Sun and Moon Letters: Lam Shamsiyya and Lam Qamariyya Explained

Why is الشَّمْس read ash-shams and not al-shams, while الْقَمَر is read al-qamar? The answer is one of the first rules every Quran reader learns: the sun and moon letters. They decide whether the laam in the definite article “al-” (ال) is pronounced or silent.

This guide lists all 14 sun letters and 14 moon letters, explains the reason behind the rule (which most guides skip), shows how the Mushaf marks it, and gives Quran examples and an easy memory trick. It is a quick win for beginners who want to learn Quran online, because the rule appears in almost every line of the Quran.

What Are Sun and Moon Letters?

Arabic makes a noun definite by adding ال (“the”), similar to English “the”. The laam of ال behaves in one of two ways depending on the first letter of the noun:

• Lam Shamsiyya (اللَّام الشَّمْسِيَّة, “sun laam”): the laam is silent and the next letter is doubled with a shaddah.
• Lam Qamariyya (اللَّام الْقَمَرِيَّة, “moon laam”): the laam is pronounced with a sukoon.

The names come from the words used to teach them: الشَّمْس (the sun) starts with a sun letter, and الْقَمَر (the moon) starts with a moon letter.

Which Are the 14 Sun Letters?

Which Are the 14 Moon Letters?

Scholars give a short phrase that contains all 14 moon letters: اِبْغِ حَجَّكَ وَخَفْ عَقِيمَهُ (“seek your Hajj and fear its being fruitless”). Any letter not in that phrase is a sun letter.

Why Does the Laam Disappear Before Sun Letters?

This is the part most guides leave out. The sun letters are all made with the tip or front of the tongue, the same area as laam itself (for example ت, د, س, ن, ر). Because the tongue is already in that area, it moves straight to the sun letter and the laam merges into it. That merge is a form of Idgham, and it is why the sun letter receives a shaddah.

The moon letters are made elsewhere: in the throat (ء ح خ ع غ ه), at the back of the tongue (ق ك), in the middle of the tongue (ج ي) or with the lips (ب ف م و). The tongue has to leave the laam position to reach them, so the laam is pronounced clearly, which is a form of Izhar. If you know the makharij al huroof, the rule makes immediate sense.

How Does the Mushaf Show Sun and Moon Letters?

You do not need to memorise the lists to read correctly, because the Mushaf marks them:

So in الشَّمْس the laam is bare and the sheen has a shaddah, while in الْقَمَر the laam has a sukoon. Train your eye to look for these two signs.

What Happens When You Start Reading from a Word with Al-?

When you begin with a word that starts with ال, the alif is pronounced with a fatha: ash-shams, al-qamar. When the word comes after another word, the alif is silent and you join straight from the previous word. For example, بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ is read bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm, with no “a” sound before the raa. This silent alif is called hamzatul wasl, explained in our guide to hamzatul wasl vs hamzatul qat.

Does the Rule Apply to Other Laams?

No. The sun and moon rule applies only to the laam of the definite article ال. Other laams follow their own rules:

• The laam in a verb such as قُلْ or قُلْنَا is always pronounced.
• The laam in the name اللَّه follows its own heavy and light rule, covered in our Tajweed for beginners guide.
• The laam of a particle such as بَلْ or هَلْ has its own rules when followed by raa or laam.

Which Surahs Are Good for Practising This Rule?

• Al-Fatiha (1): الْحَمْدُ, الْعَالَمِينَ (moon) and الرَّحْمٰنِ, الدِّينِ, الصِّرَاطَ, الضَّالِّينَ (sun).
• Ash-Shams (91): the first lines alternate sun and moon nouns: الشَّمْسِ, الْقَمَرِ, النَّهَارِ, اللَّيْلِ, السَّمَاءِ, الْأَرْضِ.
• An-Nas (114): النَّاسِ and الْوَسْوَاسِ, الْخَنَّاسِ.

Read Surah Ash-Shams slowly and say “sun” or “moon” after each definite noun. Most students master the rule in two or three days this way.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Sun and Moon Letters?

• Pronouncing the laam before a sun letter: al-shams instead of ash-shams.
• Forgetting the shaddah: a-shams with a single sheen. The sun letter must be doubled.
• Dropping the laam before a moon letter: a-qamar instead of al-qamar.
• Adding a vowel to the moon laam: ala-qamar. The laam has a sukoon.

Children usually learn this rule in the Noorani Qaida for kids, and adults can practise it from their very first lessons in our online Quran classes for beginners.