Imagine yourself reading the Holy Quran with full devotion and pronouncing each and every single letter in a way that is mandatory for Muslims. After the recitation, you will feel a deep sense of fulfilment that you have recited the Quran with proper Qirat. This is the power of Tajweed. Tajweed enhances the beauty of Quranic recitation.
Tajweed is a set of rules that helps readers learn, understand and apply the proper technique for an amazing recitation. Among these essential rules is Izhar in Tajweed. This means clearly saying certain Arabic letters, making sure not to merge them or make them sound nasal. It helps to preserve the accuracy of the way the Quran is recited.
What is Izhar (Idhhar) in Tajweed?
The literal meaning of Izhar is “to make something clear.” In Quran recitation Izhar occurs when certain letters are followed by some specific set of letters, requiring clear and distinct pronunciation. The reciter must ensure that the Izhar letters are not blended with the specific letters they follow and that no nasal sound is produced. This helps maintain the accuracy of the recitation by ensuring that each letter is pronounced properly as intended. Mastering Izhar is very essential for a beautiful and correct Quran recitation.
Izhar Letters:
There are six Izhar letters ء – هـ – ع – ح – غ – خ. If any of these letters come after the Noon Sakinah or Tanween then the Izhar rule will be applied. The rule says that no nasal sound will be produced; rather, these letters will be pronounced distinctly. Following are the Izhar letters with their correct pronunciation;
- ء (hamza)
- هـ (ha)
- ع (ayn)
- ح (haa)
- غ (ghain)
- خ (kha)
Also Read: Essential Quran Tajweed Rules You Must Know
The Izhar Rules:
There are certain rules of Izhar in Tanween which are important to follow for the correct pronunciation of Noon Sakinah, Meem Sakinah or Tanween.
1. The Noon and Meem have to be Sakin:
Izhar will occur when Noon Sakinah or Meem Sakinah have a sakoon above them or will have nothing above or under them. Izhar ruling will not be applicable when Noon or Meem have any Harakah (Damma, Fattah, Kasra or Shaddah) on them.
Example:
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطِى مُسْتَقِيمًۭا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ (6:153)
In this example, the Noon أَنَّ is not sakin as it has Shaddah and Fatha above it. So, this is not considered as a Noon Sakinah, and we cannot apply the Izhar rule on it.
Example:
(20:63) قَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَٰنِ لَسَـٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخْرِجَاكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِمَا
In this example, the Noon is Sakin as it has Sakoon above إِنْ, and is followed by the Izhar letter Ha “هـ” Now the rule of Izhar will be applied and letters will be pronounced properly without any nasal sound.
There is no Ghunnah in Izhar:
Ghunnah is a nasal sound that sometimes occurs with the pronunciation of the letters Noon (ن) or Meem (م), which lasts for about 2 seconds, i.e., 2 Harakat.
There are other instances where Noon Sakinah might be produced with a nasal (Ghunnah) sound but there is no nasalation in Izhar, and it is pronounced distinctly.
To master the technique of pronunciation of Izhar without the Ghunnah sound, it is best to listen to a well versed Quran instructor to help you learn, guide you and correct you. Our online Quran instructors are best and can teach you at your pace, step by step.
Also Read: What Is Qalqalah in Tajweed?
Izhar Examples in Quran:
Example 1:
(108:2) فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانۡحَرۡؕ
It is the example of Ha ح which is followed by Noon Sakinah. In this example, the reciter must read the Noon Sakinah distinctly without producing nasal sound (Ghunnah).
Example 2:
(5:36) “إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لِيَفْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ”
In this verse, Noon Sakinah is followed by ع, which is an Izhar lette,r and while pronouncing the Noon Sakinah, the reciter must not produce any nasal sound and pronounce the Noon Sakinah without Ghunnah.
Types of Izhar:
There are four main types of Izhar, and these are as follows;
1. Izhar Halqi
2. Izhar Shafawi
3. Izhar Mutlak
4. Izhar Riwaya
Izhar Halqi (Izhar of the Throat):
This type of Izhar is related to Noon Sakinah and Tanween. When either of them is followed by any Izhar letter (ء – هـ – ع – ح – غ – خ), then there will be proper Noon sound when pronounced. There will be no Ghunnah. It is called Izhar Halqi reason being its letters {ء (Hamza), ع (Ayn), ح (Haa), غ (Ghayn), خ (Khaa), and ه (Haa)} are pronounced directly from the throat.
(88:4) “تَصْلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةًۭ“
In this example tanween نَارًا is followed by the Izhar letter Ha, so the noon sound will be produced while pronouncing the letter.
Also Read: What Is Idgham in Tajweed?
Izhar Shafawi (Izhar of Lips):
This type of Izhar is specifically related to Meem Sakinah. When Meem Sakinah is followed by any letter including Izhar letters but excluding Meem (م) or Baa (ب) then the Meem sound will be pronounced clearly as Meem without Ghunnah. This is known as Izhar Shafawi also called Izhar of lips because it is articulated using lips.
(16:5) “وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمَ خَلَقَهَا ۗ لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌۭ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ”
In this verse the word لَكُمْ is ending with Meem Sakinah and the next letter is ف so, the reciter will pronounce the Meem sound clearly.
Izhar Mutlak:
This type of Izhar only deals with Noon Sakinah when it is followed by Yaa ی or Waw و which are the Idgham letters, but Idgham is not allowed in this case and the sound of Noon will be pronounced clearly. In case of applying Idgham, meanings can be altered. This type of Izhar occurs in only four specific words in the Holy Quran.
1- الدنيا (only when it begins with الـ)
2- بنيان
3- صنوان
4- قنوان
A dedicated Quran instructor can teach the technique to apply Izhar according to the types discussed.
Why is Izhar important in Quran recitation?
Izhar is crucial for accurate Quran recitation. If you understand the rules of Izhar and know when and where to apply Izhar Mutlak, while avoiding Idgham, you can ensure an error-free recitation. This ultimately preserves the intended message and beauty of the Quran verses.
Also Read: Is Tajweed Obligatory/Fard?
Common Mistakes in Izhar and how to avoid them?
One common mistake is blending the sound of Noon Sakinah with its following letter and producing a nasal (Ghunnah) sound. Listening carefully and practicing the Izhar letters can result in avoiding these mistakes. Regular practice is necessary for a perfect Quran recitation, and a skilled Quran instructor will guide you as to when to apply Izhar rules and you can become fluent in applying these rules.
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Final thoughts:
As Muslims, it is our foremost duty to recite the Holy Quran as it is intended. To master the skill of perfect recitation, continuous practice under the supervision of a skilled Quran teacher or instructor is essential to understand the rules in depth and their application. You can take a tour of our website and book a demo class with our online Quran teacher to begin learning Quran recitation as it was meant to be.
