Closeness Rules Salam alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa BarakatuHu. Peace be upon the followers of guidance.


Whenever two written letters meet, whether spoken or otherwise, they fall into one of four categories:

متماثلين - Unaltered - same letter
متجانسين - Related - the emission point or the characteristics are the same
متقاربين - Near Of - the emission point and/or the characteristics are near each other
متباعدين - Distant Of

When we say "written", like in:
إِنَّهُ هُوَ (1)
where the two ه s meet, it is considered متماثلين - Unaltered , even though in pronounciation there is a mudd extension و sound between the two letters. (see the rule for Mudd Sila Sughra).
It is not "written", like in:
أَنَا نَذِيرٌ (2)
where the two ن s do not meet in writing. It is not considered متماثلين - Unaltered, even though the two letters meet in pronounciation. They have to meet in writing.

Each letter is emitted from a certain place, like the throat or tip of the tongue. This is referred to the emission point of the letter. Each letter also has attributes, like thick or thin. Praises are to Allah for this beneficial knowledge that was brought down to us by our noble shuyukh from the past. May Allah allow us to continue to propogate this knowledge.

متماثلين - Unaltered
The two letters have the same emission point and the same attributes, like the two ب s in:
اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي (3)
or like the two ل s in:
فَقَالَ لَهُمُ (4)
In other words, the two letters are the same letter. The second letter is unaltered from the first letter, and does not change.

متجانسين - Related
The two letters are متجانسين - Related, if both come from the same emission point (but differ in the attributes), or both have all the same attributes (but differ in the emission point). That is if the emission point is the same, or all the attributes are the same, but are two different letters.

Two types:
متجانسين - Related in only the emission point like:
قَد تَّبَيَّنَ (8)
The د (daal) and ت (taa) are متجانسين related by having the same emission point, they both emit from the tip of the tongue, where the tongue is placed at the base of the top teeth.

متجانسين - Related in only the attributes like:
قَدْ جَعَلَ (9)
The د (daal) and ج (jeem) are متجانسين related by having all the same attributes. متجانسين - Related in attributes means all the attributes are the same.

متقاربين - Near Of
The two letters are near of each other in both the emission point and the attributes, or are near of each other in only the emission point, or are near of each other in only the attributes. The two letters may emit from the same emission point, like the tip of the tongue. The two letters may have many of the same attributes, like both being thin, or both being aired letters. The two letters may emit from the same place and as well share many of the same attributes:
1. Near of each other in both the emission point and the attributes like in:
وَقُل رَّبِّ (5)
The ل and the ر are near of each other in the emission point, as well as near of each other in the attributes. They have many of the same attributes. They are near of each other in the attributes because most of the attributes are the same.
2. Near of each other in only the emission point like:
قَدْ سَمِعَ (6)
The د and the س are near of each other in the emission point, as what was taught in the section of emission points of the letters. They both are emitted from the tip of the tongue. However they are not near of each other in the attributes, because most of the attributes differ.
3. Near of each other in only the attributes like:
بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ (7)
The ة and the ش are near of each other in the attributes, because most of the attributes are the same, however they differ in the emission points. The emission point of the ة is the tip of the tongue, and the emission point of the ش is the middle of the tongue.

المتباعدان - Distant of
The two letters are distant in the emission point, and have different attributes, like:
تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ (10)
The ت (taa) and ع (ain) are distant in the emission points.

*****

These are the seven divisions: متماثلين Unaltered , والمتجانسان مخرجا لا صفة related having same emission point not characteristics, المتجانسان صفة لا مخرجا related having same characteristics not emission point, والمتقاربان مخرجا وصفة near in both the emission points and characteristics, والمتقاربان مخرجا فقط near only in the emission point, والمتقاربان صفة فقط near only in the characteristics, المتباعدان - Distant of .

If both letters are voweled (both have either a fatha dumma or qasra) it is called كبيرا Kabeer-big.
If the first letter has a sakinah, it is called صغيرا Sagheer - little.
If the second letter has a sakinah, it is called مطلقا Mutlaq - Absolute.
So all together there are 21 cases where the two letters meet in writing.


