Lam Shamsiyyah, Lam Qamariyyah and the Lam in Allah
3 rules · 10,917times in the Quran
The lām of “al” depends on the next letter. Before the 14 moon letters it is said, with its sukoon: this is Lam Qamariyyah. Before the 14 sun letters it is not said and the next letter is doubled: this is Lam Shamsiyyah. In the name of Allah, it is heavy or light depending on the vowel before it.
The rules, one by one
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Lam Qamariyyah
لام قمريةIn “al”, before one of the 14 moon letters, the lām is said clearly, with its sukūn.
When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ء ب غ ح ج ك و خ ف ع ق ي م ه.
5,480 times in the Quran -
Lam Shamsiyyah
لام شمسيةIn “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.
2,733 times in the Quran -
Lam in the Word Allah
لام لفظ الجلالةThe lām of the name of Allah is said heavy after a fathah or a dammah, light after a kasrah.
Heavy after a fathah or a dammah, and when starting with the name; light after a kasrah, whether it is in the same word or at the end of the word before.
2,704 times in the Quran
Moon lām or sun lām: the difference
| Lam Qamariyyah | Lam Shamsiyyah | |
|---|---|---|
| The letter after “al” | ء ب غ ح ج ك و خ ف ع ق ي م ه | ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن |
| The lām | said clearly, with no vowel | not said |
| The next letter | said plainly | doubled |
| In the Mushaf | a sukoon on the lām | no sign on the lām, a shaddah on the next letter |
| In the Quran | 5,480 | 2,733 |
One example per rule
Tap ▶ to hear the word in its verse, recited by al-Husary.
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وَٱلْعَصْرِ
wal-ʿaṣr
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the ʿayn, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
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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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هُوَ ٱللَّهُ
huwa llāhu
Each rule in numbers
| Rule | In the Quran | Surahs |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Qamariyyah | 5,480 | 113 |
| Lam Shamsiyyah | 2,733 | 108 |
| Lam in the Word Allah | 2,704 | 85 |
Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).
Computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading), from the letter that follows.
What I show you when you recite
Frequently asked questions
How many times do these rules occur in the Quran?
Lam Qamariyyah: 5,480, Lam Shamsiyyah: 2,733 and Lam in the Word Allah: 2,704. In all, 10,917 occurrences, counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf.
Lam Qamariyyah or Lam Shamsiyyah: what is the difference?
Lam Qamariyyah: in “al”, before one of the 14 moon letters, the lām is said clearly, with its sukūn. Lam Shamsiyyah: in “al”, before one of the 14 sun letters, the lām is not said: the next letter is doubled.
How do I know whether the lām is a sun or a moon lām?
Look at the letter after “al”. In the Mushaf, the moon lām carries a sukoon; before a sun letter, the lām has no sign and the next letter carries a shaddah.
When is the lām in the name of Allah heavy?
Heavy after a fathah or a dammah, and when starting with the name; light after a kasrah, whether it is in the same word or at the end of the word before.
How can I check my tajweed when I recite?
Tajweed is learned by ear: you need to hear yourself. Recite out loud in the Tilawa app, on iPhone or Android. It follows your recitation word by word and shows you the rules you missed or got wrong, with the correct recitation to replay.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error