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Tajweed Rules

Idgham

Compiled and edited by: Syed Abdul Salam

Scholarly review: Dr. Uzma, Imam Syed Siraj Munir

Updated:

Quran script:
Colour guide

In the Quranic examples only the letters to which the rule applies are coloured; the rest of the word stays black. Each colour has one fixed meaning throughout the book:

Ghunnah: Ikhfa', Iqlab, Idgham bi-Ghunnah, doubled Nun and Mim
Izhar: Halqi, Shafawi, Qamari
A letter that is written but not pronounced, or fully merged without Ghunnah
Qalqalah
Madd of two counts: Tabi'i, Badal, Silah Sughra, 'Iwad
Madd of four or five counts: Muttasil, Munfasil, Silah Kubra
Madd Lazim of six counts
Madd of 2, 4 or 6 counts: 'Arid li-s-Sukun and Lin at a stop
Tafkhim (heavy)
Tarqiq (light)
The letter under study in the example
Special cases: Sakt, Imalah, Tashil, Ishmam

Idgham (الإِدْغَام) means inserting; technically it is a silent letter meeting a voweled letter so that they become one doubled letter of the second kind. Its six letters are gathered in يَرْمُلُون, and it is of two kinds:

Idgham bi-Ghunnah

In four letters gathered in يَنْمُو: Ya, Nun, Mim and Waw. With Nun and Mim it is Idgham Kamil (الإِدْغَام الكَامِل), since both the Nun and its quality disappear and the Ghunnah belongs to the letter merged into. With Waw and Ya it is Idgham Naqis (الإِدْغَام النَّاقِص), since the Nun disappears but its quality, the Ghunnah, remains.

Idgham bi-Ghunnah
مَن يَقُولُمَنْ يَّقُوْلُ
Al-Baqarah 2:8
Nun before Ya
مِن نِّعۡمَةٖمِنْ نِّعْمَةٍ
An-Nahl 16:53
Nun before Nun
مِن مَّآءٖمِنْ مَّآءٍ
Al-Baqarah 2:164
Nun before Mim
مِن وَالٍمِنْ وَّالٍ
Ar-Ra'd 13:11
Nun before Waw
وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاضِرَةٌ ٢٢وُجُوْهٌ يَّوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ٢٢
Al-Qiyamah 75:22
Tanwin before Ya, then before Nun
عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞعَذَابٌ مُّهِيْنٌ
Al-Baqarah 2:90
Tanwin before Mim

Idgham bila Ghunnah

In two letters, Lam and Ra'. It is a complete merge in which both the Nun and the Ghunnah disappear.

Idgham bila Ghunnah
مِن لَّدُنۡهُمِنْ لَّدُنْهُ
An-Nisa 4:40
مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۖمِنْ رَّبِّهِمْﵯ
Al-Baqarah 2:5
غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٌغَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ
Al-Baqarah 2:173
Tanwin before Ra'

Its condition and exceptions

Idgham requires two words. If a silent Nun and Waw or Ya occur in one word, Izhar Mutlaq (الإِظْهَار المُطْلَق) is required so the word is not confused with a doubled root. This happens in only four words: ﴿ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖالدُّنْيَاﵐ﴾ (Al-Baqarah 2:85), ﴿بُنۡيَٰنٞبُنْيَانٌ﴾ (As-Saf 61:4), ﴿قِنۡوَانٞقِنْوَانٌ﴾ (Al-An'am 6:99) and ﴿صِنۡوَانٞصِنْوَانٌ﴾ (Ar-Ra'd 13:4), as the poet says: "except within one word, as in dunya."

Also excepted in Hafs by way of ash-Shatibiyyah: the Nun in ﴿يسٓ ١يٰسٓ ١﴾ (Ya-Sin 36:1) ﴿وَٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ ٱلۡحَكِيمِ ٢وَالْقُرْاٰنِ الْحَكِيْمِ ٢﴾ (Ya-Sin 36:2) and in ﴿نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِنٓ وَالْقَلَمِ﴾ (Al-Qalam 68:1), which are read with Izhar; and the Nun in ﴿مَنۡۜ رَاقٖمَنْﶌ رَاقٍ﴾ (Al-Qiyamah 75:27), because of the Sakt (السَّكْت) on it.

Note
In the Mushaf, complete Idgham is shown by no sukun on the Nun and a shaddah on the next letter; incomplete Idgham by no sukun and no shaddah. In both, the Tanwin marks are staggered.
Note
In the Indo-Pak Mushaf the sukun stays on the Nun; a shaddah on the next letter shows Idgham, otherwise the rule depends on the next letter: Izhar, Iqlab or Ikhfa'.