{"id":1035,"date":"2025-09-25T08:59:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T08:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/?post_type=learn-arabic&p=1035"},"modified":"2025-09-25T11:03:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T11:03:49","slug":"hamzat-al-wasl-and-hamzat-al-qat","status":"publish","type":"learn-arabic","link":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/learn-arabic\/hamzat-al-wasl-and-hamzat-al-qat\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamzat al-Wasl and Hamzat al-Qat"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Hamzat al-Wasl and Hamzat al-Qat \u2018? And how do I distinguish between them?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The alif that comes at the beginning of a word\u2014whether the word is a noun or a verb\u2014has only two forms: The first is a silent alif without a hamzah. Its feature is that it is pronounced when it comes at the beginning of speech, as in the underlined word in the following example:<\/p>\n

1- I listened to the poem.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it is not pronounced when it comes in the middle of speech:<\/p>\n

2- I read the poet\u2019s biography and listened to his poem.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second form of the alif at the beginning of a word is that it comes with a hamzah. Its feature is that it is pronounced both at the beginning and in the middle of speech, as in:<\/p>\n

3- The jasmine flowers are beautiful.<\/span><\/p>\n

4- I passed by the garden and saw the jasmine flowers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you notice that the alif in the first example was pronounced at the beginning but was dropped in the middle? And did you notice that the hamzah appeared clearly in examples 3 and 4?<\/p>\n

Did you notice that the alif in the first example was pronounced at the beginning but was dropped in the middle? And did you notice that the hamzah appeared clearly in examples 3 and 4? The reason is that Hamzat al-Wasl has no sound when it comes in the middle of speech, which is why it is written without a hamzah (\u0627), while Hamzat al-Qat\u2018is always pronounced whether it comes at the beginning or in the middle of speech.<\/p>\n

Based on all of the above, Hamzat al-Wasl can be defined<\/strong> as: a silent Alif that comes at the beginning of a word. It is pronounced as a Hamza when it occurs at the start of speech, but it drops when connected to what precedes it. It is written as (\u0627), an Alif without a Hamza. It appears in a group of nouns, such as: istim\u0101\u2018 (listening), ijtih\u0101d (diligence), istimr\u0101r (continuation), and in a specific group of verbs, such as: istama\u2018a (he listened), ijtahada (he strove), istamarra (he continued). However, it does not occur in particles, because all particles that begin with an Alif are written with Hamzat al-Qat \u2018, such as: inna (indeed), il\u0101 (to), aw (or).<\/p>\n

Hamzat al-Qat\u2018can be defined<\/strong> as: a Hamza that is always pronounced, whether at the beginning of speech or when connected. It is written above the Alif (\u0623) if it carries a fat\u1e25a (a) or \u1e0damma (u), and below the Alif (\u0625) if it carries a kasra (i). It occurs in a group of nouns, such as: ihd\u0101\u2019 (dedication), im\u1e0d\u0101\u2019 (signature), irs\u0101l (sending), and in a specific group of verbs, such as: ata\u2018allamu (I learn), aqra\u2019u (I read), ata\u2019ammalu (I reflect). It also appears in all particles that begin with Alif, such as: anna (that\/indeed), amm\u0101 (as for), idhan (then\/therefore).<\/p>\n

Where does Hamzat al-Wasl occur?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hamzat al-Wasl appears in five places in Arabic:<\/p>\n

1-The ten nouns:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It appears at the beginning of the following nouns, known as \u201cthe ten nouns\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1- aymunu\/aymu<\/td>\n2-ibnam<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3- ibn<\/td>\n4- ibna<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5- ithn\u0101n<\/td>\n6- ithnat\u0101n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7- imru<\/td>\n8- imra\u2019a<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9- ism<\/td>\n10- ist<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Whether these nouns are singular or dual, the hamzah remains Hamzat al-Wasl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
In the nominative case<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nIn the accusative case<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ism\u0101n)<\/td>\n(ismayn)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(imra\u2019at\u0101n)<\/td>\n(imra\u2019atayn)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ibn\u0101n)<\/td>\n(ibnayn)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(ibnat\u0101n)<\/td>\n(ibnatayn)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

But it takes Hamzat al-Qat\u2018if it can be formed as a broken plural: asm\u0101\u2019 (\u0623\u0633\u0645\u0627\u0621) \u2013 abn\u0101\u2019 (\u0623\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0621).<\/p>\n

– Examples from the Holy Qur\u2019an for the ten nouns:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u0623-“Th\u0101ni ithnayn (\u0627\u062b\u0646\u064a\u0646) idh hum\u0101 f\u012b al-gh\u0101r idh yaq\u016blu li\u1e63\u0101\u1e25ibihi l\u0101 ta\u1e25zan inna All\u0101ha ma\u2018an\u0101” \u2013 S\u016brat al-Tawbah: 4040.<\/p>\n

\u0628- “Kullu imri\u2019in (\u0627\u0645\u0631\u0626) bim\u0101 kasaba rah\u012bn” \u2013 S\u016brat al-\u1e6c\u016br: 21.<\/p>\n

