الْحُرُوفُ الْمُتَّصِلَةُ

When we write a word in Arabic, the letters do not stay on their own: they hold hands! So their shape changes a little depending on their place: at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the word.

Look at ب: alone: ب beginning: بـ middle: ـبـ end: ـب At the beginning and in the middle, ب loses its boat "tail", but it keeps its dot below. The dot is how we recognise it!

Look at ه, which changes a lot: alone: ه beginning: هـ middle: ـهـ end: ـه

The six shy letters Six letters hold the hand of the letter before them, but never the letter after them (on their left): ا د ذ ر ز و After them, the next letter has to start again as if at the beginning of a word.

Let's read words from your alphabet: كِتَاب kitaab, the book 📖: ك and ت hold hands, then ا does not give its hand, so ب is on its own. سَمَكَة samaka, the fish 🐟: all the letters hold hands! وَرْدَة warda, the rose 🌹: و, ر and د are shy: each letter stands apart! جَمَل jamal, the camel 🐪: ج, م and ل hold hands. فِيل fiil, the elephant 🐘: ف, ي and ل hold hands.

Little activity: on a sheet of paper, write ب on its own, then بـ at the beginning of a word. Then, with your parent, find the six shy letters in the words زَرَافَة (giraffe) and أَسَد (lion).

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The letters of a word are like children dancing in a circle: they hold hands to make something beautiful together. On their own they do not say much; together, they make a word. The Prophet ﷺ said that believers, among themselves, are like a building whose parts hold together and strengthen one another (Bukhari 481, Muslim 2585). And the six shy letters (ا د ذ ر ز و)? They do not give their hand to the left, but they stay in the word, in their place. The word needs them! Without و and ر, وَرْدَة would no longer be a rose. Even when a letter changes shape, we recognise it by its dots.

Lessons to draw from it • Like the letters, I hold hands with my brothers, my sisters and my friends: we help each other. • Everyone has a place, even someone who is shy or different: I leave no one out. • I look carefully at the dots: they help me recognise the letter, even when it changes shape.

Key points to remember • Letters change shape a little: alone, at the beginning, in the middle, at the end. • Six letters do not join the letter after them: ا د ذ ر ز و. • Believers are like a building that holds together (Bukhari 481, Muslim 2585).

The main message Letters hold hands to make words, and Muslims hold together to do good.