Where the letters come from (makharij)
Every letter comes from its own place in the mouth or throat, its makhraj. With the wrong makhraj one letter turns into another, and the meaning of the Quran can change. The makharij fall into five areas:
| Area | Letters | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The empty space of the mouth (jawf) | ا و ي | The long vowels (aa, oo, ee) |
| 2. Throat (halq) — deepest part | ء ه | From the bottom of the throat, near the chest |
| Middle of the throat | ع ح | |
| Top of the throat | غ خ | From the part nearest the mouth |
| 3. Tongue (lisan) | ق ك ج ش ي ض ل ن ر ط د ت ظ ذ ث ص س ز | Back of the tongue (ق, and a little forward ك), middle (ج ش ي), side (ض), edge and tip (ل ن ر), tip against the gum of the upper teeth (ط د ت), tip against the edge of the upper teeth (ظ ذ ث), tip near the lower teeth (ص س ز) |
| 4. The lips (shafatain) | ف ب م و | ف — inside of the lower lip with the upper teeth; ب م و — both lips |
| 5. The nose (khayshum) | ghunnah | The nasal sound of ن and م |
An easy test: put a hamzah with fathah before the letter and stop on it with sukun — أَبْ، أَتْ، أَقْ — the point where the sound stops is its makhraj.