# Lam shamsiyyah & lam qamariyyah (اللَّام الشَّمْسِيَّة وَالْقَمَرِيَّة)

The lam of “al-” is silent and the next letter doubled before the fourteen sun letters, and pronounced clearly before the fourteen moon letters.

## Definition

The definite article ٱل (“al-”) behaves in two ways. Before a sun letter (like ش in ٱلشَّمْس, “the sun”) the lam merges into it and the sun letter carries a shadda. Before a moon letter (like ق in ٱلْقَمَر, “the moon”) the lam is pronounced clearly and carries a sukun.

**Letters:** ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. Sun letters (14). The other 14 (ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي) are moon letters, remembered as ٱبْغِ حَجَّكَ وَخَفْ عَقِيمَهُ.

## How to pronounce

1. Sun letter: skip the lam and read the next letter with a shadda (ash-shams, not al-shams).
2. Moon letter: pronounce the lam with a sukun (al-qamar).
3. When the article starts a word after a connected word, the alif is dropped (wasl) but the lam rule stays the same.

## Examples from the Quran

### Lam shamsiyyah (silent lam, shown in grey)

- ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ  ('Abasa 80:20): Then He eased the way for him; — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/abasa/20
- إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ  (At-Takwir 81:1): When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness] — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/at-takwir/1
- وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ  (Al-Fajr 89:3): And [by] the even [number] and the odd — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/al-fajr/3

### Lam qamariyyah (clear lam, shown in teal)

- مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ  (Al-Qari'ah 101:2): What is the Striking Calamity? — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/al-qariah/2
- وَمَا هُوَ بِٱلْهَزْلِ  (At-Tariq 86:14): And it is not amusement. — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/at-tariq/14
- وَصَدَّقَ بِٱلْحُسْنَىٰ  (Al-Layl 92:6): And believes in the best [reward], — https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/surah/al-layl/6

## Common mistakes

- Pronouncing the lam before sun letters (“al-shams”).
- Swallowing the lam before moon letters.

## FAQ

**How do I know a sun letter from a moon letter?** Look at the mushaf: before a sun letter the lam has no sukun and the next letter has a shadda; before a moon letter the lam has a sukun. In the app’s colours the silent lam is grey.

**Why “sun” and “moon”?** The names come from the examples: ash-shams (the sun) assimilates the lam, al-qamar (the moon) does not.

## Related

- [Hamzatul wasl (connecting hamza)](https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/hamzatul-wasl)
- [Idgham without ghunnah](https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/idgham-without-ghunnah)
- [Tafkheem & tarqeeq (heavy and light letters)](https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/tafkheem-tarqeeq)

Cite: Lam shamsiyyah & lam qamariyyah. Noor Quran. https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/lam-shamsiyyah-qamariyyah

Canonical: https://holy-quran-noor.vercel.app/learn/tajweed/lam-shamsiyyah-qamariyyah