Lam Shamsiyyah
لام شمسية
The lām that goes silent
Lesson 7.1 · Module 7 · The article and the hamza
Lam Shamsiyyah (لام شمسية): in “al”, before one of the 14 sun letters, the lām is not said: the next letter is doubled. When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. The Quran has 2,733 of them, in 108 surahs (Hafs reading).
What does Lam Shamsiyyah mean?
Lam Shamsiyyah (لام شمسية): the lām that goes silent
The laam of the definite article (ال) merges into the sun letter that follows and is not pronounced. There are 14 sun letters.
Lam Shamsiyyah: the 14 letters
How to pronounce Lam Shamsiyyah
Do not say the lām of “al”: go straight to the next letter and press on it, it is doubled.
- The gesture
- Move directly from the vowel of al to the solar letter’s articulation, then hold that letter as doubled.
- Avoid
- Do not pronounce a separate lām before the solar letter, and do not weaken the following shaddah.
- The condition
- It applies only to the lām of al before these letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن.
Where the letters come from
Each point is shown on the mouth map, and each letter has its own page.
12 examples of Lam Shamsiyyah in the Quran
Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear Lam Shamsiyyah in its verse, recited by al-Husary.
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ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ
ṣṣāliḥāti
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the ṣād, which is said doubled.
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ٱلنَّاسَ
nnāsa
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the nūn, which is said doubled, with the nasal sound for two counts.
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ٱلشِّتَآءِ
shshitā'i
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the shīn, which is said doubled.
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وَٱلرُّوحُ
warrūḥu
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the rā, which is said doubled.
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ٱلدِّينِ
ddīn
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the dāl, which is said doubled.
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ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
ḍḍāllīn
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the ḍād, which is said doubled.
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وَٱلتِّينِ
wattīni
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the tā, which is said doubled.
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ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
zzakāh
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the zāy, which is said doubled.
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ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
ssamāwāti
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the sīn, which is said doubled.
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ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
ẓẓālimīn
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the ẓā, which is said doubled.
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ٱللَّهْوِ
llahwi
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the lām, which is said doubled.
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وَٱلطَّارِقِ
waṭṭāriq
The lām of “al” is not said: it merges into the ṭā, which is said doubled.
Lam Shamsiyyah: common mistakes
What is often heard, and how to fix it. The ▶ plays the right model, recited by al-Husary.
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Letting the lām of “al” be heard before a sun letter: it is not said; the next letter is doubled.
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Passing over the sun letter without doubling it: it carries the shadda and is said doubled.
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Before ن, forgetting the nasal sound: the doubled nūn keeps its ghunnah of two counts.
Lam Shamsiyyah and neighbouring rules
| Rule | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Shamsiyyah | When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. | In “al”, before one of the 14 sun letters, the lām is not said: the next letter is doubled. |
| Hamzat al-Wasl | At the start of a word, on the alif topped with a small sign (ٱ), as in “al”. | The joining hamzah (ٱ), at the start of some words: said if you begin on that word, not if you read on. |
| Idgham Mutaqaribayn | In Hafs, two cases: a lām with no vowel before a rā, and the qāf before the kāf (77:20). The Mushaf shows them: no sukoon on the first letter, a shaddah on the second. Except in 83:14, where a short pause (sakt) prevents the merger. | A letter with no vowel, then a letter from a neighbouring place: the first merges into the second. |
By ear: two words that sound alike
Two words that sound alike: one is read with Lam Shamsiyyah, the other with Lam Qamariyyah. Listen for the difference.
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ٱلرَّحِيمُ
r-raḥīm
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ٱلْجَحِيمَ
l-jaḥīm
What I show you when you recite
Your turn: which rule?
By eye
The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?
- Al-Ikhlas 112:2
ٱلصَّمَدُ
ṣṣamad
- Al-'Asr 103:1
وَٱلْعَصْرِ
wal-ʿaṣr
- Al-Falaq 113:4
ٱلنَّفَّـٰثَـٰتِ
nnaffāthāti
- Al-Qasas 28:85
قُل رَّبِّىٓ
qurrabbī
By ear
Listen, then choose the rule you hear. The word appears after you answer.
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وَٱلنَّاسِ
wan-nās
An-Nas 114:6 -
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
Al-'Asr 103:2 -
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
r-raḥmāni
Al-Fatiha 1:1
Lam Shamsiyyah in numbers
2,733times in the Quran
108surahs
| Surah | Verses | Lam Shamsiyyah |
|---|---|---|
| 62. Al-Jumu'ah | 11 | 11 |
| 86. At-Tariq | 17 | 11 |
| 49. Al-Hujurat | 18 | 10 |
| 64. At-Taghabun | 18 | 9 |
| 66. At-Tahrim | 12 | 8 |
Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).
Frequently asked questions
What is Lam Shamsiyyah in tajweed?
Before a solar letter, the lām of al merges into the next letter, which is pronounced with shaddah.
Which letters does Lam Shamsiyyah apply to?
When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. In the Quran, the most frequent is ن (nūn): 617 times.
How many times does Lam Shamsiyyah occur in the Quran?
2,733 times, in 108 surahs, according to the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Jumu'ah has the most: 11 in 11 verses.
Lam Shamsiyyah or Hamzat al-Wasl: what is the difference?
Lam Shamsiyyah: in “al”, before one of the 14 sun letters, the lām is not said: the next letter is doubled. Hamzat al-Wasl: the joining hamzah (ٱ), at the start of some words: said if you begin on that word, not if you read on.
Lam Shamsiyyah: how do I know I apply it correctly?
A rule is learned by ear: recite a surah out loud in the Tilawa app, which follows your recitation word by word and shows you where Lam Shamsiyyah was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error