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The characteristics of the letters (sifat al-huruf) are the qualities that distinguish the sound of a letter when it is pronounced, such as audibility and whisper, or strength and softness. If the articulation point (makhraj) tells you where a letter comes from, its characteristic tells you how it comes out – and that is how we tell apart two letters from the same point, such as sīn and ṣād. The characteristics are divided into those that have an opposite and those that do not.
For an overview of all tajweed chapters, see the tajweed rules chart.
Characteristics that have an opposite
| Characteristic | Opposite | Letters of the first characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Hams – whisper (breath flows) | Jahr – audibility | فحثه شخص سكت (10 letters) |
| Shiddah – strength (sound is held) | Rakhāwah – softness; in between: tawassuṭ | أجد قط بكت for shiddah, لن عمر for tawassuṭ |
| Isti‘lā’ – elevation (tongue rises) | Istifāl – lowering | خص ضغط قظ (7 letters) |
| Iṭbāq – adhesion | Infitāḥ – separation | ص ض ط ظ |
| Idhlāq – fluency | Iṣmāt – restraint | فر من لب (6 letters) |
Every letter must have one characteristic from each pair: it is either whispered or audible, either elevated or lowered, and so on.
Characteristics without an opposite
| Characteristic | Letters | Short meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ṣafīr – whistling | ص ز س | An extra sound like a bird’s whistle |
| Qalqalah – echo | قطب جد | The letter vibrates when it has sukūn, so an echo is heard |
| Līn – softness | و and ي with sukūn after a fatha | The letter comes out easily |
| Inḥirāf – deviation | ل ر | The letter leans away from its articulation point |
| Takrīr – repetition | ر | The rā’ tends to roll; it is learned in order to avoid it, not to show it |
| Tafashshī – spreading | ش | The air spreads in the mouth |
| Istiṭālah – extension | ض | The sound extends along the edge of the tongue |
Why the characteristics matter in recitation
- They distinguish letters that share an articulation point, such as the adhering ṭā’ and the open tā’, or the elevated ṣād and the lowered sīn.
- They determine heaviness and lightness: the elevated letters are always heavy – see the rules of rā’.
- They prevent common mistakes, such as leaving out the qalqalah or rolling the rā’.
Related articles: makharij al-huruf, qalqalah.
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)
What is the difference between makhraj and sifah?
The makhraj is where the letter comes out; the sifah is how it comes out. The characteristic is what separates letters that share the same articulation point.
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Which are the elevated (isti‘lā’) letters?
Seven letters, gathered in “خص ضغط قظ”: khā’, ṣād, ḍād, ghayn, ṭā’, qāf and ẓā’.
Which are the whispered (hams) letters?
Ten letters, gathered in “فحثه شخص سكت”.
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