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The rules of the letter rā’ – whether it is pronounced heavy (tafkhīm) or light (tarqīq) – depend on its own vowel, the vowel before it, and whether you continue or stop. The short rule: rā’ with fatha or damma is heavy, rā’ with kasra is light, and a rā’ with sukūn needs more detail.
For a complete overview of all tajweed chapters, see the tajweed rules chart.
When rā’ is heavy (tafkhīm)
- With fatha: رَبِّ, رَزَقْنَاهُمْ.
- With damma: رُزِقُوا.
- With sukūn after a fatha or damma: مَرْيَمَ, الْقُرْآنُ.
- With sukūn after an incidental kasra: ارْجِعُوا, or a kasra in another word: الَّذِي ارْتَضَى.
- With sukūn after an original kasra, followed by a heavy (isti‘lā’) letter without kasra in the same word: قِرْطَاسٍ, مِرْصَادًا, فِرْقَةٍ.
When rā’ is light (tarqīq)
- With kasra: رِجَالٌ, الْغَارِمِينَ.
- With sukūn after an original, connected kasra and not followed by a heavy letter: فِرْعَوْنَ, مِرْيَةٍ.
- When stopping, if a yā’ with sukūn comes before it: خَيْرٌ, قَدِيرٌ.
- When stopping, if a letter with sukūn preceded by kasra comes before it: الذِّكْرِ.
Rā’ when stopping
When you stop, the rā’ takes sukūn, so you look at what comes before it: if it is a fatha or damma, the rā’ is heavy, as in الْقَدْرِ (a dāl with sukūn preceded by fatha); if it is a kasra or a yā’ with sukūn, it is light, as in مُنْهَمِرٍ and خَبِيرٌ.
Words with two permitted ways
In some words both heavy and light pronunciation are permitted for Hafs, such as فِرْقٍ in Surat ash-Shu‘ara’ (because of a heavy letter with kasra after it), and مِصْرَ and الْقِطْرِ when stopping. It is best to take the preferred way from your teacher and keep to it.
Related articles: characteristics of the letters (sifat al-huruf), makharij al-huruf.
Learn it in practice with a teacher
Tajweed is learned by listening and reciting to a teacher; reading about the rules is not enough. At Al-Azhar Message Academy you recite to a male or female Al-Azhar graduate who holds an ijazah with a connected sanad, and who listens and corrects you in one-to-one lessons on Zoom or Google Meet. The subscription starts at $40 per month for 8 lessons, and the first trial lesson is free. See our online tajweed course.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
When is rā’ heavy?
When it has fatha or damma, or sukūn after fatha or damma, or sukūn after an incidental kasra, or sukūn after an original kasra followed by a heavy letter without kasra.
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When is rā’ light?
When it has kasra, or sukūn after an original connected kasra with no heavy letter after it, or when you stop on it and a yā’ with sukūn or a kasra comes before it.
Why is rā’ heavy in ارجعوا although the hamza before it has kasra?
Because the kasra of hamzat al-wasl is incidental, and a rā’ with sukūn after an incidental kasra is heavy.
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