Qalqalah refers to the echoing sound produced when certain letters are pronounced, and it exists in three distinct levels: Qalqalah Kubra, Qalqalah Wusta, and Qalqalah Sughra. Each type of Qalqalah has specific rules that determine how the letters should be articulated, especially when they appear at the end of a word or verse. Understanding these variations is key to perfecting your recitation and achieving the correct pronunciation in line with Tajweed rules.
Qalqalah Kubra is the strongest and most distinct, occurring when one of the Qalqalah letters (ق, ط, ب, ج, د) is followed by a Shaddah at the end of a verse. Qalqalah Wusta is a middle level of echoing that happens without a Shaddah, while Qalqalah Sughra is the lightest and can appear in various positions within a word.
Each type contributes to the rhythm and clarity of Quranic recitation. Below, we explore each of these types with examples from the Quran to help you master their pronunciation.
Qalqalah Kubra (قلقلة كبرى)
It is the strongest and clearest type of Qalqalah, and it occurs when one of the five letters (ق-ط-ب-ج-د) comes at the end of the verse and is accompanied by the Shaddah.
As for the method of pronunciation in this type, the reader should stop at the last letter without linking it to the word that follows it and echo the sound of the letter.
In this type, letters or gestures should not be added in place of the Qalqalah.
Let’s look at some Qalqalah Kubra examples so we can understand:
God Almighty says
“وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ”
“And the agony of death has come in truth.”
“تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ”
“Abu Lahab’s hands repented and he repented.”
In these verses we find that their endings are letters with a Shaddah above them, and they are (ب and ق).
Qalqalah Wusta (قلقلة وسطى)
The middle qalqalah is resulting from one of the letters of the qalqalah that is at the end of the word but does not have a Shaddah on it, and here the reader should stop at the word.
This type occurs at the end of the word in the middle of the verse.
for example:
God Almighty says in Surah Al-Buruj, verse 20
“وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ”
“While Allah encompasses them from behind”
Here we pause on the letter “ط” at the end of the word محيط.
Qalqalah Sughra (قلقلة صغرى)
It is called the light qalqalah, and it is distinguished from the previous types in that it is not in a specific place in the sentence or word, but rather it can come at the beginning, middle, or end of the word, and the qalqalah is in a proportion or order lower than the strong and middle qalqalah.
Example: the letter ق in the Almighty’s saying
“وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا”
“And we created you in pairs”
In order for us to memorize and understand these types more, let us see together some examples of qalqalah from the Holy Quran.
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Conclusion:
Qalqalah Kubra involves a clear, distinct echo, while Qalqalah Wusta and Qalqalah Sughra offer softer variations that add nuance to the recitation.
To effectively memorize these types, it’s important to practice with examples directly from the Quran, such as those found in Surah Al-Qamar for Qalqalah Kubra and Surah Al-Buruj for Qalqalah Wusta.
