Noon Sakinah and Tanween are among the top rules of tajweed that any Muslim should learn to master Quran recitation.
And to set things clear for you, there are 4 rules you should learn regarding Noon Sakinah or tanween: Idghaam, Ikhfaa, Izhar, and Iqlaab.
In previous posts, we have presented the rule of idgham and Iqlab in detail.
In this article, we’ll delve into all of those rules combined, explain for you each of them with many examples, and exercise from the holy Quran to show you how to apply them but first let’s start with a short definition for Noon Sakinah and Tanween.
Noon Sakin is the letter Noon with a Sukoon sign over it نْ, for example, مِنْ and عَنْ, and it can be found in the end or the middle of a word.
مِنْ بعد وصيةٍ يُوصى بها أو دَيْن
وَالْأَنْعَامَ خَلَقَهَا ۗ لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ وَمَنَافِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
Tanween is an noon Sakin that’s pronounced but not written, and it expresses itself through double Dumma, double Fatha, and double kasra, and it comes always at the end of the names only (no verbs or letters)
Examples from the Quran
1)أجراً عظيماً
2)عفواً غفوراً
3)فِيها أَنْهارٌ مِنْ ماءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ
4)عذابٌ أليم.
As we mentioned before, there are four conditions for noon sakin and tanween and we’ll go through each of them in details.
In the Arabic language, It means merging something into another, However, In tajweed terminology, it means a Sakin letter meets a vowel one, so both turn into one letter (Mushadad).
There are four letters for Idgham: ي- ر- م- ل- و-ن. and All of them are combined in يرملون
Idgham includes two types
It occurs when noon saakin and tanween meets ي- و-م- ن (combined into ينمو) and it results into a nasal sound.
Listen to those records below any pay attention to the bold letters below
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ
أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ مِنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ مُحِيطٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلا نَصِيرٍ
It occurs when noon sakin or tanween meets the two letters (ر ، ل), so they combine into one letter without Ghunna.
Listen to those records below any pay attention to the bold letters below
ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
أُولَئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
Izhar in the Arabic language means to show, and in tajweed terminology, it means to pronounce each letter from its articulation point without Ghunna.
There are six letters for Izhar: ء, ه، ع، غ، ح، خ, and they’re called the throatal letters because they’re pronounced from the throat
For applying Izhar, you should pronounce the tanween and noon sakin clearly without ghunna.
For understanding Listen to those records below any pay attention to the bold letters below
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْـَٔوْنَ عَنْهُ ۖ وَإِن يُهْلِكُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَد
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ ۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ
سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنْذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ
أَوْ خَلْقًا مِّمَّا يَكْبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمْ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَن يُعِيدُنَا ۖ قُلِ الَّذِي فَطَرَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۚ فَسَيُنْغِضُونَ إِلَيْكَ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هُوَ ۖ قُلْ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ
Ikhfa in the Arabic language means to hide or conceal, and it’s a middle state between Izhar and Idghaam, regarding that Ghunna apparent on the concealed letter.
There are 15 letters, when followed by Noon sakin or tanween, this rule’d be applied. Those letters are
ص، ذ، ث، ك، ج، ش، ق، س، د، ط، ز، ف، ت، ق، ض، ظ
And those letters constitues the initial letters in the words of this rhyem
صف ذا ثـنا كم جاد شخص قد سـمادم طيبا زد فـي تقى ضـع ظـالما
When concealing noon Sakin or tanween, the artiuclation point for the letter ن (the upper edge of the tongue with the upper gum) changes to somewhere closed to the artiuclation point for the letter followed it. In other words , the reciter make some gap between the tongue edge and the upper gum),
For understanding this rule, Listen to those records below any pay attention to the bold letters below. (Notice that Ghunna is stretched to two movements If the concealed letter is heavy, and lightened it if the letter is light.
إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْصُوراً
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنكَـالاً وَجَحِيماً
وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَـأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَـاتِيَةٍ
مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَنـاً فَـيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافاً كَثِيرَةً
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُـمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَؤُوسٌ كَـفُورٌ
وَقَالُواْ لَوْلا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنزَلْنَا مَلَكاً لَّقُضِيَ الأمْرُ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنظَرُونَ
هَذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنطِـقُونَ
فَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ لِلّهِ أَندَاداً وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ
وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
لَن تَـنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُـنفِـقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفاً وَشَيْبَةً
Iqlab means in language to turn something upside down
And according to tajweed rules, it occurs when the letter ب follows non sakin or tanween, so ب turns into م
Below are many examples in the Quran that explains this rule in practice. Hear the records and notice how ب turns into م after noon sakinah and tanweed.
قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ (البقرة، 33)
كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ (الهمزة، 4)
يُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالْأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (النحل، 11)
، وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنَ الأنْبَاءِ ما فيه مزدجر (القمر، 4)
وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُمْ وَمَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ (الشعراء، 211)
Read more: Reflection on The Broken Letters in The Quran- Huroof-E-Muqatta’at
Now, it’s your turn to look at those five verses below and hear the records then extract all the rules of Noon sakin and tanween into it and explain why this rule is applied.
Remeber that you many find 3-4 rules in one verses, so take your time, hear the records multiple times, before you guess you answer and write it down, the check the right answer after
.وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَابَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مُّهْتَدٍ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ (الحديد، 26)
.هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (غافر،67)
يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا (الاحزاب،28)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا ۚ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا (النساء، 97)
قَالَ آمَنْتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ (طه،71)
Answers
| Verse | Rule | Reason |
| 1 | Idgham with Gunna: نُوحًا وَإبراهيم, مُّهْتَدٍ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ | Tanween is followed by the letter و ، م ad both are among the letters of Idghaam |
| 2 | Ikhfaa . مِّن تُرَابٍ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ مِن قَبْلُ Idghaam with Ghunna مِن نُّطْفَةٍ شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ Izhaar: مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ | Ikhfaa: Noon sakin and tanween is followed by those letters ت ، ث ، ق Idghaam with Ghunna: Noon sakin and tanween is followed by those letters ن ، و، ي، م Izhaar: Noon sakin is followed by the letter ع |
| 3 | Ikhfaa كُنْتُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا | Noon sakin and tanween are followed by the letter ت |
| 4 | Ikhfaa كُنتُمْ izhar تَكُنْ أَرْضُ | Ikhfaa: Noon sakin is followed by the letter ت izhar: Noon sakin is followed by the letter ء |
| 5 | Ikhfaa آمَنْتُمْ izhar أَنْ آذَنَ منْ خِلَافٍ idhgam with gunna عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ | Ikhfaa: Noon sakin is followed by the letter ت izhar: Noon sakin is followed by the letter أ, خ idhgam with gunna: Noon sakin is followed by the letter و |
Hope you find this article informative and helpful for you and now you’re able to apply the rules by noticing the letter that comes after Noon Sakinah and Tanween and know the rule that should be applied.
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