Question

How do we pronounce the word for “spring”  in aayah 5 of surah Al-Ghashiyah?  Is the first part of the word like two hamzahs, , or is it , saying first the hamzah then the alif with two counts?

Answer

We recite the word , by saying a hamzah with a fat-h, then continue with the fat-h to make an alif, by extending the sound two vowel counts.  This is called al-medd al-badl which occurs when there is a hamzah with a vowel, immediately followed by a medd letter.  The way we recite, by Hafs ‘an ‘Aasim, we always lengthen this two counts.  After making this two count medd, we then continue to read the last three letters of this word normally with their accompanying vowels.  If we stop on this word (it is the end of an aayah), we stop with a  saakinah.  If we for some reason continue and join this aayah with the next aayah, we would pronounce the last letter as a , and add to it the tanween kasrah that accompanies it.