These cases can be expressed in the following prose:
قال صاحب لآلئ البيان :

إن يجتمعْ حرفان خطا قُسِّمَا
عشرين قِسْمًا بعد واحدٍ نما
فمتماثلان إن يتحدا
في مخرجٍ وصفةٍ كما بدا
ومتقاربان حيثُ فيهما
تقاربٌ, أو كان في أيِّهِما
ومتجانسان إن تطابقا
في مخرج, أو في الصفات اتفقا
ومتباعدان حيثُ مخرجا
تباعدا, والخلفُ في الصفات جَا
وحيثما تحرَّك الحرفان في
كلٍّ فَسَمِّ بالكبير واقْتَفِ
وسمِّ بالصغير حيثُما سكن
أولُها, ومطلقٌ في العَكْسِ عن




متماثلين - Unaltered
The two letters have the same emission point and the same attributes, like the two ب s in:
اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي (3)
or like the two ل s in:
فَقَالَ لَهُمُ (4)
In other words, the two letters are the same letter. The second letter is unaltered from the first letter, and does not change.

Rule 1: متماثلين لكبير- Unaltered, both letters voweled

In this case both letters would be pronounced clearly like:
فِيهِ هُدًى (17)
الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ (18)

Rule 2: متماثلين الصغير- Unaltered, Sakin first letter
The rule is itgham, the first letter gets eaten up by the second.
like:
وَقَد دَّخَلُوا (11)
اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي (12)
This rule does not apply if the first letter is a mudd (extended).
like:
آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا (13)
في يَوْمٍ (14)
In which case you have to pronounce both clearly, because in the mudd, there is no idgham, it does not get eaten up.
This rule also does not apply if the first letter is a paused ه (haa), in the ayats:
مَالِيَهْ * هَلَكَ (15)
in surah haaqah. In one of the two ways of reciting these two ayats in continuum, it is required to pause between them ( سكتة ). The pause would be done without taking a new breath. In the other way of reciting in continuum, would be in itgham, the first ه (haa) gets eaten up by the second.

Rule 3: متماثلين المطلق- Unaltered, Sakin second letter
Rule is to pronounce both letters clearly, like in:
شَقَقْنَا (19)



المتقاربين- Near Of

The two letters are near of each other in both the emission point and the attributes, or are near of each other in only the emission point, or are near of each other in only the attributes. The two letters may emit from the same emission point, like the tip of the tongue. The two letters may have many of the same attributes, like both being thin, or both being aired letters. The two letters may emit from the same place and as well share many of the same attributes:
1. Near of each other in both the emission point and the attributes like in:
وَقُل رَّبِّ (5)
The ل and the ر are near of each other in the emission point, as well as near of each other in the attributes. They have many of the same attributes. They are near of each other in the attributes because most of the attributes are the same.
2. Near of each other in only the emission point like:
قَدْ سَمِعَ (6)
The د and the س are near of each other in the emission point, as what was taught in the section of emision points of the letters. They both are emitted from the tip of the tongue. However they are not near of each other in the attributes, because most of the attributes differ.
3. Near of each other in only the attributes like:
بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ (7)
The ة and the ش are near of each other in the attributes, because most of the attributes are the same, however they differ in the emission points. The emission point of the ة is the tip of the tongue, and the emission point of the ش is the middle of the tongue.


Rule 1: المتقاربين الصغير- Near of, Sakin first letter
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
قَدْ سَمِعَ (20
Except in the cases of ل (laam) and ق (Qaaf).
as for the ل (laam) it gets eaten up by the ر (raa) like:
وَقُل رَّبِّ (21)
بَل رَّبُّكُمْ (22
as for the ق (Qaaf) it gets eaten up by the ك (kaaf) like:
أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّمْ (23)
in Surah mursalat. In this ayat the ulema have differed if the ق (Qaaf) gets completely eaten up, or just partially eaten up. The view that it gets completely eaten up, as if there was a shadda on the ك (kaaf) ( كّ ) . The ulema that say that it gets partially eaten say that the attribute of thickness remains on the initial ق (qaaf) sakinah, and the rest is pronounced thin in the voweled ك (kaaf).

