Definition of Al-Noon Al-Sakina and Tanween
Al-Noon Al-Sakina refers to a non-vocalized letter that remains consistent in both connected and detached forms and is present in pronunciation and script. It can be found in nouns, verbs, and letters, appearing either in the middle of words or at their endings. On the other hand, Tanween is an additional “n” that confirms when connected but is not articulated when stopped; it manifests in pronunciation but not in writing, and it solely appears at the ends of nouns.
Rules of Al-Noon Al-Sakina and Tanween in Surah Al-Mu’minun
Surah Al-Mu’minun encompasses numerous rules concerning Al-Noon Al-Sakina and Tanween. Below are some notable examples:
| Example | Rule |
| (الْإِنسَانَ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (مِن سُلَالَةٍ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (سُلَالَةٍ مِّن) | Idgham with complete Ghunnah |
| (مِّن طِينٍ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (نُطْفَةً فِي) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ) | Idgham with complete Ghunnah |
| (عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (خَلْقًا آخَرَ) | Izhaar (Clear articulation) |
| (مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ) | Iqlab (Transformation) |
| (ذَهَابٍ بِهِ) | Iqlab (Transformation) |
| (جَنَّاتٍ مِّن) | Idgham with complete Ghunnah |
| (وَأَعْنَابٍ لَّكُمْ) | Idgham without Ghunnah |
| (مِن طُورِ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (وَصِبْغٍ لِلْآكِلِينَ) | Idgham without Ghunnah |
| (كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا) | Idgham with incomplete Ghunnah |
| (انصُرْنِي) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (قَلِيلٍ لَّيُصْبِحُنَّ) | Idgham without Ghunnah |
| (غُثَاءً فَبُعْدًا) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (مِن بَعْدِهِمْ) | Iqlab (Transformation) |
| (أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا) | Izhaar (Clear articulation) |
| (أُمَّةً رَّسُولُهَا) | Idgham without Ghunnah |
| (وَسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ) | Idgham with complete Ghunnah |
| (قَوْمًا عَالِينَ) | Izhaar (Clear articulation) |
| (آيَةً وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا) | Idgham with incomplete Ghunnah |
| (رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (زُبُرًا كُلُّ) | Ikhfa (Concealment) |
| (مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ) | Idgham with incomplete Ghunnah |
| (وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ) | Izhaar (Clear articulation) |
Rules of Al-Noon Al-Sakina and Tanween
The rules governing Al-Noon Al-Sakina and Tanween directly hinge on the letter that follows them. Each ruling varies based on the succeeding letter as outlined below:
Izhaar
Izhaar linguistically means clarity and expliciteness. In religious terminology, it denotes the clear articulation of the letters Al-Noon and Tanween without any Ghunnah when followed by one of the throat letters: Hamzah, Ha, ‘Ayn, Ha, Ghayn, and Kha. Scholars encapsulate these letters in the mnemonic phrase “Akhah Haka ‘Ilman Haza Ghair Khasir.”
Iqlab
Iqlab means conversion or substitution. In terms of religious terminology, it involves transforming Al-Noon Al-Sakina or Tanween into an unseen Meem while retaining the Ghunnah when followed by the letter Ba.
Idgham
Idgham refers to inclusion. It is the merging of a silent letter into a vocalized one, resulting in a single, doubled letter. The letters in Idgham are encapsulated in the word “Yarmaloon.” Idgham can be categorized based on two fundamental premises:
- Regarding the presence of Ghunnah: Idgham with Ghunnah occurs when Al-Noon Al-Sakina or Tanween are merged with one of the letters defined in the term “Yenmoo” while retaining the Ghunnah. Conversely, Idgham without Ghunnah occurs when they merge with Lam and Ra, which consequently eliminates the Ghunnah.
- In terms of completeness and incompleteness: Complete Idgham integrates Al-Noon Al-Sakina or Tanween fully in terms of its essence and attributes with one of the following letters: Meem, Noon, Lam, and Ra. In contrast, incomplete Idgham happens when they merge with Ya and Waw, preserving their attributes (Ghunnah).
Ikhfa
Ikhfa signifies concealment. Terminologically, it is the articulation of Al-Noon Al-Sakina or Tanween in a manner that lies between Izhaar and Idgham, pronounced without emphasis while still retaining the Ghunnah. This occurs when one of the remaining Arabic letters follows Al-Noon Al-Sakina or Tanween.