\u062a- “Inn\u012b wajadtu imra\u2019atan (\u0627\u0645\u0631\u0623\u0629) tamlikuhum wa \u016bt\u012byat min kulli shay\u2019 wa lah\u0101 \u2018arshun \u2018a\u1e93\u012bm” \u2013 S\u016brat al-Naml:22.<\/p>\n

\u062b-“Wadhkur\u016b isma (\u0627\u0633\u0645) All\u0101h \u2018alayhi” \u2013 S\u016brat al-M\u0101\u2019idah: 4.<\/p>\n

So, each underlined word is a noun that begins with Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l, since it belongs to the ten nouns which always start with Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l\u2014whether singular or dual only.<\/p>\n

2-<\/strong> Imperative of the triliteral verb<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nReason<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iqra\u02be al-kit\u0101b (\u0627\u0642\u0631\u0623 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628)<\/td>\nThe word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is an imperative triliteral verb. It is identified as triliteral by referring back to its past tense form qara\u02bea (\u0642\u0631\u0623), which consists of three letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Other examples of the imperative triliteral verb:<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Isma\u02bf (\u0627\u0633\u0645\u0639\u0652) \u2013 U\u02bflam (\u0627\u0639\u0644\u0645) \u2013 Ifham (\u0627\u0641\u0647\u0645\u0652) \u2013 Uktub (\u0627\u0643\u062a\u064f\u0628\u0652) \u2013 I\u02bfmal (\u0627\u0639\u0645\u0644\u0652) \u2013 Irkab (\u0627\u0631\u0643\u0628\u0652) \u2013 Idfa\u02bf (\u0627\u062f\u0641\u0639\u0652) \u2013 Is\u1e25ab (\u0627\u0633\u062d\u0628\u0652) \u2013 Irmi (\u0627\u0631\u0645\u0650) \u2013 Ijri (\u0627\u062c\u0631\u0650) \u2013 Irku\u1e0d (\u0627\u0631\u0643\u064f\u0636\u0652) \u2013 Ijma\u02bf (\u0627\u062c\u0645\u0639\u0652) \u2013 I\u1e63na\u02bf (\u0627\u0635\u0646\u0639\u0652).<\/p>\n

3- \u0623\u0645\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0641\u0639\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u062e\u0645\u0627\u0633\u064a \u0648\u0645\u0627\u0636\u064a\u0647 \u0648\u0645\u0635\u062f\u0631\u0647.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nReason<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ijtahid f\u012b \u1e6dalab al-\u02bfilm (\u0627\u062c\u062a\u0647\u062f\u0652 \u0641\u064a \u0637\u0644\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0644\u0645\u0652)<\/td>\nThe word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is a quinqueliteral imperative verb. It is identified as quinqueliteral since its past tense form ijtahada (\u0627\u062c\u062a\u0647\u062f\u064e) consists of five letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ijtahada Zaydun (\u0627\u062c\u062a\u0647\u062f\u064e \u0632\u064a\u062f\u064c)<\/td>\nThe word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is a quinqueliteral past tense verb.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Al-ijtih\u0101d sab\u012blu al-naj\u0101\u1e25 (\u0627\u0644\u0627\u062c\u062a\u0647\u0627\u062f\u064f \u0633\u0628\u064a\u0644\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0646\u062c\u0627\u062d\u0650)<\/td>\nThe word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is the verbal noun of a quinqueliteral verb. It is identified as quinqueliteral since its past tense form ijtahada (\u0627\u062c\u062a\u0647\u062f\u064e) consists of five letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Examples of the imperative, past tense, and verbal noun of the quinqueliteral verb from the Qur\u2019an and Hadith:<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

– \u201cWa-\u1e0drib lahum mathalan a\u1e63\u1e25\u0101ba al-qaryah idh j\u0101\u02beah\u0101 al-mursal\u016bn\u201d (Surah Y\u0101 S\u012bn: 13). \u1e0crib (\u0627\u0636\u0631\u0628\u0652): The word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is the imperative form of a quinqueliteral verb.<\/p>\n

– \u201cY\u0101 ayyuh\u0101 alladh\u012bna \u0101man\u016b \u02bfalaykum anfusakum l\u0101 ya\u1e0durrukum man \u1e0dalla idh\u0101 ihtadaytum\u201d (Surah al-M\u0101\u02beidah: 105). Ihtad\u0101 (\u0627\u0647\u062a\u062f\u0649): The word begins with a Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is a quinqueliteral past tense verb.<\/p>\n

