Madd Lāzim

First: Definition and Duration of Mandatory Madd

Necessary madd (al-madd al-lāzim) is the madd that occurs due to the presence of an original (permanent) sukoon after a madd letter in a Qur'anic word or in the spelling of one of the disjointed letters (ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿah) at the beginning of some surahs.

It is called 'necessary' (lāzim) because its cause(which is the sukoon)is permanent both in continuation (waṣl) and pausing (waqf). Also,its said that its called Lazim because its extension to six counts is agreed upon by all reciters in both states.

Its duration is six counts in all its categories. Mandatory madd is divided according to its location into two types:

Type One: Kalimī Necessary Madd

This occurs in Qur'anic words, and it is of two forms:

1.Madd lazim Kalimī Mukhaffaf (Lightened):

It occurs when a madd letter is followed by a non-doubled original sukoon letter in a word.

For this type of madd there is only one Example in Hafs’ narration from ‘Asem which is : ﴿ءَآلۡـَٰٔنَ﴾ [Yūnus: 51, 91] mentioned twice in sural Younos— where an alif is followed by a lām with an original sukoon. The alif is extended for six counts.

2. Madd lazim Kalimī Muthaqqal (Heavy):

It occurs when a madd letter is followed by a doubled letter in a word, since a doubled letter consists of two letters, the first of which has an original sukoon.

Examples: - With alif: ﴿ٱلضَّآلِّينَ﴾ - With wāw: ﴿أَتُحَـٰٓجُّوٓنِّي﴾ In both, the madd letter is followed by a doubled letter, requiring a six-count madd.

Note: There is no example in the Qur’an for this type with the letter yāʼ.

Type Two: Ḥarfī Necessary Madd

This type occurs in some of the disjointed letters at the beginning of surahs. There are seven such letters grouped in: (سنقص لكم).(Sin,Nun,Qaf,Sad,Lam,Kaf,Mim) Each of these letters, when spelled out, consists of three letters where the middle one is a madd letter followed by a permanent original sukoon so it is elongated for 6 counts madd lazim. It is called Harfi because it occurs in the disjointed letter. This type is also divided into two forms:

1. Madd Lazim Ḥarfī Mukhaffaf (Lightened):

It occurs when the madd letter is followed by a non-doubled sukoon letter in a disjointed letter.

Example: the letter ص in ﴿صٓ﴾ – spelled as (Ṣād), the alif is followed by a Sakin(non-voweled) dāl, requiring a six-count madd, called Madd lazim harfi mukhaffaf.

Example: the letter ص in ﴿صٓ﴾ – spelled as (Ṣād), the alif is followed by a Sakin(non-voweled) dāl, requiring a six-count madd, called Madd lazim harfi mukhaffaf.

Note: The letter ʿAyn is read with four or six counts because its middle letter is a soft letter, not a madd letter. It occurs in: - ﴿كٓهيعٓصٓ﴾ [Maryam: 1] - ﴿حمٓ ١ عٓسٓقٓ﴾ [Ash-Shūrā: 1–2]

Example: the letter ص in ﴿صٓ﴾ – spelled as (Ṣād), the alif is followed by a Sakin(non-voweled) dāl, requiring a six-count madd, called Madd lazim harfi mukhaffaf.

It occurs when the madd letter is followed by a doubled letter within the spelling of a disjointed letter due to idghām.

Example: the letter Lām in ﴿الٓمٓ﴾ – pronounced as (Alif Lām Mīm), where the alif in the middle of (Lām) is followed by a doubled Mīm due to idghām because it is followed by another Mīm, requiring a six-count madd called Madd Lazim Ḥarfī Muthaqqal.

Second: Important Note

Necessary madd appears in three Qur’anic words preceded by the questioning hamzah (ʾA):

• 1. ﴿ءَآلذَّكَرَيۡنِ﴾ [Al-Anʿām: 143, 144] (twice in the surah)
• 2. ﴿ءَآللَّهُ﴾ [Yūnus: 59], [An-Naml: 59] (in both surahs)
• 3. ﴿ءَآلۡـَٰٔنَ﴾ [Yūnus: 51, 91] (twice in the surah)

This type of madd is called *Madd al-Farq* (distinguishing Madd), because it distinguishes between a statement and a question.

Two valid ways to pronounce these words:

• A - Madd for six counts, treating them as necessary madd (the preferred recitation).
• B – Easing (tashīl) hamzah by pronouncing the second hamzah between a hamzah and an alif, which must be learned orally from a qualified reciter.