Rules of the Silent Noun and Tanween in Surah Al-Taghabun
- **Clear Pronunciation (Izhhar)**: Examples include phrases like: (عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ), (غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ), (عَنْهُ), (الْأَنْهَارُ), (شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ), (مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ), (أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ), (قَرْضًا حَسَنًا), and (شَكُورٌ حَلِيمٌ).
- **Assimilation with Ghunna (Idgham with Ghunnah)**: Instances include: (كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُم), (مُّؤْمِنٌ وَاللَّـهُ), (أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا), (لَّن يُبْعَثُوا), (صَالِحًا يُكَفِّرْ), (مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ), (وَمَن يُؤْمِن), (فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّـهُ), and (حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفْهُ).
- **Assimilation without Ghunna (Idgham without Ghunnah)**: Examples include: (أَن لَّن), (عَدُوًّا لَّكُمْ), and (غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ).
- **Conversion (Iqlab)**: This includes terms such as: (عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ) and (يُؤْمِن بِاللَّـهِ).
- **Concealment (Ikhfa)**: Phrases include: (شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ), (فَمِنكُمْ), (وَمِنكُم), (مِن قَبْلُ), (أَنزَلْنَا), (جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي), (مِن تَحْتِهَا), and (إِن تُقْرِضُوا).
Overview of the Rules for Silent Noun and Tanween
In the study of Tajweed, there are four fundamental rules governing the silent noun (ن) and tanween (ً, ٌ, ٍ), which are outlined as follows:
Clear Pronunciation (Izhhar)
Defined linguistically as clarity and manifestation, Izhhar involves articulating each letter from its proper point of origin without any nasalization (ghunnah). This occurs when the silent noun or tanween is positioned before one of six specific letters, necessitating a clear pronunciation of the letter.
The letters of clear pronunciation include: the glottal stop (همزة), the letter ‘ ه’, ‘ ع’, ‘ ح’, ‘ غ’, and ‘ خ’. Collectively known as the guttural letters due to their point of articulation in the throat, these letters can be memorized using the mnemonic: “أخي هاك علما حازه غير خاسر.”
Assimilation (Idgham)
In linguistic terms, Idgham means merging or combining elements. In the context of Tajweed, it refers to the combination of a silent noun or tanween with a moving letter from the assimilation letters, thereby forming a doubled letter akin to the second one. This blending applies to the six letters of assimilation, which include: ‘ ي’, ‘ ر’, ‘ م’, ‘ ل’, ‘ و’, and ‘ ن’, remembered by the phrase “يرملون.”
Idgham can be classified into two categories:
- **Assimilation with Ghunna** (Incomplete Assimilation): Represented by the letters contained in the term “ينمو.”
- **Assimilation without Ghunna** (Complete Assimilation): This includes the letters ‘ ر’ and ‘ ل’.
Ghunna is understood as a light sound produced from the nasal cavity, with no involvement from the tongue. The duration of Ghunna is defined as two units of movement, applicable only to the letters ‘ ن’ and ‘ ل’.
Conversion (Iqlab)
Defined linguistically as the act of transforming, in Tajweed, conversion involves changing a silent noun or tanween into a concealed letter ‘ ب’ while simultaneously producing Ghunna. Concerning its occurrence, conversion can occur with either one or two words for the silent noun, and exclusively two words for tanween. The conversion letter is ‘ ب’.
Concealment (Ikhfa)
Ikhfa, linguistically meaning concealment, refers to the pronunciation of a letter in a manner that is intermediate between clear pronunciation and assimilation, without stress, while retaining Ghunna in the first letter. When a silent noun or tanween is followed by a letter from the concealment category, the silent noun or tanween is concealed while maintaining the Ghunna.
The letters of concealment encompass all letters of the Arabic alphabet, barring the six letters of clear pronunciation (همزة, هاء, عين, حاء, غين, خاء), the six letters of assimilation (ياء, راء, ميم, لام, واو, نون), and the conversion letter (باء). Thus, the remaining concealment letters total fifteen, which can be memorized using the poetic line: “صف ذا ثنا كم جاد شخص قد سما *** دم طيبا زد في تقى ضع ظالما.”