Lesson 10: [ال] (Alif-Lam) Article (Definite Article)

It appears at the beginning of words and indicates that the word is definite. Alif is always pronounced at the beginning of a sentence; when connected to the preceding word or letter, it is never pronounced. If there is Sukun after the Lam, it is always pronounced; if there is Shadda, it is never pronounced; the first letter is connected to the preceding letter or word and pronounced with Shadda. Of the letters in the Quran alphabet, 14 are lunar and 14 are solar.

Lunar letters:
[ا ب ج ح خ ع غ ف ق ك م و ه] and [ي] The rest are solar letters. If the first letter of a word with the definite article is lunar, [ل] always has Sukun; if it is solar, [ل] is unvoweled and the first letter has Shadda.

Lunar Letters Examples

ArabicBraille
اَلْحَمْدُ⠁⠇⠒⠱⠂⠍⠒⠙⠥
اَلْوَلَدُ⠁⠇⠒⠺⠂⠇⠂⠙⠥
في اَلْبَيْتِ⠋⠊⠀⠁⠇⠒⠃⠂⠊⠒⠞⠑
إِلى اَلْقَوْلِ⠌⠑⠇⠕⠀⠁⠇⠒⠟⠂⠺⠒⠇⠑
اَلْخَيْرِ⠁⠇⠒⠭⠂⠊⠒⠗⠑
اَلْوَقْتِ⠁⠇⠒⠺⠂⠟⠒⠞⠑
اَلْأَوَّلِ⠁⠇⠒⠌⠂⠠⠺⠂⠇⠑
اَلْفيلُ⠁⠇⠒⠋⠊⠇⠥
اَلْكِتاَبُ⠁⠇⠒⠅⠑⠞⠁⠃⠥
اَلْقِيَٰمَةُ⠁⠇⠒⠟⠑⠊⠈⠍⠂⠡⠥
اَلْمُديرُ⠁⠇⠒⠍⠥⠙⠊⠗⠥
وَاَلْعاَدِياَتِ⠺⠂⠁⠇⠒⠷⠁⠙⠑⠊⠁⠞⠑
بِاَلْإيماَنِ⠃⠑⠁⠇⠒⠌⠊⠍⠁⠝⠑
في اَلْحَقيقَةِ⠋⠊⠀⠁⠇⠒⠱⠂⠟⠊⠟⠂⠡⠑
فَاَلْمُغيراَتِ⠋⠂⠁⠇⠒⠍⠥⠣⠊⠗⠁⠞⠑

Solar Letters Examples

ArabicBraille
اَلذِّكْرُ⠁⠇⠠⠮⠑⠅⠒⠗⠥
اَلصَّمَدُ⠁⠇⠠⠯⠂⠍⠂⠙⠥
في اَلدّينِ⠋⠊⠀⠁⠇⠠⠙⠊⠝⠑
بِاَللَّٰهِ⠃⠑⠁⠇⠠⠇⠈⠓⠑
اَلضَّلاَلَةُ⠁⠇⠠⠫⠂⠧⠇⠂⠡⠥
اَلتّاَئِبُ⠁⠇⠠⠞⠁⠽⠑⠃⠥
اَلتَّوْرىةُ⠁⠇⠠⠞⠂⠺⠒⠗⠕⠡⠥
مِنَ اَلنّاَسِ⠍⠑⠝⠂⠀⠁⠇⠠⠝⠁⠎⠑
اَلطَّعاَمِ⠁⠇⠠⠾⠂⠷⠁⠍⠑
اَلرّوحُ⠁⠇⠠⠗⠺⠱⠥
اَلتَّوْبَةُ⠁⠇⠠⠞⠂⠺⠒⠃⠂⠡⠥