Rule 2: المتقاربين الكبير- Near of, both letters voweled
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
عَدَدَ سِنِينَ (24

Rule 3: المتقاربين المطلق- Near of, sakin second letter
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
سِدْرَةِ (25


المتجانسين- Related
The two letters are متجانسين - Related, if both come from the same emission point (but differ in the attributes), or both have all the same attributes (but differ in the emission point). That is if the emission point is the same, or all the attributes are the same, but are two different letters.

Rule 1: المتجانسين الصغير- Related, Sakin first letter
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
قَدْ جَعَلَ (26
Except in the following cases:
The د (daal) gets eaten up by the ت (taa) like:
قَد تَّبَيَّنَ (27
The ذ (dhaal) gets eaten up by the ظ (thow) like:
إِذ ظَّلَمُوا (28
The ث (tha) gets eaten up by the ذ (dhaal) in surah araaf:
يَلْهَث ذَّلِكَ (29)
The ب (ba) gets eaten up by the م (meem) in surah Hud:
ارْكَب مَّعَنَا (30)
The ت (taa) gets eaten up by the د (daal), as well as the ط (taw) like:
أُجِيبَت دَّعْوَتُكُمَا (31
فَآمَنَت طَّائِفَةٌ (32
The ط (taw) gets PARTIALLY eaten up by the ت (taa), the attribute of Itbaq الإطباق - keeping the tongue close to the roof of the mouth, remains like:
بَسَطتَ (33)
أَحَطتُ (34)
فَرَّطتُ (35

Rule 2: المتجانسين الكبير- related, both letters voweled
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
الصَّالِحَاتِ طُوبَى (36

Rule 3: المتجانسين المطلق- related, second letter sakinah
The rule is Idhar Clear, the letters are pronounced clearly, like:
أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ (37



المتباعدين- Far Of
The two letters are distant in the emission point, and have different attributes.
The ruling is that it is always Idhar Clear - the letters are pronounced clearly, in all cases:
voweled (both have either a fatha dumma or qasra) كبيرا Kabeer-big.
the first letter has a sakinah, صغيرا Sagheer - little.
the second letter has a sakinah, مطلقا Mutlaq - Absolute.

__________

(1) سورة البقرة: الآية (37). الآية (54). (2) سورة العنكبوت: الآية (50). (3) سورة النمل: الآية (28). (4) سورة البقرة: الآية (243). (5) سورة طه: الآية (114). (6) سورة المجادلة: الآية (1). (7) سورة النور: الآية (4)، الآية (13). (8) سورة البقرة: الآية (256). (9) سورة مريم: الآية (24). (10) سورة الأنفال: الآية (2). (11) سورة المائدة: الآية (61). (12) سورة النمل: الآية (28). (13) سورة البقرة: الآية (25). (14) سورة إبراهيم: الآية (18). (15) الآية (28)، الآية (29). (16) السوسي هو: هو أبو شعيب صالح بن زياد بن عبد الله بن مسرح الرستبي السوسي الرقي (أحد راويي قراءة أبي عمرو البصري في السبعة) مقرئ ضابط محرر ثقة، أخذ القراءة عرضا وسماعا عن أبي محمد اليزيدي وهو من أجل أصحابه وروى عنه قراءة أبي عمرو بن العلاء البصري توفي سنة 261هـ. (ابن الجزري: غاية النهاية في طبقات القراء جـ1، ص332،333 رقم 1446). (17) سورة البقرة: الآية (2). (18) سورة البقرة: الآية (176). (19) سورة عبس: الآية (26). (20) سورة المجادلة: الآية (1). (21) سورة المؤمنون: الآية (29). (22) سورة الأنبياء: الآية (56). (23) الآية (20). (24) سورة المؤمنون: الآية (112). (25) سورة النجم: الآية (14). (26) سورة مريم: الآية (24). (27) سورة البقرة: الآية (256). (28) سورة النساء: الآية (64). (29) الآية (176). (30) الآية (42). (31) سورة يونس: الآية (89). (32) سورة الصف: الآية (14). (33) سورة المائدة: الآية (28). (34) سورة النمل: الآية (22). (35) سورة الزمر: الآية (56). (36) سورة الرعد: الآية (29). (37) سورة البقرة: الآية (75).