Degrees of the madds

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The 5 degrees

The degrees of the madds vary according to the variation of their causes from the point of view of strength and weakness: if the cause is strong, the madd is strong, and if the cause is weak, the madd is weak. The degrees are five in number:

1. The madd lazim.
2. The madd muttasil.
3. The madd 'arid li-s-sukoon.
4. The madd munfasil.
5. The madd badal.

The scholar, shaykh Ibrahim Shahhata as-Samnudi (may Allah preserve him), gathers the five degrees in his statement:

أقوى المدود لازم فما اتصل ... فعارض فذو انفصال فبدل

"The strongest of the madds is the lazim, then the one that is connected... then the 'arid, then the one with separation (the munfasil), then the badal"

The explanation of each degree

The madd lazim is the strongest of all these madds for the originality of its cause, which is the sukoon established in connection as at the stop, for the meeting of the latter with it in a single word or in a letter, and for the fixedness of its madd in a single measure, which is six harakat.

The muttasil is at the second degree for the originality of its cause, which is the hamzah, and for the meeting of the latter with it in a single word, except that it varies in the length of its madd.

The 'arid li-s-sukoon is at the third degree for the meeting of its cause, which is the sukoon, with it in a single word, except that the sukoon in it is accidental; the length of its madd varies in it between the madd, the tawassut and the qasr.

The munfasil is at the fourth degree for the separation of its cause from it, which is the hamzah, and because it also varies in the length of its madd.

The badal is at the last degree because, for all the previous madds, their cause comes after them, while the cause of the madd badal precedes it. Likewise, all the previous madds are original and are not substituted for anything else, unlike the madd badal, which is substituted for the hamzah most often ¹.