First: Al-Hams and Its Letters
Al-Hams (whispering) is the obscurity in the pronunciation of a letter due to the flow of extra breath along with it. This obscurity is noticeable to both the reciter and the listener, which is why such a sound is termed 'whispered'(Mahmoos). The whispered letters are ten, and they are grouped in the phrase: 'Faḥathahu Shakhson Sakat' (فحثه شخص سكت), which includes the letters: fāʼ, ḥāʼ, thāʼ, hāʼ, shīn, khāʼ, ṣād, sīn, kāf, and tāʼ. ¹
Second: Al-Jahr and Its Letters
Al-Jahr (audibility) is the clarity in the pronunciation of a letter due to the absence of extra breath flow during pronunciation. This clarity is also noticeable to both the reciter and the listener; hence it is termed 'audible'(Majhoor). The audible letters are the rest of the Arabic alphabet, excluding the ten whispered letters mentioned above. There are nineteen such letters. ²
Summary:
From the above, we learn that Jahr and Hams are two attributes related to the flow of breath. When breath flows with the letters, their sound becomes faint and hard to hear—these are the whispered letters. When breath does not flow with the sound, the letters are clear—these are the audible letters. ³
التجويد المصور (64)، المنير (77).
الرعاية (116)، التحديد (107)، هداية القاري (1/79)، نهاية القول المفيد (65)، التجويد المصور (64)، المنير (77).
التجويد المصور (65)، المنير (77).
الرعاية (117)، التحديد (107)، هداية القاري (1/80)، نهاية القول المفيد (65)، التجويد المصور (64)، المنير (77).