Strong and weak letters

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The classification of the alphabet letters into strong and weak

Know that the letters of the alphabet are divided, with regard to strength and weakness, into five categories:

1. strong; 2. stronger; 3. weak; 4. weaker; 5. intermediate.

The strong letters are those that contain more sifat of strength than sifat of weakness. They number eight: the ba, the jim, the dal, the ra, the sad, the dad, the emphatic za and the qaf.

As for the strongest letter, it is the one all of whose sifat are strong. This exists for one letter only: the emphatic ta alone.

The weak letters are those that contain more sifat of weakness than sifat of strength. They number ten: the ta, the kha, the dhal, the zay, the seen, the sheen, the ayn, the kaf, and the waw and the ya when mutaharrik (voweled), that is, the two layyin letters.

As for the weakest letter, it is the one all of whose sifat are weak, or the immense majority of whose sifat are weak to the point of reaching the number of four, with a single sifah of strength, and whose point of articulation is estimated (muqaddar).

The one all of whose sifat are weak: four letters, namely the tha, the ha (ح), the fa and the ha (ه).

The one containing a single sifah of strength and four sifat of weakness: three letters, namely the three letters of madd, which have an estimated point of articulation. On this basis, the whole of the weakest letters is therefore seven in number.

The intermediate letters are those in which the sifat of strength and the sifat of weakness are equal. They number five: the hamza, the ghayn, the lam, the meem and the noon.

It is to all these classifications that the author of "La'ali al-Bayan" refers with his verses:

قوي أحرف الهجاء ضادُ ... با قاف جيمٌ دالُ ظا را صادُ

والطاء أقوى والضعيفُ سينُ ... ذالٌ وزايٌ تا وعينٌ شينُ

كذلك حرفا اللين خاءٌ كا فها ... والمد مع فحثه أضعفها

والوسط همز غين معَ لامٍ أَتتْ ... والميم والنون فخمسًا قُسِّمتْ

"The strong letters of the alphabet: the dad... the ba, the qaf, the jim, the dal, the emphatic za, the ra, the sad / and the emphatic ta is the strongest, and the weak: the seen... the dhal, the zay, the ta and the ayn, the sheen / likewise the two letters of leen: the kha and the kaf... and the letters of madd, with fahaththahu, are the weakest / and the intermediate: the hamza, the ghayn, with the lam that came... and the meem and the noon: five so they were divided".

Ibn al-Jazari said in his Muqaddima, indicating the sifat of the letters:

صفاتُها جهرٌ ورخوٌ مستفلْ ... منفتح مُصْمتةٌ والضدَّ قلْ

مهموسُها فحثَّه شخصٌ سكتْ ... شديدُها لفظُ أَِجدْ قطٍ بكتْ

وبَيْنَ رخوٍ والشديد لِنْ عُمَرْ ... وسبعُ عُلوٍّ خُصَّ صَغْطٍ قِظْ حصرْ

وصادُ ضادٌ طاءُ ظاءٌ مُطْبقةْ ... وفرَّ من لُبّ الحروفِ المذلقةْ

صفيرها صادٌ وزايٌ سينُ ... قلقلةٌ قطبُ جدٍّ واللِّينُ

واوٌ وياءٌ سكنا وانفتحا ... قبلهما والانحرفُ صُحِّحَا

في اللام والرا وبتكريرٍ جُعِلْ ... وللتَّفَشِّي والشينُ ضادًا استَطِلْ

"Their sifat: jahr, rakhawah, mustfila... munqafat, musmat, and say the opposite / its mahmoos letters: fahaththahu shakhsun sakat... its shadid letters: the formula ajid qat bakat / and between rakhwi and shadid: lin 'umar... and seven letters of elevation: khussa daght qiz, summarized / and the sad, the dad, the emphatic ta, the emphatic za are mutbaqa... and firr min lub are the mudhlaqa letters / its safeer: the sad, the zay, the seen... qalqalah: qubt jadd, and leen / the waw and the ya sakin, and they are munqafata before that... and inhiraaf was assigned / to the lam and the ra, and it was established as takreer... and for tafashshee: the sheen, and for istitaalah: the dad".