Basic
Laam of Allah
Surah: Al-Fatiha (1)
Thinning the Lam in "Allah" — When Is It Thinned and When Emphatic?
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
— الفاتحة الآية 1
The rule:
The lam of the Divine Name "Allah" has two rulings agreed upon by all readers:
The lam in the Divine Name is originally thin — but becomes emphatic after fatha and damma due to the influence of the preceding emphatic sound. The kasra preserves thinness because it has less emphasis.
Examples from Al-Fatiha:
This ruling is agreed upon by all ten readers — it is one of the most distinctive features of pronouncing the Divine Name. Ibn Al-Jazari: "Emphatic pronunciation of the Divine Name after fatha and damma, and thin after kasra, is a special Quranic linguistic feature."
The lam of the Divine Name "Allah" has two rulings agreed upon by all readers:
- Emphatic (tafkhim/taghlid): After fatha or damma — examples: "qala Allah" — "rasulu Allah"
- Thin (tarqiq): After kasra — examples: "billahi" — "lillahi" — "wabillahi"
The lam in the Divine Name is originally thin — but becomes emphatic after fatha and damma due to the influence of the preceding emphatic sound. The kasra preserves thinness because it has less emphasis.
Examples from Al-Fatiha:
- "Bismillahi" — sukun on ba + kasra on sin = thin lam
- "Al-hamdu lillahi" — kasra on lam of jar = thin lam
- "Allahi al-rahmani" — fatha before = emphatic in the first "Allah" only
This ruling is agreed upon by all ten readers — it is one of the most distinctive features of pronouncing the Divine Name. Ibn Al-Jazari: "Emphatic pronunciation of the Divine Name after fatha and damma, and thin after kasra, is a special Quranic linguistic feature."
Source: Al-Nashr (1/220); Al-Ashmuni, Manar Al-Huda (p.62); Ibn Al-Jazari, Al-Tamhid (p.115)
Test Yourself
When is the lam in "Allah" emphatic and when is it thin? Give two examples.
Show Answer