Surah Al-Fatiha is the first surah of the Quran. It is short, so it is a good place to see Tajweed rules at work. This guide goes through it ayah by ayah. Each ayah lists only the rules that really occur there, with the exact Quran word to look at. We checked every Arabic word against the Uthmani text on Quran.com.
The English hints below are only rough, so ask a teacher to check your reading. A word inside an ayah is written as you say it when you read on, with its last vowel. An example is as-siraata. A word at the end of an ayah is written as you say it when you stop. An example is al-mustaqeem. This guide is about reading rules, not meanings, and it follows the Hafs reading.
Which Tajweed Rules Are in Surah Al-Fatiha?
Surah Al-Fatiha has seven ayahs in the Hafs count, which counts the Bismillah as ayah 1. Its rules are natural madd, sun and moon letters, sukoon, shaddah, and heavy and light letters. It also has a clear noon in one word and clear meems in a few places. The last word has a necessary madd of 6 counts.
Each rule has its own guide. Start with natural madd and the other madd types and the sun and moon letters. Then read about the marks called sukoon and shaddah and the heavy and light letters. A clear noon is covered in izhar in Tajweed, and clear meems in meem sakinah rules. For where to stop and breathe, see our guide to Quran stop signs.
Other ayah counts exist. In the count we use, the Bismillah is ayah 1, and this is the numbering on Quran.com. All counts agree that the surah has seven ayahs. If your copy numbers them differently, go by the Arabic words. The text we checked has no stop sign inside any ayah of this surah, only the ayah-end marks. Printings differ, so follow your own copy.
The Rules at a Glance, Ayah by Ayah
This table is a quick map. Each ayah has its own section below, and every rule has an exact Quran word to look at. Every ayah end also has a madd for stopping, if you stop there.
| Ayah | Rules you will meet |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sukoon, light lam in Allah, sun letters, heavy raa, natural madd |
| 2 | Moon letters, sukoon, clear meem, shaddah, light lam in Allah, heavy raa, natural madd |
| 3 | Sun letters, heavy raa, sukoon, natural madd |
| 4 | Natural madd, sukoon, sun letter and shaddah |
| 5 | Shaddah, natural madd, sukoon, light letters |
| 6 | A joining point, sun and moon letters, always-heavy letters, heavy raa, light letter, natural madd, sukoon |
| 7 | Joining, sun and moon letters, always-heavy letters, both raa kinds, clear noon and meems, necessary madd, shaddah, natural madd |
Ayah 1: Bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem
The ayah: بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Sounds like: bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem. Open it as Quran 1:1.
- Sukoon: bismi (بِسْمِ) and ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ). The seen and the Haa have no vowel, so you say 'bis-mi' and 'rah-maa-ni'.
- Light lam in Allah: Allaahi (ٱللَّهِ). The lam follows the kasra of bismi, so it is light.
- Sun letters: ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ) and ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ). The lam is silent and the raa is doubled.
- Heavy raa: the raa in ar-Rahmaani and ar-Raheem has a fatha, so it is said full and deep.
- Natural madd: ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ). The small upright mark on the meem is a standing fatha. It makes a long 'aa' of 2 counts.
- Madd for stopping: ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 2: Alhamdu lillaahi rabbil-'aalameen
The ayah: ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Sounds like: alhamdu lillaahi rabbil-'aalameen. Open it as Quran 1:2.
- Moon letters: al-hamdu (ٱلْحَمْدُ) and al-'aalameen (ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ). The lam is said clearly, because Haa and 'ayn are moon letters.
- Sukoon: al-hamdu (ٱلْحَمْدُ). The lam and the meem carry no vowel. Say 'al-ham-du'.
- Clear meem (izhar shafawi): al-hamdu (ٱلْحَمْدُ). The meem has a sukoon and the daal comes next. Say a short, clean meem with no long hum.
- Shaddah: lillaahi (لِلَّهِ) and rabbi (رَبِّ). The lam and the baa are doubled, so you say 'lil-laa-hi' and 'rab-bi'.
- Light lam in Allah: lillaahi (لِلَّهِ). The lam of Allah follows the kasra of li, so it is light.
- Heavy raa: rabbi (رَبِّ). The raa has a fatha, so it is said full and deep.
- Natural madd: al-'aalameen (ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ). The standing fatha on the 'ayn makes a long 'aa' of 2 counts.
- Madd for stopping: al-'aalameen (ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 3: Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem
The ayah: ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Sounds like: ar-rahmaanir-raheem. Open it as Quran 1:3. These are the same two words as in ayah 1, so the rules repeat.
- Sun letters: ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ) and ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ). The lam is silent and the raa is doubled.
- Heavy raa: the raa in both words has a fatha, so it is said full and deep.
- Sukoon: ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ). The Haa has no vowel, so you say 'rah-maa-ni'.
- Natural madd: ar-Rahmaani (ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ). The standing fatha on the meem makes a long 'aa' of 2 counts.
