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Question Assalamu 'Alaykum, I like your website a lot because it helps me to learn. My question is about the letter (vowel) alif. I have read in many places that alif is used as a long vowel as well as a weak consonant. The most common examples of how it is used as a long vowel is when it's preceded by a fathah. But I can't seem to find an example where it is used as a weak consonant. Can you please provide me with an example? Answer Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. The problem arises from English grammar terms and similar sounds being applied to the Arabic language, when often it isn’t possible to do. The true alif is always saakinah
preceded by a May Allah increase you in beneficial knowledge. |
, any
other case is not a real alif. The alif in Arabic is considered a weak
letter, just as the
saakinah and
saakinah are.
The term “long vowel” is an English term and not used in Arabic; it is
however called a lengthened letter (medd letter) because it is lengthened
two vowel counts at least if not followed by a sukoon. The true alif is
always both of these, so it is always a weak letter and at the same time is
always a medd letter. In other words, the alif in the word:
is both a weak
letter and a medd letter at the same time.