Advanced Hamza Orthography After Long

Arabic spelling follows a hierarchy of power. We call this the 'Strength of Vowels'. Imagine a wrestling match. Kasra (the 'i' sound) is the heavyweight champion. It is the strongest. Damma (the 'u' sound) is in second place. Fatha (the 'a' sound) is third. Sukun (no vowel) is the weakest. When a Hamza follows a long vowel, it looks at its own vowel. It also looks at the long vowel before it. Long vowels are basically long versions of Sukun. They are quiet and steady. Because the long vowel is 'weak', the Hamza's own vowel usually wins the fight. If the Hamza has a fatha after an alif, it stays on the line. If it has a damma, it jumps onto a waw. If it has a kasra, it sits on a yaa. It is all about balance and power.

1. 1Writing the Hamza after a long vowel follows a clear logic. Follow these steps every time:
2. 2Identify the long vowel before the Hamza. Is it alif (ا), waw (و), or yaa (ي)?
3. 3Determine the vowel sitting on the Hamza itself. Is it fatha, damma, or kasra?
4. 4Apply the 'Seat Rule'.
5. 5After alif or waw: If the Hamza has a fatha, write it on the line (ء).
6. 6After alif or waw: If the Hamza has a damma, write it on a waw (ؤ).
7. 7After alif or waw: If the Hamza has a kasra, write it on a yaa without dots (ئ).
8. 8Special Case: After a long yaa, the Hamza ALWAYS sits on a yaa chair (ئ). This is because the yaa is so strong it acts like a kasra.

Use this rule whenever you are writing medial or final Hamzas. This happens often in plural nouns. It happens in verbs with middle Hamzas. Imagine you are writing a formal email to a boss. You want to say 'his colleagues'. You write zumalā’uhu. The Hamza is after an alif. It has a damma. So it needs a waw seat. Or imagine you are ordering food. You ask for 'water'. That is mā’. The Hamza is at the end. It sits on the line. You will use this in job interviews too. Talking about your 'performance' (adā’) requires this knowledge. It shows you have high-level literacy. It makes your writing look polished and professional.

Do not use these rules for the start of a word. A Hamza at the beginning is always on an alif. Do not use these rules for short vowels. If the letter before the Hamza has a fatha (not a long alif), the rules change. This is strictly for the 'long' neighbors. Also, do not overcomplicate the final Hamza in the absolute case. If the word ends and has no extra grammar endings, it usually just sits on the line after alif or waw. Don't try to force a chair where it isn't needed. It is like wearing a tuxedo to a beach party. Just because it's fancy doesn't mean it fits the occasion!

Many people put the Hamza on an alif after another alif. This is a big 'no-no'. You cannot have two alifs in a row like that. For example, writing tasā’ala (he asked) with an alif seat is wrong. It must be on the line. Another mistake is forgetting the yaa rule. After a long ī sound, the Hamza is never on the line. It always gets a chair. People often write bī’a (environment) with a floating Hamza. That is incorrect. It needs the ئ seat. Don't worry if you trip up. Even the most famous poets had editors for this! Just remember: yaa is the boss. It always demands a chair for its neighbor.

Compare this to Hamza after a Sukun (a consonant with no vowel). In words like duf’ (warmth), the Hamza is on the line. But if you make it a long vowel like dafā’ (warmth/plural context), it stays on the line too. The tricky part is when grammar changes the ending. In mā’ (water), the Hamza is on the line. But if you say 'in its water', it becomes mā’ihi. Now the Hamza has a kasra. It must move to a yaa seat. This is different from words like ra’s (head). In ra’s, the Hamza is after a short vowel. It follows the short vowel rules. Long vowels are more 'polite'. They let the Hamza's own vowel decide the seat.