Discover the meaning of the term Al-alf (ألف) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readWith the unvoweled lam and without pressing of the tongue, as in ma and la. It is said the alif is of two kinds: one unvoweled, as in the mentioned example, and one voweled, as amara; of the latter kind, the name alif is applied to the connecting hamza (hamzat al-wasl), called the alif of connection. It is said in the Sihah: the alif is of two kinds, soft and voweled; the soft is called alif and the voweled is called hamza; the alif with light hamza and unvoweled lam is widespread, as mi'a (hundred); the alif with the first and second vowels light: al-alfa and al-insa (taming and familiarity).
So-and-so, allafa, allafa or allafa: he won him over and loved him; he is mu'allif; plural: mu'allifun; he is mu'lif; plural: ulfa'. So-and-so allafa the thing: he joined its parts. The book: he compiled it.
His heart: the winning over; in the Quran: "He joined their hearts: had you spent all that is in the earth you could not have joined their hearts, but Allah joined them: He is mighty, wise" (al-Anfal 8:62).