Every tajwid rule — nun & mim sakinah, madd, qalqalah, ghunnah, the definite article, ra, and the waqf signs — with definitions, letters, how to read, and example verses.
When a silent nun (نْ) or tanwin meets a following letter, one of five rules applies.
Izhar Halqi (clear)
إِظْهَار حَلْقِي
Nun sakinah/tanwin meets one of the six throat letters.
Letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ
How to read: Read clearly, with no nasal sound.
Examples
Note: Read clear — by mushaf convention it is left uncoloured.
Idgham with ghunnah
إِدْغَام بِغُنَّة
Nun sakinah/tanwin meets ya, nun, mim, or wau.
Letters: ي ن م و
How to read: Merged into the next letter with a two-count nasal sound.
Examples
Idgham without ghunnah
إِدْغَام بِلَا غُنَّة
Nun sakinah/tanwin meets lam or ra.
Letters: ل ر
How to read: Merged with no nasal sound.
Examples
Iqlab
إِقْلَاب
Nun sakinah/tanwin meets ba.
Letters: ب
How to read: The nun turns into a mim sound with a nasal sound.
Examples
Ikhfa Haqiqi
إِخْفَاء حَقِيقِي
Nun sakinah/tanwin meets one of the 15 ikhfa letters.
Letters: ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك
How to read: Read lightly concealed between clear and merged, with a nasal sound.
Examples
When a silent mim (مْ) meets a following letter, one of three rules applies.
Ikhfa Shafawi
إِخْفَاء شَفَوِي
Mim sakinah meets ba.
Letters: ب
How to read: Read lightly concealed at the lips with a nasal sound.
Examples
Idgham mimi (mutamathilayn)
إِدْغَام مِيمِي
Mim sakinah meets mim.
Letters: م
How to read: Merged into a doubled mim with a nasal sound.
Examples
Izhar Shafawi
إِظْهَار شَفَوِي
Mim sakinah meets any letter other than ba and mim.
Letters: selain ب dan م
How to read: Read clearly at the lips, no nasal sound.
Examples
Note: Read clear — left uncoloured.
A nun or mim carrying shadda must be read with a nasal hum.
Ghunnah
غُنَّة
Every nun or mim with shadda (نّ / مّ).
Letters: نّ مّ
How to read: Held with a nasal hum for two counts.
Examples
Madd is lengthening a vowel over the madd letters (ا و ي). Natural madd is 2 counts; the branch (far'i) types have an extra cause (hamza, sukun, shadda) and differing lengths.
Madd Thabi'i (natural)
مَدّ طَبِيعِي
A madd letter with no following hamza or sukun.
How to read: Lengthened two counts.
Examples
Note: The 2-count baseline — not specially coloured.
Madd Wajib Muttasil
مَدّ وَاجِب مُتَّصِل
A madd letter meets a hamza (ء) within the same word.
How to read: Obligatorily lengthened 4–5 counts.
Examples
Madd Jaiz Munfasil
مَدّ جَائِز مُنْفَصِل
A madd letter at a word's end, with a hamza starting the next word.
How to read: May be lengthened 2, 4, or 5 counts.
Examples
Madd Lazim
مَدّ لَازِم
A madd letter meets a letter with a permanent shadda or sukun. Four kinds: kilmi/harfi × mutsaqqal/mukhaffaf.
How to read: Lengthened a full six counts.
Examples
Madd 'Aridh Lissukun
مَدّ عَارِض لِلسُّكُون
A natural madd before the last letter when one stops (waqf) on it.
How to read: May be 2, 4, or 6 counts.
Examples
Note: Depends on where one stops, undecidable from text — taught but not auto-coloured.
Madd 'Iwad
مَدّ عِوَض
Fathatan (ــً) at a word's end when stopped upon.
How to read: Read two counts long in place of the tanwin.
Examples
Note: Waqf-dependent — not auto-coloured.
Madd Badal
مَدّ بَدَل
A hamza followed by a madd letter within a word (hamza first).
