Classical Arabic Phonology Decal

Spring 2015

Lecture 1: Isti'atha, Basmallah, Alphabet, Makharij

Introduction
We start in the name of Allah, whom we worship and ask for help. We send peace and blessings
on the Prophet , from whom we have the Qur'n today. One of the important steps before
introducing tajwd is to verify one's intention. Studying the recitation of the Qur'n is an act of
worship and it is absolutely necessary to keep in mind the purpose of doing so. Allh says in the
Qur'n:
Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They are the ones who
believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are in loss
(Al-Baqarah, 121)
Although merely reciting with tajwd is not enough for true recital (one needs to act upon the
verses as well), it is a necessary prerequisite.
And recite the Qur'n with tartl
(Al-Muzzammil, 4)
The meaning of tartl is described by Al, may Allh be pleased with him:
Tartl is tajwd of the letters and knowledge of how to stop.
Thus, pronunciation of the Arabic letters is essential to reciting the Qur'n properly. The first
part of the course will develop the pronunciation of the Arabic letters while the second will
introduce rules for proper Quranic recitation, including when and where to stop.

Isti'atha
Istiatha is the phrase aoothu billahi mina ash-shaytaanir rajeem. It is imperative that you
learn it to a high level of fluency, since Allah (SWT) commanded us to recite it before we begin
reading Quran.

Translation:
So when you recite the Quran, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the
expelled [from His mercy]. Surat An-Nahl, ayah 98.

Basmallah
Basmallah is the phrase bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Raheem which means In the name of Allah,
the most beneficent, the extremely merciful. You say this when starting a surah from the
beginning, as the Prophet (S) did. It is also a common phrase to say when starting anything,
such as eating, taking an exam, or basically anything.

Classical Arabic Phonology Decal

Spring 2015

Makharij
Makharij in Arabic refers to the right place in the mouth, from whence a letter is pronounced.
Arabic has letters that may seem subtle to those unaccustomed to hearing it, but it is crucial to
practice and train in knowing the difference and pronouncing the letters in their unique way.
This first part is the hardest and also the most important. Before learning any rules, you must
learn how to pronounce every letter in the Arabic alphabet. This is best done with the teacher,
since language has a lot of learning via exposure and doing, but read through the rules below
first to prepare yourself.

Exercise: Alphabet
Read through the table below and compare the English and Arabic sounds. Afterwards read
them to your facilitator.

English
Example in
Transliteration
Arabic

Sound in
English

Letter in Arabic

Ahmad Jaml

a/

Banu-Hshim

Tamm

at-Takthur

th

Jaml

Haydar

Classical Arabic Phonology Decal

Spring 2015

Khlid

kh

Duraid

Abu-Tharr

th

Rahmn

Zaynab

Islm

Shfi'iy

sh

Slih

Damr

Th

Dhhir

dh

Aliy

Gharb

gh

Ftimah

Qur'n

Kmil

Classical Arabic Phonology Decal

Spring 2015

Luqmn

Muhammad

Nr

Hjar

Wal' Hd

w/

y/

Ysir Kabr

For more details/tips for each letter, please refer to our lecture notes under the
Resources tab on quranatcal.com