In Tajweed, Meem Sakinah, a vowelless Meem, follows three main rules: Izhar Shafawi for clear pronunciation except before Meem and Ba, Idgham Shafawi for merging with a following Meem, and Ikhfa Shafawi for light nasal concealment before Ba.
Unlike Noon Sakinah and Tanween, which have extra rules like Iqlab and wider Ikhfa Haqiqi, Meem Sakinah’s rules are simpler. Mastering them involves identifying Meem Sakinah, knowing the following letter, applying the right rule, practicing with Quranic examples, and seeking expert feedback.
What is Saakin in Tajweed?
In Tajweed, a “saakin” is a letter that is pronounced without a vowel (fatha, kasra, or damma), meaning it is pronounced without a vowel sound. In other words, a “saakin” is a letter that is followed directly by another letter in a word without any vowel sound between them.
Saakin Letters Rules in Tajweed:
There are specific rules for dealing with saakin letters to ensure the correct and precise recitation of the Quran. These rules include:
1. Izhar (Clear Pronunciation):
Pronouncing the saakin letter clearly without a nasal sound (ghunnah) if it is followed by one of the letters of izhar (ء, هـ, ع, غ, ح, خ).
2. Idgham (Assimilation)
Merging the saakin letter into the following letter so that they become a single emphasized letter if the saakin is a noon (ن) or tanween followed by one of the letters of idgham.
3. Ikhfa (Concealment)
Pronouncing the saakin letter with a sound between clear and merged with a nasal sound (ghunnah) if it is a noon (ن) or tanween followed by one of the letters of ikhfa.
4. Iqlab (Conversion)
Converting the noon (ن) saakin or tanween into a Meem (م) if it is followed by the letter baa (ب), with a nasal sound (ghunnah).
One of the most important cases of sukoon in Tajweed is the rulings of the saakin Meem. So what is Meem saakin and what are these rulings?
What is Meem Sakinah Meaning?
The saakin Meem in Tajweed is the letter Meem without a vowel (fatha, kasra, or damma). There are specific rules for dealing with the saakin Meem to ensure the correct and precise recitation of the Quran.
Let’s go over these rules in detail…
What are Meem Sakinah Rules?
There are 3 rules to deal with Meem saakin which are:
1. Izhar Shafawi (Clear Pronunciation)
If the saakin Meem is followed by any letter of the alphabet except Meem م and baaب , the saakin Meem must be clearly pronounced without a nasal sound (ghunnah).
For example: (المؤمْنون).
2. Idgham Shafawi (Assimilation)
If the saakin Meem is followed by another Meem, the saakin Meem is merged into the moving Meem, so they become a single emphasized Meem with a nasal sound (ghunnah).
For example: (لهم ما يشاءون).
3. Ikhfa Shafawi (Concealment)
If the saakin Meem is followed by the letter baaب , the saakin Meem is concealed with a light nasal sound (ghunnah).
For example: (ترميهمْ بحجارة).
These are the ahkam al Meem as Sakinah in Tajweed, and to be able to understand, we can look at more examples of this rule from the Holy Quran.
Meem Saakin examples
Allah almighty said:
In Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 255:
{يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ}
{He knows what is before them and what is behind them}
In Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 33:
{أَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِشُؤُونِ دُنْيَاكُمْ}
{You are most knowledgeable about the affairs of your world}
In Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 34:
{لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ}
{They have whatever they wish with their Lord}
In Surah Al-Fil, Ayah 4:
{تَرْمِيهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ}
{You throw stones at them made of shale}
The Holy Quran is by nature intertwined and interconnected, so all the rules overlap with each other in a wondrous harmony that creates a sweet tone in the final pronunciation. The saakin Meem is one of the most overlapping rulings with other rules, as we mentioned, as it overlaps with Idgham, Izhar, Ikhfaa, and other rules. Let us discuss this with examples:
Meem Sakinah with Idgham Rules
here are some examples from the Quran that demonstrate the saakin Meem with the rule of Idgham Shafawi (Assimilation):
1. Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 34
{لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ}
{They have whatever they wish with their Lord}
Here, the saakin Meem in “لهمْ” is followed by another Meem in “ما”. Thus, the saakin Meem is merged into the following Meem, so they become a single emphasized Meem with a (ghunnah).
