Noorani Qaida Lesson 3: Huroof Muqatta'at (Disjointed Letters)

What are Huroof Muqatta'at?

Huroof Muqatta'at means "disjointed" or "separated" letters. They are groups of Arabic letters at the start of 29 surahs that are not read as a word. Instead, each letter is read by its name. For example, the opening of Surah Al-Baqarah, الٓمٓ, is read "Alif Laam Meem".

Only 14 different letters appear in these openings, exactly half of the 28-letter alphabet. Their meaning is one of the mysteries of the Quran: many scholars say that Allah alone knows what they mean, and that what matters for us is to recite them correctly as they were taught by the Prophet ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ even used these letters to explain the reward of reading the Quran: "I do not say that Alif Laam Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter and Meem is a letter", each one earning a good deed multiplied by ten (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2910). So every letter a child reads in this lesson counts.

Lesson 3 fits naturally after lesson 2 (joined letters): the letters here are written joined, but they are read separately, which tests whether the child really recognises each shape.

All the disjointed letters in the Quran

The Arabic below is taken directly from the opening verse of each surah in the Tanzil Uthmani text.

Count them: 29 surahs in total. Surah Ash-Shura is the only one where a second set (Ain Seen Qaaf) follows in verse 2.

The 14 letters

The letters used are: Alif, Haa, Raa, Seen, Saad, Taa (heavy), Ain, Qaaf, Kaaf, Laam, Meem, Noon, Haa (light) and Yaa. A traditional way to remember them is the Arabic phrase "nassun hakeemun qati'un lahu sirr", meaning roughly "a wise, decisive text that holds a secret".

How long to stretch each letter

Notice the wavy madd sign above many of the letters. It tells you to stretch the letter's name. The general rule taught at Qaida level is:

• Letters whose names have three sounds with a long vowel in the middle (Laam, Meem, Seen, Saad, Qaaf, Kaaf, Noon) are stretched for six counts.
• Letters whose names have two sounds (Haa, Yaa, Taa, Raa, and the light Haa) are stretched for a natural two counts.
• Ain may be stretched for four or six counts.
• Alif is not stretched at all.

There are finer points, such as how the Laam of "Alif Laam Meem" merges into the Meem, that are best learned by listening to a teacher. This is one reason Quran reading has always been learned from a teacher's mouth, not only from a book.

Common mistakes in lesson 3

1. Reading them as a word. A child who has just learned joined letters may try to read طه as one word. It is read "Taa Haa".
2. Cutting the six-count madd short. Children rush. Count on fingers together: "Laaaaam".
3. Confusing the two Haa letters. In حمٓ the Haa is the strong throat letter ح; in طه it is the light ه.
4. Making Saad and Qaaf light. They stay heavy even when stretched.

A one-week practice plan

Children meet these letters again when they start reading the Quran itself, for example at the beginning of Surah Yaseen. Continue to lesson 4 (harakat), see the full Noorani Qaida course, or book a free trial lesson.