Izhar: pronouncing clearly

A noon sakinah (نْ) or a tanwin can be followed by any letter. Depending on that letter, there are four rules: izhar, idgham, iqlab and ikhfa. We start with izhar.

Izhar (إِظْهَار) means "making clear". When noon sakinah or tanwin is followed by one of the six throat letters, the "n" is pronounced clearly, then you move on to the next letter without lengthening the nasal sound.

The six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ (hamza, ha, 'ayn, ḥa, ghayn, kha).

Examples from well-known surahs: • أَنْعَمْتَ (1:7): noon sakinah then ع. We say "an-'amta", with a clear "n". • مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ (111:2): in أَغْنَىٰ, noon sakinah then غ; in عَنْهُ, noon sakinah then ه. • كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (112:4): tanwin then ء. The "n" of the tanwin is clearly heard before أَحَدٌ. • مِنْ خَوْفٍ (106:4): noon sakinah then خ.

Izhar also works from one word to the next: the noon sakinah at the end of a word, the throat letter at the start of the following word. Tanwin is always at the end of a word, so the letter after it is always at the start of the next word.

To remember it: these six letters come from the throat, far from the nose and the tongue; the "n" has no time to blend with them, so it stays clear.

Exercise: open Surah Al-Fatiha and find the izhar in أَنْعَمْتَ. Then look for other noon sakinah followed by a throat letter in the surahs you know.

Understanding the lesson: izhar

1. Explanation Why does the "n" stay clear before the throat letters? The noon is pronounced with the tip of the tongue, and its ghunnah goes through the nose. The six izhar letters come from the throat, very far from there. Between two points so far apart, the noon can neither merge into the next letter nor be hidden: so we pronounce it as it is. Common mistakes: • Making a lengthened ghunnah, as in ikhfa: "an~~'amta" instead of "an-'amta". The noon keeps only its slight natural nasal sound. • Cutting the breath between the noon and the next letter, like a small pause: it must flow on without stopping. • Pressing too hard on the noon, to the point of doubling it ("ann"). • Mispronouncing the throat letter itself, especially ه and ح, or ع and ء: the izhar then loses its point.

2. Lessons to learn • Read slowly first, separating the sounds well, then at normal speed. Umm Salama described the Prophet's ﷺ recitation as clear and detailed, letter by letter. (Tirmidhi 2923, Abu Dawud 1466) [À VÉRIFIER : numéros] • Work on the throat letters on their own before the rules: a good rule cannot save a badly pronounced letter. • Look for izhar in the surahs you already recite in prayer.

3. To remember • Six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ. • Before them, noon sakinah and tanwin: a clear "n", no lengthened ghunnah, no pause.

4. The message of the lesson Izhar teaches clarity: every letter of the Qur'an deserves to be heard distinctly.

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.