2. Surah: Al-Baqarah, Ayah 50
{قَالَ لَهُمْ مُوسَىٰ}
{Mosa said to them}
Here, the saakin Meem in “لهم” is followed by another Meem in “موسى”. Thus, the saakin Meem is merged into the following Meem, resulting in a single emphasized Meem with (ghunnah).
3. Surah: Al-Imran, Ayah 102
{وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ}
{And you are Muslims}
In this case, the saakin Meem in “وأنتم” is also followed by another Meem in “مسلمون”. Therefore, the saakin Meem is assimilated into the following Meem, creating a single emphasized Meem with a (ghunnah).
Meem sakinah with Ikhfaa
here are some examples from the Holy Quran that illustrate the rule of Ikhfa’ Shafawi (oral concealment) with Meem Sakinah:
Surah: Al-Fil, Ayah 4
{تَرْمِيهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ}
{You throw stones at them made of shale}
The Saakin Meem in the word “ترميهم” precedes the letter “ب” in “بحجارة”. Therefore, the Meem is concealed with a slight ghunnah sound.
Surah: Al-Baqarah, Ayah 10
{فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ}
{In their hearts is a disease}
In this verse, the Meem saakin in the word “قلوبهم” precedes the letter “ب” in “مرض”. Therefore, the Meem is concealed with a ghunnah.
Surah: Al-Mujadila, Ayah 18
{يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ}
{They think that they are miraculous}
Here, the saakin Meem in the word “أنهم” precedes the letter “ب” in “بمعجزين”. Therefore, the Meem is concealed with a slight ghunnah.
Meem Sakinah with Izhar Practice
Here are some examples from the Holy Quran that illustrate the rule of Izhar (clear pronunciation) with Meem Sakinah:
Surah: Ghafir, Ayah 16
{يَوْمَ هُمْ بَارِزُونَ}
{The Day they will stand out}
The Saakin Meem in the word “يوم” is followed by the letter “ه”. Therefore, the Meem is pronounced clearly without any ghunnah.
Surah: Al-Ahzab, Ayah 6
{فِيهِمْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ}
{Among them are their mothers}
In this verse, the Saakin Meem in the word “فيهم” is followed by the letter “أ”. Therefore, the Meem is pronounced clearly without any ghunnah.
Surah: Al-Infitar, Ayah 10
{عَلَيْهِمْ حَافِظ}
{A guardian over them}
Here, the Saakin Meem in the word “عليهم” is followed by the letter “ح”. Therefore, the Meem is pronounced clearly without any nasal sound.
Surah: Al-Baqarah, Ayah 216
{كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ الْقِتَالُ}
{Fighting is prescribed for them}
In this verse, the Saakin Meem in the word “عليهم” is followed by the letter “ا”. Therefore, the Meem is pronounced clearly without any nasal sound.
Similarities and Differences Between Meem Sakinah and Noon Mushaddadah
Here is a Guide Table to summarise:
| Aspect | Meem Sakinah | Noon Mushaddadah |
| Ikhfaa (Concealment) | Oral concealment (Ikhfa Shafawi) occurs when followed by the letter Ba (ب). | Real concealment (Ikhfa Haqiqi) occurs when followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك. |
| Izhar (Clear Pronunciation) | Oral clear pronunciation (Izhar Shafawi) occurs when followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem. | Throat clear pronunciation (Izhar Halqi) occurs when followed by the throat letters: أ، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ. |
| Idgham (Merging) | Oral merging (Idgham Shafawi) occurs when followed by the letter Meem (م). | Merging with Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ي، ن، م، و. Merging without Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ر، ل. |
| Iqlab | There is no Iqlab rule. | The Iqlab rule applies when followed by the letter Ba (ب), where Noon is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah. |
| Type of Ikhfaa | Oral concealment (Ikhfa Shafawi) occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah. | Real concealment (Ikhfa Haqiqi) occurs when followed by 15 different letters. |
Here are the details below:
A. Similarities:
The two rules meet on:
- Ikhfaa:
Both Meem Sakinah and Noon Mushaddadah are concealed when they come before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Oral concealment (Ikhfa Shafawi) occurs when it is followed by the letter Ba (ب).
Noon Mushaddadah: Real concealment (Ikhfa Haqiqi) occurs when it is followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك.
