The four rules at a glance
| Rule | Next letter is one of | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izhar | ء ه ع ح غ خ | Pronounce the noon clearly, no nasal sound | أَنْعَمْتَ (Al-Fatihah 1:7) |
| Idgham | ي ر م ل و ن | Merge the noon into the next letter | مِن رَّبِّهِمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:5) |
| Iqlab | ب | Change the noon into a meem with ghunnah | مِنۢ بَعْدِ (Al-Baqarah 2:27) |
| Ikhfa | the remaining 15 letters | Hide the noon with a nasal sound | مِن شَرِّ (Al-Falaq 113:2) |
Where does noon sakinah occur?
- Inside a word: أَنْعَمْتَ, يَنْهَوْنَ
- At the end of a word before the next word: مِنْ, عَنْ, إِنْ
Tanween only occurs at the end of a word, so tanween rules always operate between two words, and only when you continue reading without stopping.
The key idea
The four rules describe how the noon sound adapts to what follows it. Far from the noon's articulation point (the throat letters), the noon stays clear. Very close to it (ل ر) or similar in nature (ي و م ن), it merges. Before ب, the lips are about to close, so it becomes a meem. Before everything else, it is half-hidden.
Stopping cancels the rule
If you stop at the end of a word, tanween becomes a long fatha (on ً) or disappears (on ٍ ٌ), and a final noon sakinah is pronounced clearly. The rules only apply when reading continuously.
Practice
Read Surah Al-Falaq (113) slowly. It contains ikhfa three times (مِن شَرِّ) and izhar twice (غَاسِقٍ إِذَا and حَاسِدٍ إِذَا, where tanween is followed by ء). Then read Surah Al-Bayyinah (98), which adds idgham (رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ) and several more ikhfa cases (مُنفَكِّينَ, مِن تَحْتِهَا) within a few lines. For iqlab, look for the small meem sign in مِنۢ بَعْدِ in Al-Baqarah 2:27.
Examples of Rules of Noon Sakinah and Tanween
- Surah Quraysh 106:4
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍۢ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍۭ
مِّنْ خَوْفٍۭ — Iẓhār: nūn sākinah before khā (a throat letter) is pronounced clearly.
Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear.
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:5
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
هُدًۭى مِّن — Idghām with ghunnah: the tanwīn merges into the mīm with a nasal sound.
Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:27
ٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ
مِنۢ بَعْدِ — Iqlāb: nūn sākinah before bā becomes a hidden mīm with ghunnah.
Who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers.
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:3
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
يُنفِقُونَ — Ikhfāʾ: the nūn is hidden before fā with a nasal sound.
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,