– Additional examples: Ibtasim ibtasama ibtis\u0101man (\u0627\u0628\u062a\u0633\u0645\u0652 \u0627\u0628\u062a\u0633\u0645\u064e \u0627\u0628\u062a\u0633\u0627\u0645\u0627) Itta\u1e25id itta\u1e25ada itti\u1e25\u0101dan (\u0627\u062a\u0651\u064e\u062d\u062f\u0652 \u0627\u062a\u062d\u062f\u064e \u0627\u062a\u062d\u0627\u062f\u0627) I\u1e6d\u1e6dala\u02bf i\u1e6d\u1e6dala\u02bfa i\u1e6d\u1e6dil\u0101\u02bfan (\u0627\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0644\u0639\u064e \u0627\u0637\u0644\u0639\u0652 \u0627\u0637\u0644\u0627\u0639\u0627) I\u02bftani i\u02bftan\u0101 i\u02bftin\u0101\u02bean (\u0627\u0639\u062a\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0639\u062a\u0646\u0649 \u0627\u0639\u062a\u0646\u0627\u0621\u064b) I\u02bftamid i\u02bftamada i\u02bftim\u0101dan (\u0627\u0639\u062a\u0645\u062f\u0652 \u0627\u0639\u062a\u0645\u062f\u064e \u0627\u0639\u062a\u0645\u0627\u062f\u0627) Ittafiq ittifaqa ittif\u0101qan (\u0627\u062a\u0641\u0642\u0652 \u0627\u062a\u0641\u0642\u064e \u0627\u062a\u0641\u0627\u0642\u0627)<\/p>\n

4-The imperative, past tense, and verbal noun of the hexaliteral verb.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nReason<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
“Istaghfir\u016b rabbakum innahu k\u0101na ghaff\u0101r\u0101 yursil as-sam\u0101\u02bea \u02bfalaykum midr\u0101r\u0101<\/td>\nIstaghfir\u016b begins with Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is the imperative form of a hexaliteral verb. It is identified as hexaliteral since its past tense form istaghfara contains six letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Istaghfara Zaydun rabbahu<\/td>\nIstaghfara begins with Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is the past tense of a hexaliteral verb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aw\u1e63\u0101 al-mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u0101 \u02bfalayhi \u1e63-\u1e63al\u0101tu wa-s-sal\u0101m bi-luz\u016bm al-istighf\u0101r<\/td>\nal-Istighf\u0101r begins with Hamzat al-Wa\u1e63l because it is the verbal noun (ma\u1e63dar) of a hexaliteral verb. It is identified as hexaliteral since its past tense form istaghfara has six letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

– Examples of the imperative, past tense, and verbal noun of the hexaliteral verb:<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Istafsir\u0652 \u2013 Istafsara \u2013 Istifs\u0101r, Istantij\u0652 \u2013 Istantaja \u2013 Istint\u0101j, Istaqbil\u0652 \u2013 Istaqbala \u2013 Istiqb\u0101l, Istawrid\u0652 \u2013 Istawrada \u2013 Ist\u012br\u0101d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Benefit<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For the sake of making it easier to recognize the five-letter verb (al-fi\u02bfl al-khum\u0101s\u012b) and the six-letter verb (al-fi\u02bfl al-sud\u0101s\u012b), along with their verbal nouns, and to distinguish between them: The six-letter verb and its verbal noun usually begin with the three letters Alif (\u0627), S\u012bn (\u0633), and T\u0101\u02be (\u062a), such as: ista\u02bflama (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0639\u0644\u0645\u064e) \u2013 istakhraja (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u062e\u0631\u062c\u064e) \u2013 ista\u1e6d\u0101\u02bfa (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0637\u0627\u0639) \u2013 istamarra (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0645\u0631\u0651) \u2013 istalama (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0644\u0645) \u2013 istawda\u02bfa (\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0648\u062f\u0639).<\/p>\n

As for the five-letter verb (al-fi\u02bfl al-khum\u0101s\u012b) and its verbal noun, they are often characterized by having the third letter as an extra T\u0101\u02be (\u062a). For example: i\u02bftazama (\u0627\u0639\u062a\u0632\u0645) \u2013 iqtasada (\u0627\u0642\u062a\u0635\u062f) \u2013 iftata\u1e25a (\u0627\u0641\u062a\u062a\u062d). Their original roots are: \u02bfazama (\u0639\u0632\u0645) \u2013 qa\u1e63ada (\u0642\u0635\u062f) \u2013 fata\u1e25a (\u0641\u062a\u062d).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

5-<\/strong> Any word that begins with the definite article \u201cal-\u201d (\u0623\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u0639\u0631\u064a\u0641) starts with Hamzat al-Wasl. For example:<\/strong> (al-madrasah \u2013 al-\u1e25ad\u012bqah \u2013 al-sayy\u0101rah \u2013 al-\u1e25aql \u2013 al-j\u0101mi\u02bfah \u2013 al-mu\u02beassasah \u2013 al-mu\u02betamar).<\/span><\/p>\n

– Let us summarize the positions of Hamzat al-Wasl:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Alif that comes at the beginning of a word has only two forms. The first form: it is a static Alif without a Hamza, and it is pronounced when it comes at the beginning of speech.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1034,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-1035","learn-arabic","type-learn-arabic","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn-arabic\/1035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn-arabic"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/learn-arabic"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mafatih-alarabiya.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}