- Izhar:
Both Meem Sakinah and Noon Mushaddadah are pronounced clearly when they come before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Oral clear pronunciation (Izhar Shafawi) occurs when it is followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem.
Noon Mushaddadah: Throat clear pronunciation (Izhar Halqi) occurs when it is followed by the throat letters: أ، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ.
- Idgham:
Both Meem Sakinah and Noon Mushaddadah are merged when they come before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Oral merging (Idgham Shafawi) occurs when it is followed by the letter Meem (م).
Noon Mushaddadah: Merging with Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ي، ن، م، و. Merging without Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ر، ل.
B. Differences:
The two rules differ in
- Iqlab:
Noon Mushaddadah: The Iqlab rule applies when Noon Mushaddadah is followed by the letter Ba (ب), where Noon is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah.
Meem Sakinah: There is no Iqlab rule.
- Type of Ikhfaa:
Meem Sakinah: Oral concealment (Ikhfa Shafawi) occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah.
Noon Mushaddadah: Real concealment (Ikhfa Haqiqi) occurs when Noon Mushaddadah is followed by 15 different letters.
The differences between Meem Sakinah and noon Sakinah?
The rules of the Meem Sakinah and the noon Sakinah in Tajweed are similar in some points and different in others.
Here are their similarities and differences in a summarised table:
| Aspect | Meem Sakinah | Noon Sakinah |
| Ikhfaa (Concealment) | Ikhfa Shafawi (Oral Concealment) occurs when followed by the letter Ba (ب). | Ikhfa Haqiqi (Real Concealment) occurs when followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك. |
| Izhar (Clear Pronunciation) | Izhar Shafawi (Oral Clear Pronunciation) occurs when followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem. | Izhar Halqi (Throat Clear Pronunciation) occurs when followed by throat letters: أ، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ. |
| Idgham (Merging) | Idgham Shafawi (Oral Merging) occurs when followed by the letter Meem (م). | Idgham with Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ي، ن، م، و. Idgham without Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ر، ل. |
| Iqlab (Conversion) | There is no Iqlab rule. | The Iqlab rule applies when followed by the letter Ba (ب), where Noon is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah. |
| Type of Ikhfaa | Ikhfa Shafawi occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah. | Ikhfa Haqiqi occurs when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by 15 different letters. |
Here are their similarities and differences in details:
A. Similarities:
Some rules such as:
- Ikhfa (Concealment):
For both rules, the saakin letter (Meem or Noon) is concealed when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Ikhfa Shafawi (Oral Concealment) occurs when it is followed by the letter Ba (ب).
Noon Sakinah: Ikhfa Haqiqi (Real Concealment) occurs when it is followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك.
- Izhar (Clear Pronunciation):
For both rules, the Saakin letter (Meem or Noon) is pronounced clearly when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Izhar Shafawi (Oral Clear Pronunciation) occurs when it is followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem.
Noon Sakinah: Izhar Halqi (Throat Clear Pronunciation) occurs when it is followed by throat letters: أ، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ.
- Idgham (Merging):
For both rules, the Saakin letter (Meem or Noon) is merged when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Idgham Shafawi (Oral Merging) occurs when it is followed by the letter Meem (م).
Noon Sakinah: Idgham with Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ي، ن، م، و. Idgham without Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ر، ل.
B. Differences:
Some rules such as:
- Iqlab (Conversion):
Noon Sakinah: The Iqlab rule applies when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by the letter Ba (ب), where the Noon or Tanween is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah.
Meem Sakinah: There is no Iqlab rule.
- Type of Ikhfa:
Meem Sakinah: Ikhfa Shafawi occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah.
Noon Sakinah: Ikhfa Haqiqi occurs when Noon Sakinah or Tanween is followed by 15 different letters.
