Assalamu alaikum - On the Mispronunciation of Arabic ض (ḍād) Among South Asian Muslims

Assalamu alaikum. I want to talk about a pronunciation issue I see a lot in Urdu-speaking Muslim communities: the Arabic letter ض (ḍād) often being said like a “z” instead of the emphatic “d.” This matters especially when reciting the Qur’an, because wrong pronunciation can change meanings. Some background: Arabic, Urdu, Farsi (Persian), Pashto, etc. share many letters, but they don’t always sound the same. In Arabic, ض is a heavy/emphatic “d” sound made from the side of the tongue. Urdu used to keep that emphatic “d” for ض, but Persian pronounces ض like a “z.” Over centuries, Persian influence in the subcontinent led many Urdu speakers to start saying ض as “z.” It became common in everyday speech and then crept into Qur’an recitation. That replacement is incorrect for Arabic and can lead to real meaning changes. Why this is serious: ض and ز are different letters in Arabic. Swapping them can alter words and their meanings. A few examples: - ضَالِّين = those who are astray vs زَالِّين = those who have disappeared - أَرْض = earth/land vs أَرْز = rice or cedar (depending on context) - ضِلَال = misguidance vs ظِلَال = shadows (confusing ظ with ز/ض also causes issues) These aren’t tiny pronunciation quirks; they can change the message, which is a big deal in Qur’anic recitation. There’s an Islamic dimension too: learning correct makharij (points of articulation) and sifaat (letter characteristics like emphasis) for Qur’an recitation is something every Muslim should take seriously, at least to the point of avoiding meaning-changing mistakes. Beginners are forgiven while learning, but once someone is able to learn properly, neglecting correct pronunciation is not acceptable. It’s not just ض-other letters like ق, ع, ح, etc., also need attention. Sadly, these mistakes are often normalized in our region because of long-standing speech habits, so many people recite without realizing they’re altering words. Conclusion: ض is an emphatic “d,” not a “z.” While Persian influence affected Urdu pronunciation, we shouldn’t carry that into Qur’an recitation. Please try to learn correct articulation for the sake of accurate recitation in salah and beyond. Jazakum Allah khair - share this so more people can become aware and improve their recitation.