The two levels
| Level | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (sughra) | The letter has a sukoon in the middle of a word or is followed by a word with continued reading | قَدْ أَفْلَحَ (Al-Mu'minun 23:1), يَجْعَلُونَ |
| Major (kubra) | You stop on the letter at the end of a word | الْفَلَقِ (Al-Falaq 113:1), أَحَدٌ read as أَحَدْ (Al-Ikhlas 112:1) |
Some teachers describe a strongest level when the stopping letter also carries a shaddah, as in وَتَبَّ (Al-Masad 111:1).
How to produce it
The letter is released with a short, sharp bounce, without adding a vowel. Beginners often turn قَدْ into قَدَ or قَدِ. The sound should be closer to a released consonant than a vowel.
Common mistakes
- Adding a vowel after the letter.
- Forgetting qalqalah when stopping, so الْفَلَقِ ends flat.
- Applying qalqalah to letters outside the five.
Practice
Surah Al-Falaq (113) and Surah Al-Masad (111) end most verses on qalqalah letters. Read them stopping at each verse end.
Examples of Qalqalah
- Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
أَحَدٌ — Qalqalah kubrā: at the stop, the dāl bounces strongly.
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
- Surah Al-Falaq 113:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ
ٱلْفَلَقِ — Qāf at the stop: a clear bounce without adding a vowel.
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
- Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:3
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
يُولَدْ — Dāl with sukūn at the end: qalqalah.
He neither begets nor is born,
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:27
ٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ
بَعْدِ — ʿAyn is not a qalqalah letter; compare it with the dāl to feel the difference.
Who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers.