Sifat al-Huruf
A makhraj says where a letter is produced; a sifah says how. Click a letter for its qualities, or a quality for its letters.
Seventeen ṣifāt on the chosen position · ten paired, seven standing alone
With an opposite
The breath runs on with the letter, because it presses lightly on its makhraj.
The breath is held back, because the letter presses firmly on its makhraj.
The sound stops completely on the letter.
The sound is between stopped and flowing.
The sound flows on with the letter.
The back of the tongue rises to the palate — this is what makes a letter heavy.
The tongue stays low; these letters are light.
The tongue closes flat against the palate — the strongest degree of heaviness.
Tongue and palate stay apart on the letter.
The letter is light and quick, coming off the tongue-tip or the lip.
The letter is heavy on the tongue — classically, no four- or five-letter Arabic root is built from these alone.
With no opposite
An added whistling sound between the lips and the front teeth.
The sound bounces audibly when the letter is sākin.
Sākin wāw and yā after a fatha, produced softly and without effort.
The letter leans away from its own makhraj towards another.
The tongue-tip trembles on the rā — a quality you learn in order to avoid it, not to perform it.
The air spreads out in the mouth on the shīn.
The sound runs the length of the tongue-edge on the ḍād.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a makhraj and a sifah?
The makhraj is where the letter is produced; the sifah is how. Ta and ta come from one and the same makhraj and are told apart by nothing but their qualities: one is voiced, covered and raised, the other whispered, open and lowered.
How many sifat are there?
Seventeen on the chosen position: ten that come in opposed pairs (hams/jahr, shidda/rakhawa, istila/istifal, itbaq/infitah, idhlaq/ismat) and seven that stand alone. Other scholars have counted as many as forty-four.
Where does tawassut fit?
It is the middle state between shidda and rakhawa, carried by the letters of لن عمر. It is taught alongside that pair rather than counted as an eighteenth quality.
How many qualities does one letter carry?
At least five — one from each opposed pair — plus any standalone ones. Ra carries seven: jahr, tawassut, istifal, infitah and idhlaq, then inhiraf and takrir on top.
Why is takrir taught only to be avoided?
Because the ra naturally makes the tongue-tip trill. The quality is named so the reader can suppress it, not perform it.
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