Can you provide some examples for the pronunciation of the letter dhaad..

Assalaam u Alaykum,

Can you provide some examples for the pronunciation of the letter dhaad (), as in 'waladdaalleen'. I have heard some expert reciters from india and pakistan recite it in a very soft manner almost resembling a soft DHhaa  (as in DHhulm). Yet, all of the Arab reciters I have heard recite it with a sound resembling a slightly softer, yet heavier  (as in dinaar). I have been told by an Indian qari that the Arabic books of tajwid support their pronunciation, such as Shatibi. Can you shed some light on this issue?

 I would greatly appreciate some audio files which has several examples of the correct pronunciation of the dhaad () in it.

Jazaak Allaah Khayr. Wassalaam u Alaykum.

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

This is a commonly asked question.  Please see the following links of previous questions and answers on the letter  and its pronunciation as well as the lesson on its articulation point below:

http://www.abouttajweed.com/sidetongue.htm

http://www.abouttajweed.com/270203.htm

http://www.abouttajweed.com/new_page_16.htm

http://www.abouttajweed.com/240805.htm

http://www.abouttajweed.com/al-faa~4_128.mp3

http://www.abouttajweed.com/22110406.htm

The articulation point of the  is different from the  and the tip of the tongue used for the , must not be used for the , otherwise it will sound like a “heavy” . 

For audio files, there is one file in the links above, but we also suggest you listen to recitations of Al-Faatihah, and listen for the pronunciation of the  in the word .  Please see the following links and select al-Faatihah and listen for the last aayah:

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=souraview&qid=465&rid=1

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=souraview&qid=466&rid=1

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=souraview&qid=463&rid=1

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=souraview&qid=475&rid=1

We aren’t sure which of the two ways was said to be supported in the Arabic books on tajweed, but we can assure you the early books, and all of the later books on tajweed define the same articulation point, but in Arabic as we have in the lesson on the letter , http://www.abouttajweed.com/sidetongue.htm .

. 

Imam Ash-Shaatiby wrote the following about the letter  in his poem on the seven qira’aat:

And the side of the tongue,

then the deepest part of it for an elongated letter

Until what lies opposite to it of the molars and it is from both of them [sides]

Difficult and with the right is the least [used]

Imam Ibn Al-Jazaree said:

       And the Dhaad from its side [tongue] if is followed by

The molars from the left or its right [side of tongue].

Both of these definitions outlined in these two poems, which are considered as foundations for tajweed, state that the side of the tongue, not the tip are used.  If the tip is used, you will hear the sound of a , or if the tip and the edges of the two top upper teeth are used, it will sound like a ’.  If however, the sides are used as described here, without the tip, the sound will not sound like a  or a . 

The  is a letter that needs practice to achieve its pronunciation correctly, and the student of the Qur’an will need to work on making sure the side of the tongue is hitting the gum area by the molars, and not using his/her tip of the tongue when articulating this letter.

Wa iyyaakum.  Wa assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.