The 28 Arabic letters. And the principles they carry

Each Arabic letter encodes an ontological principle. Click any letter to read its full meaning, its Quranic resonance, and what it says about a name that carries it.

On this page: 32 entries
Every entry has: Its meaning and its letter-by-letter reading

What is this? All twenty-eight Arabic letters plus the four Persian additions, each with its element, abjad value and reading.

ا Alif Origin, oneness, the upright singular. The first, undivided stroke ب Ba The container, the house, the vessel that holds. The first letter of Bismillah ت Ta Completion, the return, the feminine completion. The letter that closes many Arabic words ث Tha Weight, establishment, fruit. That which endures and bears outcome ج Jeem Gathering, the collective, beauty assembled. Beauty that gathers and radiates ح Ha (soft) Life, breath, the divine exhalation. The letter of living presence خ Kha The hidden, the interior, the good that is kept within د Dal The door, the threshold, the guide to what lies beyond ذ Dhal Remembrance, the door that is marked and kept. The letter of dhikr ر Ra Continuous flow, mercy, the unstoppable movement forward ز Zayn Beauty, adornment, that which graces. The decoration that is also substance س Seen The horizon, continuous flow, the secret within. The wave that moves forward without stopping ش Sheen Spreading, radiating, solar intensity. The letter of the sun itself ص Sad Truthfulness, sincerity, the emphatic version of honesty. Truth that cannot be softened ض Dad The letter unique to Arabic. The language of the Quran is called "the language of Dad" ط Ta (heavy) The wheel, circular return, the completion of cycles. The letter whose form is a circle ظ Dha Appearance, what is visible from the outside. What the surface reveals ع Ain The eye, the spring of water, the essence of a thing. Origin and perception unified in one letter غ Ghayn The unseen, the hidden depth, abundance that is not yet visible ف Fa Opening, spreading, the mouth that speaks. The letter of opening and expression ق Qaf The deepest letter. Produced at the very back of the throat, encoding divine decree ك Kaf Likeness, the mirror, the one who reflects. The letter of correspondence ل Lam Belonging, connection, the bond between things. The letter of relation م Meem Love, depth, the mother principle. Water and the source that sustains life ن Nun The depths of the ocean, what is preserved and written, the divine ink و Waw Connection, the conjunction, that which joins. And, together, with ه Ha (light) The divine breath, presence, the letter that appears in the Name of Allah ة Ta marbuta The tied ta, the ending that completes. The letter that only ever closes ي Ya The hand reaching, the self in motion toward something, the intimate address أ / إ / ء Hamza The glottal stop, the breath before the word. The pause that is itself a sound