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Surah: Hud (41)
Major and Minor Imala — Definition and Types in Hafs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ مَجۡر۪ىٰهَا وَمُرۡسَىٰهَآ
— هود الآية 41
Definition of Imala:
Linguistically: inclination. Technically: pronouncing the alif or fatha with a lean toward the yaa and kasra. It contrasts with tafkheem but is not the same as tarqeeq.
Two Types:
Hafs from Asim:
Hafs via the Shatibiyya route only inclines "Majraahaa" with major imala; everywhere else he reads with full fatha. Some other chains for Hafs record additional imala positions, but those are outside the most widely transmitted Shatibiyya path.
Practical benefit:
The reader should know that the imala heard from reciters of other qira'at (like Warsh or Abu Amr) is not an error — it is an accepted narration. As for Hafs, he generally inclines only "Majraahaa."
Linguistically: inclination. Technically: pronouncing the alif or fatha with a lean toward the yaa and kasra. It contrasts with tafkheem but is not the same as tarqeeq.
Two Types:
- Major Imala (Al-Muhda): A strong lean of the alif toward the yaa — nearly audible as a yaa. Hafs (Shatibiyya route) only uses this in one word: "Majraahaa" (Hud: 41), and only in one reading.
- Minor Imala (Taqleel): A slight lean between full fatha and major imala — a trace of kasra without fully reaching it. Less common with Hafs.
Hafs from Asim:
Hafs via the Shatibiyya route only inclines "Majraahaa" with major imala; everywhere else he reads with full fatha. Some other chains for Hafs record additional imala positions, but those are outside the most widely transmitted Shatibiyya path.
Practical benefit:
The reader should know that the imala heard from reciters of other qira'at (like Warsh or Abu Amr) is not an error — it is an accepted narration. As for Hafs, he generally inclines only "Majraahaa."
Source: Al-Nashr by Ibn Al-Jazari (1/48); Al-Tayseer by Al-Dani; Hidayat Al-Qari by Al-Mursifi
Test Yourself
What is the only word Hafs inclines with major imala in the Shatibiyya route? In which surah and verse?
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