الْحُرُوفُ الشَّمْسِيَّةُ وَالْقَمَرِيَّةُ

In Arabic, to say "the", we put ال (al) at the start of the word: كِتَاب kitaab, a book → الْكِتَاب al-kitaab, the book And the tanwin goes away: we no longer say "kitaabun".

But careful, the "l" of "al" is a bit shy. It all depends on the letter that comes after it.

🌙 Moon letters: we hear the "l" The ل carries a sukun ـْ and we say it clearly: الْقَمَر al-qamar, the moon 🌙 الْبَاب al-baab, the door الْكِتَاب al-kitaab, the book الْمَسْجِد al-masjid, the mosque 🕌 الْحَمْد al-ḥamd, praise

☀️ Sun letters: the "l" hides The ل is written, but we do not say it! The next letter takes a shadda and counts twice: الشَّمْس ash-shams, the sun ☀️ (not "al-shams") النُّور an-nuur, the light الرَّحْمَٰن ar-raḥmaan, the Most Merciful السَّلَام as-salaam, peace الدِّين ad-diin, the religion

The 14 sun letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن The 14 moon letters: ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م ه و ي

The trick: if there is a shadda just after ال, it is a sun letter, and the "l" is silent. If there is a sukun on the ل, it is a moon letter, and we say "l".

One more secret: when "al" comes after another word, its "a" fades away and we glide on: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ bismi llaah (not "bismi allaah") وَالْقَمَرِ wa l-qamari, and the moon

Little activity: draw a big sun and a big moon. With your parent, write in the sun الشَّمْس, النُّور, السَّلَام, and in the moon الْقَمَر, الْكِتَاب, الْمَسْجِد. Read them out loud!

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Why "sun" and "moon"? Because الشَّمْس (the sun) begins with a letter where the "l" hides, and الْقَمَر (the moon) with a letter where we hear it. These two words are used as examples to remember the two groups. The "l" hides before sun letters because they are pronounced with the tip of the tongue, in the same place as the "l": it is smoother to blend them together. You already say these words every day: "as-salaamu 'alaykum" (sun letter), "al-ḥamdu lillaah" (moon letter). Now you know why!

Lessons to draw from it • Before reading "al", I look at the next letter: sukun or shadda? • I do not say the "l" before a sun letter. • I recognise these rules in the words I say every day.

Key points to remember • ال = al = the (and the tanwin goes away). • Moon letter: لْ, we say "l" (الْقَمَر al-qamar). • Sun letter: the next letter has a shadda, the "l" is silent (الشَّمْس ash-shams). • After another word, the "a" of "al" fades away (bismi llaah).

The main message "Al" means "the": with the moon, I hear the "l"; with the sun, it hides behind the shadda.