalimah”, could not find a reference to it in Arabic language books, and consulted experts in the Arabic language who are also unaware of it. The only explanation would be any in a word, but it would have no significance as far as a term.

The female called is found on the end of nouns only and usually demonstrates a female gender in the word. It looks like or . When stopping on a noun ending with a written we stop with a saakinah. When reading the noun ending with in continuum with the next word, we pronounce it as the letter with the accompanying vowel. Examples are the words: , and .

The is something the Arabs used for emphasis and/or to show the vowel on the last word of the original word. It is an extra saakinah, not part of the original make up attached to a word and has no grammatical significance. It is saakinah both when stopping and continuing for the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Aasim. There is a voweled letter before the , either with the original voweling or with a incidental voweling because of two saakin letters meeting. In the several cases in surah Al-Haaqqah, (aayaat 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, and 29) such as the word: , the possessive on the end of the original word acquires a fathah to rid of two saakinah letters meeting.

Wa iyyaakum wa-l-muslimeen.