Lam Qamariyyah
لام قمرية
The lām said clearly
Lesson 7.2 · Module 7 · The article and the hamza
Lam Qamariyyah (لام قمرية): in “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. The Quran has 5,480 of them, in 113 surahs (Hafs reading).
What does Lam Qamariyyah mean?
Lam Qamariyyah (لام قمرية): the lām said clearly
The laam of the definite article (ال) is said clearly before the 14 moon letters, with its sukoon. The letter after it is not doubled.
Lam Qamariyyah: the 14 letters
How to pronounce Lam Qamariyyah
Say the lām of “al” clearly and with no vowel, then the next letter, without doubling it.
- The gesture
- The tip of the tongue settles for the lām, with no vowel, then leaves for the next letter.
- Avoid
- Do not merge the lām into the next letter or double it: that is what the sun lām does.
- The condition
- The rule concerns the lām of the article “al”. The lām of a verb is said clearly before any letter, except before a lām or a rā, where it merges.
Where the letters come from
Each point is shown on the mouth map, and each letter has its own page.
12 examples of Lam Qamariyyah in the Quran
Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear Lam Qamariyyah in its verse, recited by al-Husary.
-
وَٱلْعَصْرِ
wal-ʿaṣr
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the ʿayn, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
l-insāna
-
بِٱلْحَقِّ
bil-ḥaqqi
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the ḥā, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْكَوْثَرَ
l-kawthar
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the kāf, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
وَٱلْفَتْحُ
wal-fatḥ
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the fā, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْبَيْتِ
l-bayt
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the bā, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْقَدْرِ
l-qadr
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the qāf, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ
l-malā'ikatu
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the mīm, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ
l-waswāsi
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the wāw, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْجِنَّةِ
l-jinnati
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the jīm, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْيَتِيمَ
l-yatīm
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the yā, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
-
ٱلْغَيْبِ
l-ghaybi
The lām of “al” is said, with no vowel, then the ghayn, a moon letter, which is not doubled.
Lam Qamariyyah: common mistakes
What is often heard, and how to fix it. The ▶ plays the right model, recited by al-Husary.
-
Merging the lām into the next letter and doubling it, as before a sun letter.
-
Giving the lām a vowel: it stays vowelless, with its sukūn.
-
Swallowing the lām of a verb before a sun letter other than ل and ر: it is said clearly.
Lam Qamariyyah and neighbouring rules
| Rule | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Qamariyyah | When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ء ب غ ح ج ك و خ ف ع ق ي م ه. | In “al”, before one of the 14 moon letters, the lām is said clearly, with its sukūn. |
| 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. |
By ear: two words that sound alike
Two words that sound alike: one is read with Lam Qamariyyah, the other with Lam Shamsiyyah. Listen for the difference.
-
ٱلْجَحِيمَ
l-jaḥīm
-
ٱلرَّحِيمُ
r-raḥīm
Your turn: which rule?
By eye
The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?
- Al-Kawthar 108:3
ٱلْأَبْتَرُ
l-abtar
- An-Nasr 110:2
ٱلنَّاسَ
nnāsa
- Al-Qadr 97:2
ٱلْقَدْرِ
l-qadr
- Al-Kawthar 108:2
وَٱنْحَرْ
wanḥar
By ear
Listen, then choose the rule you hear. The word appears after you answer.
-
ٱلْفَجْرِ
l-fajr
Al-Qadr 97:5 -
ٱلشِّتَآءِ
sh-shitā'i
Quraysh 106:2 -
ٱلْفِيلِ
l-fīl
Al-Fil 105:1
Lam Qamariyyah in numbers
5,480times in the Quran
113surahs
| Surah | Verses | Lam Qamariyyah |
|---|---|---|
| 60. Al-Mumtahanah | 13 | 22 |
| 62. Al-Jumu'ah | 11 | 21 |
| 49. Al-Hujurat | 18 | 21 |
| 64. At-Taghabun | 18 | 20 |
| 61. As-Saf | 14 | 19 |
Computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading), from the letter that follows.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lam Qamariyyah in tajweed?
Before the 14 moon letters, the lām of “al” is said clearly. The lām of a verb is also said clearly, except before ل and ر.
Which letters does Lam Qamariyyah apply to?
When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ء ب غ ح ج ك و خ ف ع ق ي م ه. In the Quran, the most frequent is ء (hamzah): 1,298 times.
How many times does Lam Qamariyyah occur in the Quran?
5,480 times, in 113 surahs, as computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Mumtahanah has the most: 22 in 13 verses.
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.
Lam Qamariyyah: 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 Qamariyyah was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error