How to read: Lengthened two counts.
Examples
Madd Lin
مَدّ لِين
A silent wau or ya preceded by a fathah, when stopped upon.
How to read: Read softly 2, 4, or 6 counts at a stop.
Examples
Note: Waqf-dependent — not auto-coloured.
The article ال is read differently by the letter after it: qamariyah (clear) or shamsiyyah (assimilated).
Izhar Qamariyyah
إِظْهَار قَمَرِيَّة
The article meets one of the 14 moon letters.
Letters: ا ب غ ح ج ك و خ ف ع ق ي م ه
How to read: The lam is pronounced clearly (al-).
Examples
Note: Read clear — left uncoloured.
Idgham Shamsiyyah
إِدْغَام شَمْسِيَّة
The article meets one of the 14 sun letters.
Letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن
How to read: The lam is silent; read straight into the next (doubled) letter.
Examples
The five qalqalah letters (ق ط ب ج د), when carrying sukun, are read with a bounce.
Qalqalah Sughra
قَلْقَلَة صُغْرَى
A qalqalah letter with an original sukun mid-word.
Letters: ق ط ب ج د
How to read: Read with a light bounce.
Examples
Qalqalah Kubra
قَلْقَلَة كُبْرَى
A qalqalah letter at a word's end when stopped upon.
Letters: ق ط ب ج د
How to read: Read with a stronger bounce.
Examples
Note: Appears at a stop — not auto-coloured.
The letter ra is read heavy (tafkhim) or light (tarqiq) depending on its vowel and surroundings.
Ra Tafkhim (heavy)
تَفْخِيم
Ra with fathah/dammah, or silent ra preceded by fathah/dammah.
How to read: Read heavy/full.
Examples
Note: Depends on surrounding vowels — taught, not auto-coloured.
Ra Tarqiq (light)
تَرْقِيق
Ra with kasrah, or silent ra preceded by an original kasrah.
How to read: Read light/thin.
Examples
Note: Depends on surrounding vowels — not auto-coloured.
The lam in the name الله is read heavy or light depending on the preceding vowel.
Lam Jalalah heavy
تَفْخِيم
الله preceded by fathah or dammah.
How to read: The lam is read heavy.
Examples
Note: Depends on the preceding vowel — not auto-coloured.
Lam Jalalah light
تَرْقِيق
الله preceded by kasrah.
How to read: The lam is read light.
Examples
Note: Depends on the preceding vowel — not auto-coloured.
Merging two letters that are identical, of the same articulation family, or of nearby articulation.
Idgham Mutamathilayn
إِدْغَام مُتَمَاثِلَيْن
Two identical letters; the first is silent.
How to read: Merged into one doubled letter.
Examples
Note: Taught here; the mim case is already covered by idgham mimi.
Idgham Mutajanisayn
إِدْغَام مُتَجَانِسَيْن
Same articulation point, different traits (e.g. ت-ط, د-ت, ذ-ظ).
How to read: The first letter merges into the second.
Examples
Idgham Mutaqaribayn
إِدْغَام مُتَقَارِبَيْن
Two letters of nearby articulation/traits (e.g. ل-ر, ق-ك).
How to read: The first letter merges into the second.
Examples
The small marks above the text that guide where to stop or continue.
Necessary stop (مـ)
مـ (لَازِم)
Must stop; continuing may change the meaning.
How to read: Stop.
No stop (لا)
لا (لَا وَقْف)
Preferably do not stop (mid-verse).
How to read: Continue.
Permissible stop (ج, صلى, قلى)
ج / صلى / قلى
Either is allowed; صلى prefers continuing, قلى prefers stopping.
How to read: Choose per the sign's preference.
Embracing stop (paired dots)
∴ ... ∴ (مُعَانَقَة)
Stop at one of the two marks, not both.
How to read: Pick one place to stop.
📖 Try it live in the Uthmani Mushaf
Turn on the Tajwid button, then tap a coloured letter for its explanation.
