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Question

ASSALAMU ALEYKUM:

First I would like to thank you for your very helpful site.
Please keep up the good work.

My question is bout the letters "ta" and "kaf".
Both are of "ASH-SHADDAH" and "AL-HAMS". Hence the sound should stop but
the breath should flow when pronouncing them.

When I was listening to Al-Husary the flowing of breath is prominent when
"ta" or "kaf" are saakinah and when he stops; Like in the ending of the first few aayaat of 81st surah or 82nd surah:



However the flow of breath is not noticeable in the following letters which
are also saakin, but he continues in reading.

1st ayah of 111th surah: "
  ">>the 2nd "ta"
4th ayah of 84th surah: "
  " >>>the 1st "kaf"

Could you please clarify this issue for me?
Thanx for your earliest attention.

Jazakum ALLAHu Khayran 

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh,

Jazakum Allahu khairan for the comments, we ask Allah to give us purity in intention.  

The two letters  and  are the only letters of  that also have; and when either of these two letters is saakin, there is another phenomenon unseen in any other letters, that is that the two siffaat (characteristics) are not applied simultaneously, but instead the characteristic of  is applied, closing off the complete articulation point with complete imprisonment of the sound, and a very brief micro-second later, the release of air for the characteristic of  is done.  This release of air, is not something heard from a distance, but only from a close position to the reader, and would be less noticeable when pronouncing the saakin letter and immediately proceeding to another aayah.  It is therefore not uncommon at all, that it would not be picked up on a recording of recitation by any reader.  Surely the reciter released the air, but the microphone just didn't pick it up. If you try to read these words with no release whatsoever of air after closing the articulation point completely off, you will find it very difficult, if not impossible.

Wa iyyakum wa-l-muslimeen.