The differences between Meem saakin and tanween
Similarities and Differences Between the Rules of Meem Sakinah and Tanween in Tajweed: Here are their similarities and differences in details:
Here are their similarities and differences in a summarise table:
| Aspect | Meem Sakinah | Tanween |
| Ikhfaa (Concealment) | Ikhfa Shafawi (Oral Concealment) occurs when followed by the letter Ba (ب). | Ikhfa Haqiqi (Real Concealment) occurs when followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك. |
| Izhar (Clear Pronunciation) | Izhar Shafawi (Oral Clear Pronunciation) occurs when followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem. | Izhar Halqi (Throat Clear Pronunciation) occurs when followed by the throat letters: أ، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ. |
| Idgham (Merging) | Idgham Shafawi (Oral Merging) occurs when followed by the letter Meem (م). | Idgham with Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ي، ن، م، و. Idgham without Ghunnah occurs when followed by the letters: ر، ل. |
| Iqlab (Conversion) | There is no Iqlab rule. | The Iqlab rule applies when followed by the letter Ba (ب), where Tanween is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah. |
| Type of Ikhfaa (Concealment) | Ikhfa Shafawi occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah. | Ikhfa Haqiqi occurs when Tanween is followed by 15 different letters. |
Here are their similarities and differences in details:
A. Similarities:
Some rules such as:
- Ikhfa (Concealment):
The Saakin letter (whether Meem Sakinah or Tanween) is concealed when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Ikhfa Shafawi (Oral Concealment) occurs when it is followed by the letter Ba (ب).
Tanween: Ikhfa Haqiqi (Real Concealment) occurs when it is followed by the letters: ت، ث، ج، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ص، ض، ط، ظ، ف، ق، ك.
- Izhar (Clear Pronunciation):
The Saakin letter (whether Meem Sakinah or Tanween) is pronounced clearly when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Izhar Shafawi (Oral Clear Pronunciation) occurs when it is followed by any letter other than Ba and Meem.
Tanween: Izhar Halqi (Throat Clear Pronunciation) occurs when it is followed by the throat letters: أ, هـ, ع, ح, غ, خ.
- Idgham (Merging):
The Saakin letter (whether Meem Sakinah or Tanween) is merged when it comes before certain letters.
Meem Sakinah: Idgham Shafawi (Oral Merging) occurs when it is followed by the letter Meem (م).
Tanween: Idgham with Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ي, ن, م, و. Idgham without Ghunnah occurs when it is followed by the letters: ر, ل.
B. Differences:
Some rules such as:
- Iqlab (Conversion):
Tanween: The Iqlab rule applies when Tanween is followed by the letter Ba (ب), where Tanween is converted into a hidden Meem with Ghunnah.
Meem Sakinah: There is no Iqlab rule.
- Type of Ikhfaa (Concealment):
Meem Sakinah: Ikhfa Shafawi occurs only when the letter Ba follows Meem Sakinah.
Tanween: Ikhfa Haqiqi occurs when Tanween is followed by 15 different letters.
How to learn Meem Saakin
There are 5 steps for identifying the Meem Saakinah rule in Tajweed which are:
1. Identify the Meem Saakinah:
Look for the letter Meem (م) with a Sukoon sign on it which is (ْ) in Arabic scrip and (حـ) in mushaf.
2. Determine the following letter:
Identify the letter that comes after the Meem Saakinah.
3. Apply the appropriate rule:
If the following letter is not ب or م, apply the rule of Izhaar Shafawi, for example.
4. Practice with examples:
Recite Quranic verses or phrases that contain Meem Saakinah followed by different letters.
5. Seek guidance and feedback:
Consult a knowledgeable teacher or utilize learning resources to verify your pronunciation.
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Conclusion:
In Tajweed, a “saakin” refers to a letter pronounced without a vowel, directly followed by another letter. Meem Sakinah (the letter Meem without a vowel) has three specific rules: Izhar Shafawi, where the Meem is pronounced clearly without a nasal sound if followed by any letter except Meem and Ba; Idgham Shafawi, where it merges into a following Meem, creating an emphasized sound; and Ikhfa Shafawi, where it is concealed with a light nasal sound if followed by Ba.
Similar to other saakin letters, Meem Sakinah shares common Tajweed rules with Noon Sakinah and Tanween. These include Ikhfa (concealment), Izhar (clear pronunciation), and Idgham (merging). However, Meem Sakinah does not follow the Iqlab rule, unlike Noon Sakinah and Tanween. Ikhfa Shafawi for Meem Sakinah occurs only when followed by Ba, while Ikhfa Haqiqi for Noon Sakinah and Tanween applies to 15 different letters.
Learning Meem Sakinah involves identifying the letter, determining the following letter, applying the correct rule, practicing with examples, and seeking guidance from knowledgeable teachers.
