letters of qalqalah is a language that means disturbance and movement. In terminology: it is the disturbance of the tongue when pronouncing one of letters of qalqalah, so a strong tone is heard in it, especially if the letter is silent.
5 letters of qalqalah namely: Qaf, Ta, Ba, Jem, and Dal, and they are grouped in the word “قطب جد.”. letters of qalqalah in arabic is a disturbance of the tongue when pronouncing its letters so that a strong tone is heard for these letters. Its letters are five. Below we will learn about letters of qalqalah, and the rulings related to them in detail.
What is the definition of letters of qalqalah?
Linguistically, letters of qalqalah are defined as: movement and disturbance. In terminology, its meaning is: the disturbance of a letter in its exit when pronouncing it silent until a strong tone is heard.
5 letters of qalqalah are accompanied by a strong, extra sound when pronouncing one of its letters in wasl and waqf, and the sound in waqf is clearer than in wasl.
letters of qalqalah in arabic is also described as the intensity of the sound. Imam Ibn al-Jazari – may Allah have mercy on him – defined letters of qalqalah in arabic as:
- the appearance of a sound similar to a tone when the letters of qalqalah are silent in the pause and elsewhere to increase the completion of their pronunciation.
- Some scholars defined Qalqalah as: producing the letters of qalqalah by spacing the two ends of the organ of pronunciation. Without any defect, it is accompanied by one of the three movements.
Qalqalah letters
The number of letters of qalqalah in arabic is five; They are: the Qaf, the Jim, the Ta, the Dal, and the Ba. Two important things should be noted:
- The first is that the qalqalah is highest at the letter ta’, middle at the letter jem, and lowest at the letter qaf, b, and dal.
- Secondly: The reason for the presence of letters of qalqalah in these five letters and not in others is due to the combination of the qualities of loudness and intensity in each of these letters;
The characteristic of loudness prevents the flow of the breath, while the characteristic of intensity prevents the flow of the sound, and this would cause difficulty and suffering in producing the sound of the letter.
So it was necessary to follow the sound of the letter with a light sound that contributes and helps in its pronunciation.
What are the strongest letters of Qalqalah?
In terms of its strength, letters of qalqalah is divided into three sections, which are as follows:
- The highest qalqalah: This is in the letter ta’, as in the word “نطْفة” or “أنطْعم”.
- Awsat Al-Qalqalah: This is in the letter J, like the word “أجْر” or “تجْري”
- The lowest Qalqalah: This is in the letters Qaf, Baa, and Dāl. Examples of this include: “مقْمحون” “خلقْنا,” “لقدْ,” “ادْخل,” “يبْصرون,” and “واضربْ.”
It should be noted that the reason for the presence of qalqalah in these letters and not in others is due to the combination of the two characteristics of loudness and intensity in each of these letters, as the characteristic of loudness prevents the flow of the breath.
And the characteristic of whispering prevents the flow of the sound, and this in turn makes pronouncing the letter awkward and difficult, so It was necessary to follow the sound of these letters with a slight sound to help in their pronunciation.
Qalqalah is most severe in the letter Ta, then in the letter J, then in the letters Ba, Qaf, and D. These letters are characterized only by Qalqalah. Because the two qualities of loudness and severity are combined in each of these letters.
letters of qalqalah levels
Scholars divided letters of qalqalah in arabic into four levels, which are as follows
- Great Qalqalah: This is when the letters of qalqalah is extreme at the end of the word and stressed; As a word: الحقّ، الجبّ، وتبّ
- Middle qalqalah: This is when the letters of qalqalah is extreme and unstressed; As a word: حرج، محيط، العذاب، تحيد، واق
- Minor qalqalah: This is when the letters of qalqalah in the middle of the word is silent; As a word: يقدر، ابتغاء، عدن، مطلع، يجتنبون
- Asghar Qalqalah: This is when the letters of qalqalah is vowelized; Whether it is extreme or in the middle of the word; As a word: الباب، طال، جانب، الدار
It is worth mentioning that some scholars have classified the levels of letters of qalqalah as three, which are as follows:
- Akbar Qalqalah: This is when the letter Qalqalah is extreme and stressed.
- Qalqalah major: This is when the letter Qalqalah is extreme and not stressed.
- Minor qalqalah: This is when the letter qalqalah in the middle of the word is silent.
