Rules of Silent Noun in Surah Al-Hajj
The silent noun, or “nûn sâkinah,” refers to any ‘n’ that is devoid of vowel markings. This noun is consistently present in writing, whether in connection or pause, and can be found in nouns and verbs, appearing in both terminal and medial positions. There are four primary rules pertaining to it: (1) Al-Idhâr (clear pronunciation), (2) Al-Idghâm (merging), (3) Al-Iqlâb (conversion), and (4) Al-Ikhfâ (concealment). Below, we will elaborate on each rule, providing definitions, relevant letters, and examples from Surah Al-Hajj.
Rule of Al-Idhâr
In linguistic terms, Al-Idhâr means clarification. It is defined as articulating each letter from its proper pronunciation without an excess of nasal sound. The letters involved are: (ء، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ). It is important to clarify that the definition involves articulating these letters without nasalization, as nasalization is inherent to the ‘n’, whether it is vocalized or not; however, in this case, it is less emphasized. Al-Idhâr may occur in two scenarios:
- In a single word, such as: (مِنْهَا), (الْأَنْهَارُ), (الْأَنْعَامِ), (مِّنْهُ).
- In two words, including: (مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ), (وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ), (مِنْ حَدِيدٍ), (مِنْ غَمٍّ), (مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ), (مِنْ عَذَابٍ), (وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ), (مِنْ حَرَجٍ).
Rule of Al-Idghâm
In linguistic context, Al-Idghâm refers to merging. It involves connecting a silent letter with a moving letter so that they become one stressed letter. The letters associated with this rule can be remembered by the phrase “يَرْمَلُون”. It must occur between two words; within a single word, no merging is applied. Al-Idghâm is categorized into:
- Merging with nasalization, whose letters are represented in the word (ينمو). Examples include: (مَن يُجَادِلُ), (مِن نُّطْفَةٍ), (مِن مُّضْغَةٍ), (مَّن يُتَوَفَّى), (مَّن يُرَدُّ), (مَن يَعْبُدُ), (مِن نَّفْعِهِ), (لَّن يَنصُرَهُ), (مَن يُرِيدُ), (وَمَن يُهِنِ), (مِن مُّكْرِمٍ), (مِّن نَّارٍ), (وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ), (مَن يُشْرِكْ), (لَن يَنَالَ), (وَلَـكِن يَنَالُهُ), (أَن يَقُولُوا), (مَن يَنصُرُهُ), (إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ), (وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ), (وَلَن يُخْلِفَ), (مِن نَّصِيرٍ), (لَن يَخْلُقُوا), (إِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ).
- Merging without nasalization, characterized by letters (ر، ل). Examples include: (أَن لَّن), (أَن لَّا), (مِن رَّسُولٍ).
Rule of Al-Iqlâb
In linguistic terms, Al-Iqlâb signifies transformation. It refers to converting or substituting the silent ‘n’ into a hidden ‘m’ with nasalization, specifically when it precedes the letter ‘b’. When applying the conversion, the letter (م) is written above the ‘n’ in the script of the Holy Quran to indicate this transformation. Examples include: (مِن بَعْدِ), (مِّن بَهِيمَةِ).
Rule of Al-Ikhfâ
In language, Al-Ikhfâ means concealment. It is defined as the pronunciation of a letter in a manner between clear enunciation and merging, without stressing, while retaining the nasal sound in the silent ‘n’. The relevant letters are those not mentioned in previous rules, totaling fifteen. These letters can be collectively remembered with the initial letters of the following verses: “صف ذا ثنا كم جاد شخص قد سما *** دم طيباً زد في تقى ضع ظالما”. It can manifest in:
- A single word, such as: (انقَلَبَ), (فَلْيَنظُرْ), (أَنزَلْنَاهُ), (عِندَ), (مَنسَكًا), (يُنفِقُونَ), (مِنكُمْ), (وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ), (الْمُنكَرِ), (عِندَ), (فَيَنسَخُ), (لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ), (أَنزَلَ), (مَنسَكًا), (يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ), (يَنفَعُهُ).
- Two words, including: (إِن كُنتُمْ), (مِّن تُرَابٍ), (مِن كُلِّ), (مَن فِي), (عَن سَبِيلِ), (مِن دُونِ), (لَمَن ضَرُّهُ), (مِن تَحْتِهَا), (مَن كَانَ), (مَن فِي), (مِن فَوْقِ), (مِن ذَهَبٍ), (مِن تَقْوَى), (مِّن شَعَائِرِ), (مِن دِيَارِهِم), (مِّن قَرْيَةٍ), (وَلَـكِن تَعْمَى), (مِن دُونِهِ), (أَن تَقَعَ), (مِّن ذَلِكُمُ), (مِن قَبْلُ).