- Madd for stopping: ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 4: Maaliki yawmid-deen
The ayah: مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Sounds like: maaliki yawmid-deen. Open it as Quran 1:4.
- Natural madd: maaliki (مَـٰلِكِ). The standing fatha on the meem makes a long 'aa' of 2 counts.
- Sukoon: yawmi (يَوْمِ). The waw has no vowel, so you say 'yaw-mi'.
- Sun letter and shaddah: ad-deen (ٱلدِّينِ). The shaddah on the daal shows that the lam is silent and the daal is doubled, so you say 'yawmid-deen'.
- Madd for stopping: ad-deen (ٱلدِّينِ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 5: Iyyaaka na'budu wa iyyaaka nasta'een
The ayah: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
Sounds like: iyyaaka na'budu wa iyyaaka nasta'een. Open it as Quran 1:5.
- Shaddah: iyyaaka (إِيَّاكَ), twice in this ayah. The yaa is doubled, so you say 'iy-yaa-ka'.
- Natural madd: iyyaaka (إِيَّاكَ). The alif after the fatha on the yaa makes a long 'aa'. Hold it for 2 counts, both times.
- Sukoon: na'budu (نَعْبُدُ) and nasta'een (نَسْتَعِينُ). The 'ayn and the seen have no vowel, so you say 'na'-bu-du' and 'nas-ta-'een'.
- Light letters: the seen and the taa in nasta'een (نَسْتَعِينُ) are light, so keep them thin. This ayah has no always-heavy letter.
- Madd for stopping: nasta'een (نَسْتَعِينُ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 6: Ihdinas-siraatal-mustaqeem
The ayah: ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Sounds like: ihdinas-siraatal-mustaqeem. Open it as Quran 1:6. Always-heavy letters occur only in ayahs 6 and 7, so this is the first ayah where you will need them.
- Joining: ihdinaa (ٱهْدِنَا) and as-siraata (ٱلصِّرَٰطَ). When you read on, the alif at the end of ihdinaa is not stretched. The next word starts with a joining alif, and that alif is not said. You say 'ihdinas-siraata'. This is a joining point, not a madd. Copy your own teacher.
- Sun letter: as-siraata (ٱلصِّرَٰطَ). The lam is silent and the saad is doubled.
- Moon letter: al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ). The lam is said clearly, because meem is a moon letter.
- Always-heavy letters: saad and Taa in as-siraata (ٱلصِّرَٰطَ), and qaaf in al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ). The saad has a kasra, but it stays full and deep.
- Heavy raa: the raa in as-siraata has a fatha, so it is heavy too.
- Light letter: the taa in al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ) sits just before the heavy qaaf. Keep the taa thin, and make the qaaf full.
- Natural madd: as-siraata (ٱلصِّرَٰطَ). The standing fatha on the raa makes a long 'aa' of 2 counts.
- Sukoon: ihdinaa (ٱهْدِنَا) and al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ). The haa and the seen have no vowel, so you say 'ih-di-naa' and 'mus-ta-qeem'.
- Madd for stopping: al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Ayah 7: Siraatal-ladheena an'amta 'alayhim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alayhim wa lad-daalleen
The ayah: صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Sounds like: siraatal-ladheena an'amta 'alayhim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alayhim wa lad-daalleen. Open it as Quran 1:7. This is the longest ayah, so it has the most rules.
- Joining: wa laa (وَلَا) and ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ). When you read on, the alif of laa is not stretched, for the same reason as in ayah 6. You say 'wa lad-daalleen'. Copy your own teacher.
- Sun letters: al-ladheena (ٱلَّذِينَ) and ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ). The lam is silent in both words, and the next letter is doubled.
- Moon letter: al-maghdoobi (ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ). The lam is said clearly, because meem is a moon letter.
- Always-heavy letters: saad and Taa in siraata (صِرَٰطَ), and ghayn in ghayri (غَيْرِ). Also ghayn and daad in al-maghdoobi (ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ), and daad in ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ).
- Heavy raa and light raa: the raa in siraata (صِرَٰطَ) has a fatha, so it is heavy. The raa in ghayri (غَيْرِ) has a kasra, so it is light.
- Clear noon (izhar): an'amta (أَنْعَمْتَ). The noon has a sukoon and the 'ayn, a throat letter, comes next. Say the noon clearly, with no extra hum.
- Clear meems (izhar shafawi): an'amta (أَنْعَمْتَ), 'alayhim ghayri (عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ) and 'alayhim wa laa (عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا). Each meem has a sukoon. Say a short, clean meem each time. Take extra care before the waw, so the meem is not hidden.
- Shaddah: ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ) has two, one on the daad and one on the lam. Keep both doubled letters firm.
- Necessary madd: ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ). A madd alif comes right before a lam with a shaddah, so hold it for 6 counts. Many printed copies show a wavy madd mark on the alif.