Among the scholars are those who classified the levels of letters of qalqalah in arabic into only two categories, and they are as follows:
- Major qalqalah: This is when the letter qalqalah is extreme; Whether it is stressed or not stressed.
- Minor qalqalah: This is when the letter qalqalah in the middle of the word is silent.
How to pronounce qalqala?
The opinions of scholars on how to perform letters of qalqalah in arabic have varied into three schools of thought, which are as follows:
- The first doctrine: They said that the letters of qalqalah moves according to the movement of the letter before it; If it is open, like: “أقرب”, then the qalqalāl letter is close to the fatḥah, and if it is dimūs, like: “ادع’”, then the qalqālāl letter is close to the ḍammah, and if it is broken, like: “اقرأ”, the qalqalāl letter is close to the kasra.
- The second doctrine: They said that the letters of qalqalah moves according to the movement of the letter that follows it; If it is open, the qalqalāl letter is close to the fatḥah, and if it is dhammū, the qalqālāl letter is close to the dammah, and if it is broken, the qalqālāl letter is close to the kasra.
- The third doctrine: They said that letters of qalqalah are closer to conquest in general; Whether the letter before or after it is open, joined, or broken.
What is the reason for giving qalqalah this name?
There are many opinions among scholars regarding the reason for calling letters of qalqalah by this name, including the following:
- letters of qalqalah in arabic was given this name. Because its five letters become weak when they are silent, and become suspicious of other letters, so it was necessary to follow them with a voice that resembles a strong tone and contributes to pronouncing them correctly in the pause and other times.
Even if the pause is more possible and stronger, and in the sukoon and other things, even if the sukoon is more possible and clearer, he said that.
- Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi – may Allah have mercy on him : letters of qalqalah in arabic was given this name. Because its five letters, when they are silent, become unstable and disturbed when they are pronounced, so a strong tone is heard, like a rising sound with stress. This was said by Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allah have mercy on him.
- The name letters of qalqalah in arabic is given this name due to several sayings by scholars, including that the five letters of Qalqalah, when silent, are weak and are suspected of other letters, so they are followed by a sound that has a strong tone that contributes to their pronunciation.
Things to consider in qalqalah
There are many things that should be taken into consideration when pronouncing letters of qalqalah, including the following:
- Avoid merging the letters of qalqalah sound with the fatha, dhammah, or kasra vowel, as this would cause the qalqala letter to lose its stillness and tend toward one of the three vowels. For example, in the word “إبْراهيم” أو “قدْ” أو “لقدْ” أو”سبْحان” the reader may mislead.
From the sukun of the mutqalla letter, he pronounces it between the sukun and the kasrah. However, in the word “خلقْنا,” the reader may peek at the sukoon of the mudqalla letter, and pronounce it between the sukun and the fatha.
This would lead to two things: the first was a defect in the meaning of the word, and the second was changing the silent sound of the disturbed letter into a complete movement.
- Avoid ending the sound of letters of qalqalah with a silent, strong, severe, or voiceless hamza. For example: when pronouncing the words أحدْ” أو”كسبْ” the reader stops at them like this: ahada, kasba.
- Avoid prolonging the letters of qalqalah sound and extending it for more time than the Qalqalah deserves.
- Avoid concealing part of letters of qalqalah in arabic sound and making it clear if the letter Qalqalah is preceded by a consonant, such as: “فِسْقْ”, or if the letter Qalqalah is followed by a consonant, such as: “القدْرْ”.
- Avoid being negligent in displaying a strong and complete letters of qalqalah in arabic, and pay attention to that if two qalqalah letters are consecutive and the first letter is consonant and the second is voweled, it is made silent to stop on it, such as: “رطْب”، “بالعبْد
- The reader should take into account many things that will make his pronunciation of letters of qalqalah in arabic correct, especially avoiding adding a hamza after pronouncing Qalqalah, hiding part of its sound when two of its letters meet, and stretching out its sound beyond the time it deserves.
Conclusion
The letters of qalqalah is an important ruling in the science of Tajweed, which a Muslim must pay attention to in order to master the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. In addition to that, we mentioned the letters of qalqalah in arabic in detail, and how to pronounce the 5 letters of qalqalah correctly, in addition to some important advice that must be taken into account when pronouncing the letters of qalqalah.
