Learn to read Quran with Tajweed Rules: The Ghunnah and Idgham

Asmaa Akl

11 Dec 2019

Before you start reading

To understand this article, you should have a basic understanding of Arabic letters and how they are pronounced and tashkeel (diacritics). For more knowledge about these topics please check our articles concerning Arabic letters and diacritics or start taking our “Reading Arabic Letters Classes” or “Noorani Qaeda Classes”.

What is the Ghunnah (الْغُنَّة)?

Among the most important tajweed rules is the Ghunnah , which is the sound emitted through the nose, specifically when pronouncing the letters Noon نون and Meem ميم . If you close the opening of the nostril you will not be able to produce the Ghunnah sounds. Knowing how and when to produces this sound is essential in order to read Quran with tajweed rules correctly.

The Shaddah: (شدة)

The Ghunnah takes place when one of the above letters has a shaddah شدة on it. When a shaddah exists on a letter, it represents that the letter should emphasized. In other words, it doubles the emphasis of a letter’s sound. The shaddah appears above a letter and this is how it looks like: . For example; in the word Lil-latheen -لِلَّذين, the second Laam ل is pronounced twice. The letters highlighted in red are where the emphasis of the sound occurs.

In tajweed rules, the Ghunnah is a sound specifically produced entirely from the nose. It is almost like a hmm. This sound has duration and should not exceed two counts. If you find a Shaddah above the noon نون or Meem ميم you have to sound a Ghunnah. It’s that simple.

Furthermore, while you learn to read Quran with tajweed rules you will encounter something called Merging (Idgham -إدغام).

What is Merging - Idgham (إدغام)?

(An excerpt from Nour Academy's Interactive Theoretical Tajweed Course)

In tajweed rules, there are 4 rules concerning what happens when a letter accompanied with Tanween (ً- ٍ – ٌ) or the letter Noon accompanied with Sokoon (Noon Sakinah) نْ is followed by another letter. In two of these rules Idgham occurs. In this article, we are only concerned with these two types, namely: Idgham with Ghunnah and Idgham without Ghunnah.

(An excerpt from Nour Academy's Interactive Theoretical Tajweed Course)

Merging - Idgham (إدغام) with Ghunnah:

If any of these letters (ي – ن – م – و) follow a letter accompanied with Tanweenً or a Noon Sakinah نْ – Idgham with Ghunnah occurs. Meaning that the letter ن will be merged with these letters becoming one emphasized sound and the Ghunnah is apparent throughout the pronunciation of the two letters.

(An excerpt from Nour Academy's Interactive Theoretical Tajweed Course)

Merging - Idgham (إدغام) without Ghunnah:

If the letters Laam ل and Raa ر follow Tanween or Noon Sakinah, then merging without Ghunnah occurs, which means that the Ghunnah sound of Tanweenً and Noon Skainah نْ will be completely eliminated. For example:

مِنْ رَّبِّ
min rabbi will be read as, mir-rabbi

(An excerpt from Nour Academy's Interactive Theoretical Tajweed Course)

In order to learn Quran with Tajweed rules and make noticeable progress, practicing the above rules is necessary. If you’d like to delve even deeper in tajweed rules you can take a look at our Theoretical Tajweed Classes .In our Learn Quran with tajweed rules syllabus, we at Nour Academy have made a great effort in order to make learning Quran with tajweed easier for the online learner. We have spared no effort in making this task simpler by using tables, examples, activities and even animated videos. Check our Theoretical Tajweed Classes for a better learning experience.