- Natural madd: siraata (صِرَٰطَ), al-ladheena (ٱلَّذِينَ) and al-maghdoobi (ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ). In siraata it is the standing fatha on the raa. In al-ladheena it is the yaa after a kasra. In al-maghdoobi it is the waw after a damma. Hold each for 2 counts.
- Madd for stopping: ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ), when you stop at the ayah end.
Stopping at the End of Each Ayah
Every ayah in this surah ends with a yaa and one more letter. When you stop at the end of an ayah, the last letter loses its vowel. The yaa before it then gets a madd for stopping, which lasts 2, 4 or 6 counts. Pick one count and keep it the same at every ayah end.
If you read on instead of stopping, the same yaa is a natural madd of 2 counts. Here are the seven ayah-end words:
- Ayah 1: ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ)
- Ayah 2: al-'aalameen (ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ)
- Ayah 3: ar-Raheem (ٱلرَّحِيمِ)
- Ayah 4: ad-deen (ٱلدِّينِ)
- Ayah 5: nasta'een (نَسْتَعِينُ)
- Ayah 6: al-mustaqeem (ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ)
- Ayah 7: ad-daalleen (ٱلضَّآلِّينَ)
Heavy Letters Across the Surah
Always-heavy letters occur only in ayahs 6 and 7. Five of the seven are in Surah Al-Fatiha: saad, Taa, qaaf, ghayn and daad. Khaa and the heavy Zaa are not.
Raa can be heavy too. A raa with a fatha is heavy, and it appears in ayahs 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. The lam in Allah is heavy after a fatha or a damma. Here it comes after a kasra both times, so it is light. This table shows all of it:
| Letter | In this surah? | Words and ayahs |
|---|---|---|
| Khaa (خ), always heavy | No | Not in this surah |
| Saad (ص), always heavy | Yes | as-siraata (1:6), siraata (1:7) |
| Daad (ض), always heavy | Yes | al-maghdoobi and ad-daalleen (1:7) |
| Ghayn (غ), always heavy | Yes | ghayri and al-maghdoobi (1:7) |
| Taa (ط), always heavy | Yes | as-siraata (1:6), siraata (1:7) |
| Qaaf (ق), always heavy | Yes | al-mustaqeem (1:6) |
| Zaa (ظ), always heavy | No | Not in this surah |
| Raa (ر) with a fatha, heavy | Yes | ar-Rahmaani and ar-Raheem (1:1, 1:3), rabbi (1:2), as-siraata (1:6), siraata (1:7) |
| Raa (ر) with a kasra, light | Yes | ghayri (1:7) |
| Lam in Allah after a kasra, light | Yes | Allaahi (1:1), lillaahi (1:2) |
Rules You Will Not Find in Surah Al-Fatiha
Some rules you may expect are not in this surah. Knowing this saves you from looking for them:
- Idgham, iqlab and ikhfa of the noon. Only one noon has a sukoon, in an'amta (أَنْعَمْتَ), and the 'ayn after it makes that rule izhar. There is no tanween in this surah. See idgham, iqlab and ikhfa in Tajweed for the other noon rules.
- Qalqalah. No baa, jeem, daal, Taa or qaaf has a sukoon here, and no ayah ends with one of them. For where the bounce comes in, see qalqalah letters.
- Ghunnah on a shaddah. No noon or meem has a shaddah in this surah. To see where the hum comes in, read ghunnah in Tajweed. No meem with a sukoon comes before baa or meem. So the hidden and merged meem rules do not appear.
- Connected and separated madd. No hamza follows a madd letter in the same word. No word ends with a madd letter before a hamza that you say when you read on.
Practise Surah Al-Fatiha in Five Steps
Take a few minutes a day for five days. Here is one plan:
- Step 1: Read the seven ayahs slowly. Mark each 'al' as a sun letter or a moon letter.
- Step 2: Say each natural madd with the finger method, 2 counts each. Then say ad-daalleen with 6 counts.
- Step 3: Read ayahs 6 and 7 slowly. Find the always-heavy letters: saad, Taa, qaaf, ghayn and daad. Then find the heavy raa in as-siraata and siraata.
- Step 4: Say the clear noon in an'amta and the clear meems with no extra hum. Say the light haa in Allaahi (ٱللَّهِ) and the strong Haa in al-hamdu (ٱلْحَمْدُ) from the right throat place. Our guide to makharij al-huroof shows where each one sits.
- Step 5: Record yourself and play it back. Then read the surah to a teacher and ask which rule to fix first.
Get Your Al-Fatiha Checked
A teacher can tell which of these rules you keep and which you miss. In our online Tajweed classes, each lesson is live, one to one, and 30 minutes long. The tutor checks each rule as you read the surah and helps you fix it right away. You may pick a tutor who is male or female.
Not sure which rule to fix first? A free 30-minute trial class lets you read Surah Al-Fatiha with the tutor. You will see which rule to start with. No card is needed.