Tajweed
The colours on the page
The rules are the ones Quran.com paints. The colours are Nur’s — each rule a different light, so the eye can tell a stretch from a bounce from a nasal.
Madd — the stretches
A long vowel is held. The count depends on what follows it.
- مَا
Madd tabii
مد طبيعي
2 counts
A long vowel (ا و ي) is not followed by hamza or sukun. This is the ordinary stretch every reciter uses.
مَالِكِ1:4 - جَا
Madd wajib muttasil
مد واجب متصل
4–5 counts
A long vowel is followed by a hamza in the same word (madd wajib muttasil).
جَآءَ89:23 - فِى
Madd jaiz munfasil
مد جائز منفصل
2, 4 or 6 counts
A long vowel is followed by a hamza in the next word (madd jaiz munfasil). You may shorten.
فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ2:235 - الْ
Madd lazim
مد لازم
6 counts
A long vowel is followed by a shaddah or a sukun that never lifts (madd lazim). Never shorten.
الْحَآقَّةُ69:1
Ghunnah and hiding
Nun and mim live in the nose for two counts — clear, hidden, or turned into mim.
- إِن
Ghunnah
غنة
2 counts nasal
Nun or mim with shaddah. Hold the sound in the nose — this is the ghunnah you hear on إِنَّ and ثُمَّ.
إِنَّ2:2 - مِن
Ikhfa
إخفاء
2 counts, hidden
Nun sakinah or tanwin before any of the fifteen ikhfa letters (ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك). Hide the nun; keep ghunnah.
مِن قَبْلُ2:25 - مِن
Iqlab
إقلاب
2 counts as mim
Nun sakinah or tanwin before ب. Turn the nun into a mim and hide it (iqlab).
مِنۢ بَعْدِ2:27 - هُم
Ikhfa shafawi
إخفاء شفوي
2 counts, hidden mim
Mim sakinah before ب (ikhfa shafawi). Hide the mim on the lips; keep ghunnah.
هُم بِهِ2:9
Idgham — merging
Two letters become one, with or without the nasal.
- مِن
Idgham with ghunnah
إدغام بغنة
2 counts nasal
Nun sakinah or tanwin before ي ن م و. Merge fully and hold ghunnah.
مِن وَاقٍ13:34 - مِن
Idgham without ghunnah
إدغام بلا غنة
no ghunnah
Nun sakinah or tanwin before ل or ر. Merge completely; do not nasalise.
مِن رَّبِّهِمْ2:5 - لَه
Idgham shafawi
إدغام شفوي
2 counts
Mim sakinah before another mim. Merge and hold ghunnah (idgham shafawi).
لَهُم مَّا2:16
Qalqalah — the bounce
Five letters bounce when they carry sukun.
- قَد
Qalqalah
قلقلة
a bounce
ق ط ب ج د with sukun — in the middle of a word, a light bounce; at a stop, a fuller bounce.
قَدْ2:60
Written, not said
Hamzat al-wasl and the sun lam are on the page, not on the tongue.
- الش
Lam shamsiyyah
لام شمسية
not pronounced
The lam of ال before a sun letter (ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ن). The next letter takes a shaddah.
الشَّمْس91:1 - بِس
Hamzat al-wasl
همزة الوصل
silent when joining
Hamzat al-wasl is dropped when a word before it carries you through (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ).
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ1:1