Lesson 7: Mad Al-Aarid مد العارض

Mad Al-Aarid (مد العارض)

- If a temporary sukoon appears on a word that comes after one of the Madd letters, then this is known as Mad Al-Aarid
- Aarid means temporary, so we can translate it as Temporary Mad.
- Madd Al-Aaarid becomes Mad Al-Tabee’ee if the reciter doesn’t pause on the letter and elongates to only one alif amount.
- Depending on the last harakah of a word, Mad Al-Aaarid can be changed in its level of prolonging.
- Please see the examples and definitions below and pay attention to the red-colored letters of the words.
- Now, let’s start practicing 😊:

1) Mad Al-Aarid when the last letter of a word is fatha: As you see in these examples, there is a mad letter and normally sukoon is not there, but when the reciter stop at the end of a verse or pause to take a breath, a temporary sukoon comes there. Therefore, elongation will be determined based on the last harakah. In this case, it is fatha. When you recite, you should elongate 1 to 4 alif amounts.

2) Maddi Âarid when the last letter of a word is kasra: Can be prolonged as much as one level Alif to five levels of Alif. It also can be recited with kasra and Rawm which means to recite in a soft and low tune to indicate the kasra in the last letter.

3) Maddi Âarid when the last letter of a word is damma: It is permissible to prolong it from one level of Alif up to five levels of Alif This can only be recited with kasra and Rawm. Also, if the reciter wants, s/he can recite each of the levels of prolongation according to ishmam that is to shape your lips in the shape of a Damma (circular shape) without actually pronouncing the Damma.

One quick note: If the last letter after Madd Âarid is one of these letters below, then due to the qalqalah rule, one cannot recite in Rawm or Ishmam. (Refer to the Qalqalah topic for more information.) Instead of reading all of the compulsory Maddi Âarid forms in recitation, one other option is to read any of the ones according to one’s preference. Nowadays, Rawm and Ishmam are not practiced by reciters.