Rules of Madd in Tajweed: Definition, Types, and Examples

A. Definition Of Madd

Madd means "lengthening or extension,". Madd in Tajweed refers to the extension of sounds of one of the 3 Madd letters under some conditions. The length of the madd is usually described by the number of harakah or beats. The letters of madd are three: alif (ا), yaa (ي), and waw (و).

▪ Alif saakinah preceded by a fathah. Example: (مَا لَهَا), (كَانَ)

▪ Yaa saakin preceded by a kasrah. Example: (فِيْهِ), (قِيْلَ)

▪ Waw saakinah preceded by a dhammah. Example: (كُوْنُوْا), (أَعُوْذُ)

B. Types Of Madd

There are two main divisions of madd: which is called madd aslee (origin madd) and madd far’ee (secondary madd).

Rules of Madd

● Madd Aslee (Origin Madd)

This madd is so called because all other forms of madd are derived from it. It is used naturally by the Arabic speaker to differentiate between meanings derived from the same root letters and is an essential part of Arabic speech or reading.

1. Madd Tabee’ee

Madd Tabee’ee means the natural Madd. The natural Madd is simply one of the Madd letters not followed by a Hamzah (ء) or a Saakin letter. The natural Madd is prolonged two beats.

Example:

قَالَ – يَقُوْلُ – قِيْلَ - نُوْحِيْهَا

2. Madd ‘Ewad

Madd ‘ewad is the replacement of a tanween of fatḥah present at the end of a word while stopping (waqf) at it, with an alif madd. As in any madd letter, this alif is prolonged two beats.

وَكِيْلًا ← وَكِيْلَا، مَفْعُوْلًا ← مَفْعُوْلَا، عَجُوْلًا ← عَجُوْلَا

Note: The exception mentioned previously is when tanween accompanies taa marbūṭah.

3. Mad Sillah Qaseerah

Mad sillah qaseerah or mad sillah sugra is a madd that comes from the vowel on a “haa dameer” (ه) which meets the following conditions:

▪ It is positioned between two voweled letters,

▪ The reader is not stopping on it,

▪ It is not followed by a hamzah.

A “haa dameer” (ه) is representing the singular third person male.  It is voweled either with a dhammah or a kasrah.

Example:

إِنَّهُ كَانَ ← إِنَّهُوْ كَانَ، بِهِ ← بِهِيْ

Note: There are two exceptions to the rule of madd sillah in the Qur’ān.

▪ Az-Zumar: 7

The dhammah of haa in  (يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ) is not lengthened even though all the conditions are met.

▪ Al-Furqan: 69

The kasrah of haa in (فِيْهِ مُهَانًا) is lengthened to two beats in spite of the madd letter preceding it.

● Madd Far’ee (Secondary Madd)

Secondary Madd or Madd Far’ee is the elongation of vowels but it is dependent on the presence of Hamzah or Sukoon. The occurrence of a hamzah before or after a madd letter, or a sukoon after it, regardless if the sukoon is permanent (when continuing and when stopping), or if the sukoon is a presented one.

Therefore, Madd Far’ee is divided into two groups: Madd Far’ee due to Hamzah and Madd Faree due to Sukoon.

▪ Madd Far’ee due to Hamzah

1. Madd Waajib Muttasil

Waajib means “mandatory” and the muttasil means “joined”. If a madd letter is followed by a hamzah which is present in the same word, the reader should prolong it 4-5 beats.

Example:

اَلْمَلَائِكَةُ - سُوْءُ - شَآءَ - يُرَاءُوْنَ - وَجِيْءَ

2. Madd Jaa’ez Munfasil

Jaa’ez means “permitted”. Munfasil means “seperated”. It occurs when a madd letter is the last letter of a word, and a hamzah is the first letter of the next word. The reader is supposed to prolong the Madd letter 4-5 beats.

Example:

 كَلَّا إِذَا - إِنِّيْ أَخَافُ – تُوْبُوْا إِلَى اللهِ

3. Madd Shillah Taweelah

Madd sillah taweelah or madd shillah kubra is a madd that comes from the vowel on a “haa dameer” (ه) which is positioned between two voweled letters and followed by a hamzah. The reader is allowed to lengthen this madd for 4-5 harakah.

