Tashil in Hafs occurs in only one word of the entire Quran: ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ (a-a’jamiyyun) in Surah Fussilat 41:44. Here, Hafs ‘an ‘Asim reads the first hamza normally and the second hamza “eased”, pronounced softly between a hamza and an alif, without the sharp catch of a full hamza and without lengthening. It is a small detail, but it is a classic test of careful recitation, and it is one of the special words every student in a course to learn Tajweed online should know.
This guide explains what tashil means, why this word is read this way, how to pronounce it, how to recognize it in the mushaf, and how it differs from three related words where Hafs allows two readings.
Key takeaways
- In Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah, obligatory tashil appears in one word only: ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ (Fussilat 41:44).
- The second hamza is eased between hamza and alif; it is short, never stretched into a madd.
- The Madani mushaf marks it with a small filled dot above the letter instead of a fatha.
- In ءَآلذَّكَرَيْنِ, ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ and ءَآللَّهُ, Hafs allows a 6-count madd (preferred) or tashil.
What Tashil Means
Tashil (تسهيل) comes from a root meaning “to make easy.” In tajweed it refers to pronouncing a hamza in a lighter way. The full name of the type found in Hafs is tashil bayna bayna, “easing between the two”: the hamza is pronounced between its own sound and the sound of the long letter matching its vowel.
Since the eased hamza in our word carries a fatha, it is pronounced between a hamza and an alif. You keep a trace of the hamza, but the hard glottal stop is softened so the sound flows.
Arabic speakers naturally find two hamzas in a row heavy on the tongue. Several readers, such as Qalun and Warsh, ease the second of two hamzas in many words. Hafs, by contrast, pronounces both hamzas fully almost everywhere, which is why this single exception stands out.
The Word in Its Verse
The word appears in Surah Fussilat, in a verse answering the objections of those who rejected the Quran. Allah says, in meaning, that if He had sent it as a non-Arabic Quran, they would have said, “Why are its verses not made clear? What, a foreign [book] and an Arab [messenger]?” (Fussilat 41:44).
The word ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ is made of two parts:
- ءَ: the hamza of questioning (“is it…?”), pronounced fully.
- أَعْجَمِىٌّ: “foreign” or “non-Arabic”, whose own first hamza is the one that gets eased.
So the reading sounds roughly like a-(eased)a’jamiyyun wa ‘arabiyy. Like every feature of a riwayah, this reading is established by transmission from teacher to student, not by reasoning or preference.
How to Pronounce the Eased Hamza
Pronouncing tashil correctly is almost impossible to learn from text alone, because it lives in a very fine difference of sound. Still, these steps help:
- Say the first hamza clearly with its fatha: a.
- Begin the second hamza at the same point in the throat, but do not close the throat fully. Let the sound slide out gently.
- Color it toward an alif, keeping it the length of a short vowel.
- Move straight to the ع with sukun, making sure the ‘ayn is clear and not swallowed.
Listen to a trusted Hafs reciter at this verse several times, then record yourself and compare. Better still, recite it to a teacher, who can hear in seconds whether your hamza is fully pronounced, eased or dropped. Our article on pronouncing ‘ayn and hamza helps you get both throat letters right, which matters in this word more than most.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What it sounds like | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Full hamza (tahqiq) | a-‘a’jamiyy, two sharp stops | Soften the second hamza; this word is the exception |
| Turning it into a madd | aaa’jamiyy, a long alif | Keep it short, like a normal fatha |
| Dropping it entirely | a’jamiyy, as if there were one hamza | Keep a light trace of the second hamza |
| Making it a ha (ه) | a-ha’jamiyy | No breathy h; the sound stays in the hamza’s position |
How the Mushaf Marks Tashil
In the widely used Madani mushaf (Hafs, King Fahd printing and similar editions), the second hamza in this word has no fatha. Instead, a small filled dot is written above the letter. The explanatory notes at the back of these mushafs explain this sign. A similar dot written below a letter marks imalah, which in Hafs occurs only in مَجْر۪ىٰهَا (Hud 11:41).
Other mushaf styles may mark the word differently, so check the key printed in your own copy. If you are still learning the small signs, our guide to reading small letters and signs in the mushaf walks through them one by one.
Review the key facts with the flashcards below before moving on to the related words.
Tashil Flashcards
Flip each card to review the eased hamza and related words in Hafs
Related Words: When Hafs Allows Two Readings
Students often confuse obligatory tashil with three words that look similar. In each, a hamza of questioning comes before the hamzat al-wasl of the definite article “al-“. Because dropping the wasl hamza would erase the question, it is kept and changed, and all readers, including Hafs, have two valid ways:
| Word | Where it appears | Reading 1 (preferred) | Reading 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ءَآلذَّكَرَيْنِ | Al-An’am 6:143, 6:144 | Change to alif with a 6-count madd lazim | Tashil, no madd |
| ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ | Yunus 10:51, 10:91 | Change to alif with a 6-count madd lazim | Tashil, no madd |
| ءَآللَّهُ | Yunus 10:59, An-Naml 27:59 | Change to alif with a 6-count madd lazim | Tashil, no madd |
The long madd (called ibdal, replacement) is the reading most teachers give first, and it is covered in our article on madd lazim. Choose one way and keep it consistent in a single recitation, as your teacher directs.
Words Hafs reads with two full hamzas
To see how exceptional Fussilat 41:44 is, compare it with these words, where Hafs pronounces both hamzas clearly (tahqiq):
- ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:6)
- ءَأَنتُمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:140)
- ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ (Al Imran 3:20)
- ءَأَمِنتُم (Al-Mulk 67:16)
If you ease the hamza in any of these while reciting Hafs, that is a mistake. Tashil belongs to one word only.
Tashil sits with Hafs’s other special words. Teachers often group it with sakt (four short pauses), imalah (Hud 11:41) and ishmam (Yusuf 12:11’s تَأْمَ۫نَّا). Learning them as a set helps you remember each one.
These special words are where self-study most often goes wrong, because the differences are subtle and written explanations only go so far. In our one-to-one Tajweed course, your teacher reads each word with you until it sounds right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tashil in tajweed?
Tashil means easing a hamza: pronouncing it softly, between a full hamza and the letter of its vowel, without the sharp stop. In Hafs ‘an ‘Asim via al-Shatibiyyah it is obligatory in only one word, ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ in Fussilat 41:44.
Is tashil the same as madd?
No. Tashil keeps the eased hamza short, like a normal vowel. In the three words ءَآلذَّكَرَيْنِ, ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ and ءَآللَّهُ, you choose between tashil and a 6-count madd, but you never combine the two.
Does tashil change the meaning of the word?
No. It is a difference in pronunciation transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ through the chain of reciters, not a difference in meaning. Reading it with a full hamza in Hafs is still a recitation error, so it is worth practicing.
Do other qira’at use tashil more often?
Yes. Several readings ease the second of two hamzas in many words, which is one of the clearest differences between them and Hafs. Most students master Hafs first; you can ask about other riwayat during your free assessment, and the Tajweed glossary of Arabic terms helps with the vocabulary.
How can I check that I am pronouncing tashil correctly?
Record yourself and compare with a trusted Hafs reciter, then have a qualified teacher listen. A live Tajweed class is the quickest way to confirm the sound, since the difference is too fine for most learners to judge alone.
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