Articulation Points and Letter Characteristics Quiz

1How many main articulation points (makharijul huruf) are there according to the well-known opinion?

• 5 main points Correct
• 3 main points
• 7 main points
• 10 main points

Explanation: According to the well-known opinion held by many tajwid scholars (including Imam Ibn al-Jazari), the articulation points are grouped into 5 main areas: the oral cavity (jawf), the throat (halq), the tongue (lisan), the two lips (shafatayn), and the nasal cavity (khayshum). These five are further divided into 17 detailed articulation points.

2The letters of qalqalah number five and are gathered in the expression?

• Qutbu Jaddin (qaf, tha, ba, jim, dal) Correct
• Yarmaluna
• The letters of madd
• Akhi haaka

Explanation: There are five qalqalah letters: qaf, tha, ba, jim, and dal, gathered in the phrase 'Qutbu Jaddin'. Qalqalah is the echoing or bouncing of the sound on these letters when they carry a sukun, producing a clear rebounding sound without adding any vowel.

3Among the letters articulated from the two lips (ash-shafatayn) are?

• ba, mim, waw, fa Correct
• qaf, kaf, jim
• ha, 'ayn, ha
• tha, dhal, dha

Explanation: The letters articulated at the two lips are ba, mim, waw, and fa. The fa exits from the edge of the upper front teeth touching the inner part of the lower lip, while ba, mim, and waw involve the two lips (the waw rounds the lips without full closure).

4The attribute of "al-hams" (the flow of breath when pronouncing a letter) is found in the letters gathered in the expression?

• Fahaththahu shakhsun sakat Correct
• Qutbu jaddin
• Sif dalla shakhsun
• Naf'u ma quti'a

Explanation: The hams letters (ten in total) are gathered in 'Fahaththahu shakhsun sakat': fa, ha, tha, ha, shin, kha, sad, sin, kaf, ta. Hams means the flow of breath when pronouncing a letter due to a weak reliance on its articulation point. Its opposite is al-jahr, where the breath flow is held back.

5Which statement is CORRECT about the difference between qalqalah sughra and qalqalah kubra?

• Qalqalah sughra occurs on a qalqalah letter with sukun in the middle of a word, while kubra occurs on a qalqalah letter made sukun by stopping (waqf) at the end of a word Correct
• Qalqalah sughra applies only to qaf, kubra to the rest
• Qalqalah sughra is read with two counts of length, kubra with four
• Qalqalah sughra occurs when the letter is voweled, kubra when it has sukun

Explanation: Qalqalah sughra (minor) occurs when a qalqalah letter has an original sukun in the middle of a word, with a lighter echo, e.g. yaqta'una. Qalqalah kubra (major) occurs when a qalqalah letter becomes sukun due to stopping (waqf) at the end of a word, with a stronger echo, e.g. al-falaq when stopped upon. Qalqalah never adds a vowel or extra length.

6The isti'la letters (the back of the tongue rises toward the palate so the letter is read heavy) are gathered in the expression?

• Khussa daghtin qiz Correct
• Yarmaluna
• Fahaththahu shakhsun
• Akhi haaka

Explanation: The isti'la letters are seven: kha, sad, dad, ghayn, tha, qaf, dha, gathered in 'Khussa daghtin qiz'. Isti'la means the back of the tongue rises toward the palate when pronouncing the letter, so these letters are read heavy (tafkhim). Its opposite is istifal, the letters read light (tarqiq).

7The letter dad has a distinctive articulation point, namely it exits from?

• One edge of the tongue (or both) touching the upper molars Correct
• The tip of the tongue touching the upper front teeth
• The back of the tongue near the throat
• The two lips pressed together

Explanation: The letter dad exits from the edge of the tongue (one side or both, and the left side is easier for most people) pressing against the upper molars. Because of its distinctive articulation and attribute (istithalah, elongation), Arabic is sometimes called the language of the dad. Distinguishing dad from dha and dal is essential so the meaning of a verse is not altered.

8The attribute of "al-istithalah" (the elongation of sound along the edge of the tongue) is a special attribute belonging to the letter?

• dad Correct
• ra
• lam
• sad

Explanation: Istithalah (elongation) is a special attribute of the letter dad, namely the stretching of sound along the edge of the tongue from its base to its tip as it presses on the molars. It belongs to the attributes that have no opposite and is unique to a single letter. The elongation in lam is called inhiraf, and in ra it is called takrir, so the terms and mechanisms differ.

9Which is the CORRECT set of attributes for the letter tha?

• Jahr, shiddah, isti'la, itbaq, qalqalah Correct
• Hams, rakhawah, istifal, infitah
• Jahr, rakhawah, isti'la, qalqalah
• Hams, shiddah, istifal, itbaq

Explanation: The letter tha has the attributes: jahr (held breath), shiddah (the sound is fully blocked at the articulation point), isti'la (the back of the tongue rises), itbaq (the tongue clings to the palate), and qalqalah (echoing when sukun). This makes tha one of the heaviest and strongest letters. A common error is to treat it as hams, whereas tha is in fact a jahr letter.

10The throat (al-halq) is divided into three areas. The order of letters from the deepest part (near the chest) to the nearest (near the mouth) is?

• hamza and ha (deepest), then 'ayn and ha (middle), then ghayn and kha (nearest) Correct
• ghayn and kha (deepest), then 'ayn and ha (middle), then hamza and ha (nearest)
• 'ayn and ha (deepest), then hamza and ha (middle), then ghayn and kha (nearest)
• hamza and ha (deepest), then ghayn and kha (middle), then 'ayn and ha (nearest)

Explanation: The throat is divided into three: the deepest part (aqsa al-halq, near the chest) produces hamza and ha; the middle part (wasat al-halq) produces 'ayn and ha; the nearest part to the mouth (adna al-halq) produces ghayn and kha. So the order from deepest to nearest is hamza and ha, then 'ayn and ha, then ghayn and kha. Knowing this order helps distinguish the throat letters that are often confused.

11The attribute of "safir" (a sharp whistling-like sound) is held specifically by three letters, namely?

• sad, zay, sin Correct
• shin, jim, ya
• tha, dhal, dha
• tha, dal, ta

Explanation: Safir is the emission of a sharp whistling-like sound from the gap between the tip of the tongue and the lower front teeth. This attribute belongs specifically to three letters: sad, zay, sin. It is among the attributes that have no opposite. Distinguishing the three matters: sad is read heavy (isti'la), while zay and sin are read light.

12The letter jim is a qalqalah letter. In the following words, where does the qalqalah of jim correctly occur?

• The qalqalah of jim occurs in a word like ajrun because the jim there has a sukun Correct
• The qalqalah of jim occurs in fa idha ja'a because the jim carries a fatha
• The qalqalah of jim never occurs because jim is not a qalqalah letter
• The qalqalah of jim occurs on the letter ba in the word al-abtar

Explanation: Qalqalah occurs only when a qalqalah letter (qaf, tha, ba, jim, dal) carries a sukun. In the word ajrun, the jim has a sukun in the middle of the word, so qalqalah sughra (a light echo) occurs. In fa idha ja'a, the jim carries a fatha, so there is no qalqalah. As for the ba in al-abtar, it does carry a sukun and a qalqalah, but the question asks about the qalqalah of jim.