Alqab al-huruf

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The alqab of the letters

The letters bear ten nicknames, according to the places from which they come out. The scholars of tajweed have consecrated them by their terminology, and they have spread among them. They are: halqiyyah, lahawiyyah, shajariyyah, asliyyah, nati'iyyah, lathawiyyah, dalaqiyyah, shafawiyyah, jawfiyyah and hawa'iyyah. Here is their exposition in detail:

1. The halqiyyah letters: they are six: the hamzah, the ha', the 'ayn, the hah (emphatic ha'), the ghayn and the kha'. They have been so named for their coming out from the halq (the throat).
2. The lahawiyyah letters: they are two: the qaf and the kaf. They have received this nickname for their coming out from the vicinity of the lahyah; it is the flesh hanging at the very top of the throat (the uvula).
3. The shajariyyah letters: they are three: the jim, the shin and the ya'. They have received this nickname for their coming out from the shajar of the mouth, that is, the opening located between the molars. This is what most of the scholars of tajweed have said. The author of "La'ali al-Bayan" however mentioned that the letter dad also receives the nickname of shajariyyah letter¹, as he indicated in his verses:

والجيم والشين وياء لقبت ... مع ضادها شجرية كما ثبت

"The jim, the shin and the ya' were nicknamed... with the dad, shajariyyah, as it is established"

The shajariyyah letters are thus four in number.

4. The asliyyah letters: they are three: the sad, the zay and the seen. They have received this nickname for their coming out from the asl of the tongue, that is, its extremity (the tip).
5. The nati'iyyah letters: they are three: the ta, the dal and the ta' (emphatic ta'). They have received this nickname for their coming out from the vicinity of the nati' of the mouth, that is, of its crown (gharrah); it is the anterior part of the upper palate.
6. The lathawiyyah letters: they are three: the za', the dhal and the tha'. They have received this nickname for the proximity of their makhraj with the lathah; it is the flesh where the teeth grow (the gums).
7. The dalaqiyyah letters: they are three: the lam, the ra and the noon. They have received this nickname for their coming out from the dalaq of the tongue, that is, its tip.
8. The shafawiyyah letters: they are four: the fa', the waw, the ba' and the meem. They have received this nickname for the coming out of the fa' from the inside of the lower lip, and of the others from the two lips together.
9. The jawfiyyah letters: they are the three letters of madd. They have received this nickname for their coming out from the jawf (the cavity).
10. The hawa'iyyah letters: they are the same jawfiyyah letters mentioned above, but they have also received this nickname because their coming out ends with the end of the air of the mouth.

It is to these ten alqab that the author of "La'ali al-Bayan" refers in his verses:

وأحرفُ المدِّ إلى الجوفِ انتمتْ ... وهكذا إلى الهواءِ نُسِبَتْ
وأحرفُ الحلقِ أتتْ حلقيةْ ... والقافُ والكافُ معًا لهويةْ
والجيمُ والشينُ وياءٌ لقبتْ ... مع ضادِها شجريةً كما ثبتْ
واللامُ والنونُ ورَا ذلقيةْ ... والطاءُ والدالُ وتا نطْعِيَّةْ
وأحرفُ الصفيرِ قل أسليةْ ... والظاءُ والذالُ وثا لثويةْ
والفا وميم با وواو سمِّيتْ ... شفويةً فتلك عشرةٌ أتتْ

And Imam Ibn al-Jazari alluded to the seventeen makharij in his verses:

مخارجُ الحروفِ سبعةَ عشرْ ... على الذي يختاره من اختبرْ
فألف الجوف وأختاها وهي ... حروف مد للهواء تنتهي
ثم لأقصى الحلق همز هاء ... ثم لوسطه فعين حاء
أدناه غين خاؤها والقاف ... أقصى اللسان فوق ثم الكاف
أسفل والوسْط فجيم الشين يا ... والضاد من حافته إذ وليا
الأضراس من أيسر أو يمناها ... واللام أدناها لمنتهاها
والنون من طرفه تحت اجعلوا ... والرا يدانيه لظهر أدخل
والطاء والدال وتا منه ومن ... عليا الثنايا والصفير مستكن
منه ومن فوق الثنايا السفلى ... والظاء والذال وثا للعليا
من طرفيهما ومن بطن الشفة ... مع أطراف الثنايا المشرفةْ
للشفتين الواو باء ميم ... وغنة مخرجها الخيشوم

Additional examples (Qawa'id al-Tajwid on the recitation of Hafs)

وَٱلصَّـٰٓفَّـٰتِ صَفًّۭا

Surah 37, 1: The sad of الصافات illustrates the laqab asliyyah (letters coming out from the tip of the tongue).

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

Surah 79, 34: The ta' of الطامة illustrates the laqab nati'iyyah (letters coming out from the nati', anterior edge of the palate).

ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ

Surah 54, 1: The qaf of القمر illustrates the laqab lahawiyyah (letters close to the uvula).

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ

Surah 113, 1: The ba' of الفلق illustrates the laqab shafawiyyah (labial letters).

وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Surah 2, 35: The shin of الشجرة illustrates the laqab shajariyyah (letters coming out from the middle of the tongue).