Noon Sakinah (نْ — noon with sukoon) and Tanween (ً ٍ ٌ) follow four specific rules depending on the letter that comes after them. These rules are among the most important in Tajweed and must be memorised and applied throughout Quran recitation.

The Four Rules

Izhar — إظهار — Clear Pronunciation

Pronounce the noon clearly with no merging or nasality. No ghunna is applied.

When noon sakinah or tanween is followed by one of the 6 THROAT LETTERS:

أ ه ع ح غ خ

These are all throat letters (huroof halqiyya). The noon stays clear because the throat letters are far from the nun's articulation point.

مَنْ أَمَنَ

Man amana

نْ + أ = Izhar

مِنْ عِلْمٍ

Min ilmin

نْ + ع = Izhar

مِنْ هَادٍ

Min haadin

نْ + ه = Izhar

مِنْ حَكِيمٍ

Min hakeemi

نْ + ح = Izhar

مِنْ غِلٍّ

Min ghillin

نْ + غ = Izhar

مِنْ خَيْرٍ

Min khayrin

نْ + خ = Izhar

Idgham — إدغام — Merging

The noon or tanween merges into the next letter. The noon disappears and only the next letter is heard.

When followed by one of 6 letters: ي ر م ل و ن (remembered as يَرْمَلُون)

ي ر م ل و ن

Idgham WITH Ghunna (nasal) — into: ي و م ن

ي و م ن

مَنْ يَعْمَلْ

May-yamal

نْ merges into ي with ghunna

مِنْ وَلِيٍّ

Miw-waliyyin

نْ merges into و with ghunna

مِنْ مَالٍ

Mim-maali

نْ merges into م with ghunna

مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ

Min-nimatin

نْ merges into ن with ghunna

يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَةٌ

...

Tanween + ن — Idgham

Idgham WITHOUT Ghunna — into: ر ل

ر ل

مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ

Mir-Rabbihim

نْ merges into ر without ghunna

مِنْ لَدُنْهُ

Mil-ladunhu

نْ merges into ل without ghunna

هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

Hudal-lil-muttaqeen

Tanween + ل

غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Ghafoor-Raheem

Tanween + ر — Idgham

مِنْ رَبِّهِ

Mir-Rabbihi

نْ + ر — clear merge

Iqlab — إقلاب — Changing

The noon or tanween changes to a Meem sound, and ghunna is applied for 2 counts. The only letter that triggers Iqlab is ب (Ba).

ONLY when followed by ب (Ba)

Iqlab means "to change/flip". The noon flips to a meem before ba. A small م is sometimes written in Qurans to indicate this.

مِنْ بَعْدِ

Mim-badi

نْ → م before ب

أَنْبِئْهُمْ

Ambi-hum

نْ → م before ب

سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

Sameem-Baseer

Tanween → م before ب

عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ

Aleem-Bidhaat

Tanween → م before ب

مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا

Mim-badi ma

Classic Iqlab example

Ikhfa — إخفاء — Hiding

The noon is pronounced in a hidden manner — between clear (Izhar) and merged (Idgham). A ghunna of 2 counts is held while the mouth moves to prepare for the next letter.

When followed by any of 15 letters (all remaining Arabic letters)

ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك

All letters NOT in Izhar, Idgham, or Iqlab trigger Ikhfa. The nun is hidden with ghunna for 2 counts.

مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ

Min-tahtihim

نْ + ت = Ikhfa

مِنْ ثَمَرَةٍ

Min-thamaratin

نْ + ث = Ikhfa

مِنْ جُوعٍ

Min-joo-in

نْ + ج = Ikhfa

مِنْ دُونِ

Min-dooni

نْ + د = Ikhfa

مِنْ ذَهَبٍ

Min-dhahabin

نْ + ذ = Ikhfa

مَنْ زَكَّاهَا

Man-zakkaaha

نْ + ز = Ikhfa

إِنْ كُنْتُمْ

In-kuntum

نْ + ك = Ikhfa

أَنْفُسَكُمْ

Anfusakum

نْ + ف = Ikhfa

إِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ

In-sabartum

نْ + ص = Ikhfa

مِنْ شَرِّ

Min-sharri

نْ + ش = Ikhfa

Qalqala — The Echoing Letters

Next Chapter

Rules of Meem Sakinah

القاعدة النورانية

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Rules of Noon Sakinah and Tanween