Discover the meaning of the term Al-md (مد) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 5 min readWith damma, the ratl and a third of a ratl. The meticulous scholar said: it was read that kamal al-madd is half of a sa, and it was said it is a quarter of a sa, end of quote. With fatha in the language, it means stretching, and the letters of madd are the quiescent weak letters preceded by a vowel that conforms to them, and their totality is in the saying of Allah ta'ala: ﴿ونوحيها﴾. The masters of tajwid mentioned the categories of madd, stating that if it is joined to one of these three mentioned letters by a doubled letter (mushaddad) like أتحاجوني, or by a quiescent letter like الْآن, or by a letter upon which a pause (waqf) is made like مَالك يَوْم الدّين, it is prolonged by a madd. The first is called natural and necessary, the second quiescent and obligatory, and the third accidental and positional. If it is joined to one of them by a mobile hamza, the madd is of two types. If the letter of madd and the mobile hamza come together in a single word like أُولَئِكَ, it is called muttasil (connected) and this madd is obligatory. If they are in two words such that the letter of madd is at the end of the first word and the mobile hamza is at the beginning of the second word like بِمَا أنزل, it is called munfasil (disconnected) and it is not obligatory, but it is permissible to prolong it by the measure of three alifs, to mediate by the measure of two alifs, and to shorten by the measure of a single alif. If two hamzas come together and the first is mobile and the second is quiescent, then the second is changed into a weak letter according to the vowel of the first hamza, the madd is obligatory to the measure of one alif and is called badal like آمنا and وآتينا. If it is joined to the pronoun of the single absent male by a mobile hamza and what precedes that pronoun is mobile, the madd is permissible and is called the pronoun ya, like in: بِهِ أحدا - لَهُ أسرى, unlike when a quiescent precedes it, in which case the madd is not permissible like نوحيه إِلَيْك. If two waws or two yas come together from two words and the first is a letter of madd and the second is mobile, it is prolonged so that the prolongation appears, and it is called tabi'i (secondary) like قَالُوا وجدنَا - رَأَيْت الَّذِي يكذب.
Two cupped handfuls of the palms, which are the sustenance of the one who scoops, lunch and dinner, just enough without capability or extravagance, mentioned by al-Harali.
With damma, a unit of volume that holds two ratls according to the Iraqis and one and a third ratls according to the Hijazis. With fatha during recitation, it is the prolongation of the breath with a madd letter from among the weak letters.
﴿وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًۭا ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَـٰحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾
« And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers. »
Surah الأعراف : 85
﴿أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍۢ وَعَادٍۢ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصْحَـٰبِ مَدْيَنَ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتِ ۚ أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾
« Has there not reached them the news of those before them - the people of Noah and [the tribes of] 'Aad and Thamud and the people of Abraham and the companions of Madyan and the towns overturned? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. And Allah would never have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves. »
Surah التوبة : 70
﴿۞ وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًۭا ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَنقُصُوا۟ ٱلْمِكْيَالَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ ۚ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُم بِخَيْرٍۢ وَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍۢ مُّحِيطٍۢ﴾
« And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed, I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day. »
Surah هود : 84
﴿كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا۟ فِيهَآ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًۭا لِّمَدْيَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ﴾
« As if they had never prospered therein. Then, away with Madyan as Thamud was taken away. »
Surah هود : 95
﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَدَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنْهَـٰرًۭا ۖ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
« And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. »
Surah الرعد : 3
﴿قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَدًّا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوْا۟ مَا يُوعَدُونَ إِمَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا وَأَضْعَفُ جُندًۭا﴾
« Say, "Whoever is in error - let the Most Merciful extend for him an extension [in wealth and time] until, when they see that which they were promised - either punishment [in this world] or the Hour [of resurrection] - they will come to know who is worst in position and weaker in soldiers." »
Surah مريم : 75
This term appears in 14 verses of the Quran.