If a non-Arab person cannot pronounce Arabic letters like dhal (ذ), or deep letters like ‘ain (ع), what should he substitute it with?

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Question
Salam , if a non-Arab person cannot pronounce Arabic letters like dhal (ذ), or deep letters like ‘ain (ع), what should he substitute it with? For example, in Pakistan there is disagreement at the end of al-Fatiha, where some people say “…walad-daleen” (with a D sound) or “…walaz-zaleen” (with a Z sound). JazakAllahu khayran.

Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.

The Principle of Recitation in Salah

Reciting al-Fatiha correctly is a pillar of the prayer. The rule in tajwid is that one must strive to pronounce the Qur’an with the correct articulation (makharij) and attributes of the letters. But the usul principle applies: “La yukallifu Allahu nafsan illa wus‘aha” — Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity [al-Baqarah 2:286].

Thus, if a person truly cannot pronounce a letter after exerting effort, his recitation remains valid, and Allah accepts it according to his ability.

Substitution of Difficult Letters

  1. Letter ذ (dhal):
    • The correct sound is between d and z, with the tongue touching the tip of the teeth.
    • Non-Arabs often substitute it with z (“walaz-zaleen”) or d (“walad-daleen”).
    • Scholars said that if a person cannot pronounce it properly despite effort, his prayer is valid. However, substituting with “z” is closer to the actual sound than substituting with “d.”
  2. Letter ع (‘ain):
    • It is a deep throat sound with no exact substitute in many languages.
    • If one replaces it with a hamzah (ء), the prayer is valid, though not precise. Example: saying “alhamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin” as “alhamdu lillahi rabbil-alamin.”

Usul Principles Applied

  • “Ma la yudraku kulluhu la yutraku kulluhu” — what cannot be attained completely should not be abandoned completely. One should continue reciting to the best of one’s ability.
  • “Al-maysur la yasqut bil-ma‘ssur”  — “What can be done is not dropped because of what cannot be done.”
    Meaning: the attainable part of the duty (pronouncing most letters correctly, maintaining tajwid where you are able) is still required and valid, and it is not nullified by the unattainable part (a few letters you cannot yet produce despite effort).
    Practically: you are not excused from improving the letters you can fix, nor does failure on one tough letter cancel your whole recitation. You fulfill what you can now, and you keep working on what you cannot yet do.

And Allah knows best.