أحكام الميم الساكنة

Meem sakinah (مْ) follows three rules, simpler than those of the noon.

1. Lip ikhfa (إِخْفَاء شَفَوِي), before ب. The lips close lightly, without pressing, with a ghunnah of about two counts. • تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ (105:4): "tarmiihim-biḥijaara".

2. Idgham of two meems (إِدْغَام مِثْلَيْن), before م. The two meems merge into one doubled meem, with ghunnah. • أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ (106:4): "aṭ'amahum-min juu'". • وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ (106:4): same rule.

3. Lip izhar (إِظْهَار شَفَوِي), before every other letter. The meem is pronounced clearly, without a lengthened ghunnah. • عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ (1:7): meem sakinah then غ. • عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا (1:7): meem sakinah then و. Be careful before و and ف: these letters are also pronounced with the lips, so there is a tendency to hide the meem. On the contrary, keep it clear.

Ghunnah on ن and م with shadda. When ن or م carries a shadda, there is always a ghunnah of about two counts: • إِنَّا (108:1), إِنَّ (103:2), النَّاسِ (114:1): ghunnah on the noon. • ثُمَّ, لَمَّا: ghunnah on the meem. You saw this in level 1; here it takes its place among the other rules.

Surah Quraysh (106) is a good exercise: its verse 4 contains the idgham of two meems twice. Listen to it on the site's Qur'an page.

Understanding the lesson: meem sakinah and ghunnah

1. Explanation The meem is pronounced with both lips. So its rules follow its neighbours: before ب, the other lip letter, it is hidden (lip ikhfa); before another م, the two identical letters merge (idgham); before all the other letters, which are different enough, it stays clear (izhar). Ghunnah is a nasal sound that naturally goes with ن and م. When these letters carry a shadda, the ghunnah is at its strongest: we hold it for about two counts. Common mistakes: • In lip ikhfa, pressing the lips too hard and making a heavy "m". • In lip izhar, lengthening the nasal sound, especially before و and ف. • Shortening the ghunnah of إِنَّ or ثُمَّ, or on the contrary stretching it much longer than the others. One point where teachers differ: in lip ikhfa, some have the lips close gently, others leave a very slight gap. Follow your teacher. [À VÉRIFIER : avis suivi au centre]

2. Lessons to learn • The Qur'an is learned by listening, then repeating. Allah says to the Prophet ﷺ: "When We recite it, follow its recitation" (meaning of verse 75:18): we listen first, then we recite. • Measure your ghunnahs like your madds: the same length everywhere makes the recitation even. • Work on Surah Quraysh (106): in four verses, you find lip izhar, the idgham of two meems and ghunnah.

3. To remember • Meem sakinah: before ب, ikhfa; before م, idgham; before the rest, izhar. • Before و and ف: a very clear meem. • ن and م with shadda: ghunnah of about two counts (to be demonstrated by the teacher).

4. The message of the lesson Small rules, applied regularly, give the recitation its balance: correctness is built by listening and repeating.

Source: rules according to the reading of Hafs from 'Asim (ash-Shatibiyya chain), as set out in standard tajwid manuals; the meaning of the verses from Al-Mukhtasar fi tafsir al-Qur'an.