Tajweed Rules in Surah Al-Munafiqun
Allah, the Almighty, says: “And recite the Quran with measured recitation.” Among the tajweed rules found in Surah Al-Munafiqun are the following:
Rules for Nun Sakinah and Tanween in Surah Al-Munafiqun
Nun Sakinah refers to the letter “n” that does not carry any vowel and remains intact in both connection and pause. Tanween is an additional, unaccented Nun that appears at the end of nouns in speech and is omitted when pausing. There are four tajweed rules regarding Nun Sakinah and Tanween in the Holy Quran: (Ithhar, Idgham, Ikhfa, and Iqlaab). Below are some examples of these rules from Surah Al-Munafiqun:
Ithhar
This means to articulate the letter from its appropriate place without a pronounced ghunnah, pause, silence, or emphasis on the pronounced letter. The letters associated with Ithhar are: Alif, Ha, Kha, Ain, and Ghayn. Examples from Surah Al-Munafiqun include:
- Allah says: “They think that every cry is against them; they are the enemy. So beware of them; may Allah destroy them! How are they deluded?”
- Allah states: “They are the ones who say, ‘Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they disband.’ And to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand.”
Idgham
This refers to the merging of one letter into another, resulting in a single intensified letter. There are six letters involved, which can be remembered using the word “Yarmaloon.” There are two types of Idgham: Idgham with ghunnah, represented by the letters in the word “Yinmoo,” and Idgham without ghunnah, represented by the letters Ra and Lam. Examples from Surah Al-Munafiqun include:
- Allah says: “And when you see them, their bodies please you; and if they speak, you listen to their speech. They are as if they were pieces of wood propped up, thinking that every cry is against them; they are the enemy. So beware of them; may Allah destroy them! How are they deluded?”
- Allah states: “They say, ‘If we return to the city, certainly the more honorable will expel therefrom the more abased.’ But to Allah belongs the honor and to His Messenger and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.”
- Allah declares: “And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short time so I may give charity and be among the righteous.'”
Iqlaab
This rule involves substituting the Nun Sakinah or Tanween with a Meem that is pronounced lightly with a ghunnah when followed by the letter Ba in one word or two. An example from Surah Al-Munafiqun is Allah’s statement: “And Allah will not delay a soul when its time has come, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”
Ikhfa
Ikhfa refers to the articulation of Nun Sakinah or Tanween in a manner that is intermediate between Ithhar and Idgham, without emphasis, while maintaining a ghunnah lasting approximately two counts. There are fifteen letters related to Ikhfa, which remain after excluding the six letters of Ithhar, the six letters of Idgham, and one letter of Iqlaab. Numerous examples from Surah Al-Munafiqun include:
- Allah states: “They have taken their oaths as a shield, so they turn people away from the way of Allah. Indeed, evil is what they were doing.”
- Allah says: “They are the ones who say, ‘Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they disband.’ And to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand.”
- Allah warns: “O you who have believed, do not let your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that – then they are the losers.”
Rules for Meem Sakinah
Meem Sakinah refers to the letter “m” that lacks any of the three vowels in both connection and pause. It can occur in the middle of a word, such as in “Al-Hamdu,” or at the end, as in “Alayhim Ghayri.” There are three rules related to Meem Sakinah: Shafawi Idgham, Shafawi Ikhfa, and Shafawi Ithhar. Some examples of these rules from Surah Al-Munafiqun include:
Shafawi Idgham
This occurs when a Meem Sakinah is followed by a moving Meem, resulting in the blending of the two. Allah says: “And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short time so I may give charity and be among the righteous.’
Shafawi Ithhar
This involves the articulation of the Meem Sakinah clearly from its point of articulation, without a pronounced ghunnah, pause, silence, or emphasis, occurring when followed by any letters of Ithhar except for Ba and Meem. There are numerous examples in Surah Al-Munafiqun, including:
- Allah states: “They have taken their oaths as a shield, so they turn people away from the way of Allah. Indeed, evil is what they were doing.”
- Allah mentions: “And when you see them, their bodies please you; and if they speak, you listen to their speech. They are as if they were pieces of wood propped up, thinking that every cry is against them; they are the enemy. So beware of them; may Allah destroy them! How are they deluded?”
- Allah declares: “O you who have believed, do not let your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that – then they are the losers.”