Example:

مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ - عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا

4. Madd Badal

Badal means exchange. Unlike the previous types of madd far’ee, the madd badal is found in words where the hamzah precedes the madd letter and in this case the madd is lengthened for 2 harakah.

Example:

ءَامَنُواْ - أُوْتُوا – إِيْـمَانًا - مُتَّكِئِيْنَ

▪ Madd Faree due to Sukoon

1. Madd ‘Areed Lissukoon

Madd areed lisukoon means “temporary madd for stopping ”. If a madd letter is followed by a letter at the end of a word, which has been made saakin temporarily because the reader has to stop at the word, the reader should prolong the madd to be madd areed lissukoon. Madd areed lissukoon can be prolonged 2, 4 or 6 harakah.

Example:

نَسْتَعِيْنُ ← نَسْتَعِيْنْ، يُوقِنُوْنَ ← يُوقِنُوْنْ، عَظِيْمٌ ← عَظِيْمْ

2. Madd Leen

Leen means easy or soft. Madd leen occurs when a “leen” letter yaa (ي) or waw (و) with a sukoon, preceded by a letter with a fathah is followed by one letter only in the same word and we stop on the last letter in the word with a presented sukoon. The reader can choose to prolong it 2,4 or 6 beats.

Example:

مِنْ خَوْفٍ ← مِنْ خَوْفْ، هذَا الْبَيْتِ ← هذَا الْبَيْتْ

3. Madd Laazim

Madd laazim or Compulsory madd.  It occurs when a madd letter is followed by original (or fixed) sukoon in a word or a letter. By original it is meant that the sukoon is part of the original make up of the word, and is present when continuing the reading and when stopping.

There are two types of madd laazim; one occurs within a word (kalimee) and the other occurs within a letter (harfee). Each type is divided into heavy madd (muthaqqal) and light madd (mukhaffaf). All madd laazim must be prolonged for 6 beats.

a. Madd Laazim Kalimee Mukhaffaf

If a madd letter is followed by a saakin letter, both of them being present in the same letter, the reader is required to prolong the madd letter for 6 harakah. There is only one word in the Qur’an representing this kind of madd, and it occurs twice in Surah Yoonus: 51 and Yoonus: 91.

ءَالئنَ وَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

ءَالئنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتُ قَبْلُ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

b. Madd Laazim Kalimee Muthaqqal

If a madd letter is followed by a mushaddad letter. The shaddah indicates that idghaam has taken place and there was originally a sukoon on the merged letter. The madd letter preceding shaddah is always prolonged for six beats.

Example:

وَلَاالضَّآلِّيْنَ – مِنْ دَآبَّةٍ – الطَّآمَّةُ – الصَّآخَّةُ

c. Madd Laazim Harfee Mukhaffaf

Madd laazim harfee is spotted in the letters that are at the beginning of certain surahs. These letters are grouped in the phrase (نَقَصَ عَسَلُكُمْ) and as each letter is read as a three-letter word.

ن (نُوْنْ)، ق (قَافْ)، ص (صَادْ)، ع (عَيْنْ)، س (سِيْنْ)، ل (لَامْ)، ك (كَافْ)، م (مِيْمْ).

Madd laazim harfee mukhaffaf only occurs when the last letter of the three is originally saakin.

Example:

ن (نُوْنْ)، يس (يَا سِيْنْ)،  كهيعص (كَافْ هَا يَا عَيْنْ صَادْ)

Note:: The ‘ayn (ع) can be lengthened four or six vowel counts. This is due to the fact that the ‘ayn is a follower of the madd leen in this situation, and not a compulsory madd. The middle letter of ‘ayn is not a madd letter.

d. Madd Laazim Harfee Muthaqqal

Madd laazim harfee mutaqqal is madd laazim harfee (as described above) that is merged into the letter that comes after it (indicated by shaddah).  This is the reason for it being called muthaqqal (heavy).

Example:

الـمّ (أَلِفْ لَامْ مِّيْمْ)، الـمّر (أَلِفْ لَامْ مِّيْمْ رَا)، طسمّ (طَا سِيْنْ مِّيْمْ)

Note: A reader must practice a lot under the guidance of a teacher in order to practice it properly.

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