Al-Ikhfa', Lowering the sound

Al-Ikhfa', Lowering the sound

 Al-lkhfa' literally means concealment. It is a state between full pronunciation and full assimilation. In al-Ikhfa', the actual sound of Nun sakin and tanwin are concealed but their lowered nasal sound with a maximum duration of two harakah is added to the pronunciation of the next letter of al-Ikhfa'.

So far, in the three modes already mentioned - al-Izhar, al-Idgham and al-Iqlab - thirteen letters are utilized. The remaining letters are the letters of al-Ikhfa' and these are as follows:

Ta', Tha', Jim, Dal, Dha', Za', Sin, Shin, Sad, Dad, Ta', Za', Fa', Qaf, Kaf.

RULE NO.29

The actual sound of Nun sakin should be concealed and only its lowered nasal sound with a maximum duration of two harakah added to the pronunciation of the next letter of al-Ikhfa' if in a word after Nun sakin any letter of al-Ikhfa'  appears.

Example Analysis:

Example No. 586, Muntatsirin: After Nun sakin, in one word Ta' appears which is one of the letters of al-lkhfa\ the actual sound of Nun sakin should be concealed and only its lowered nasal sound with a maximum duration of two harakah added to the pronunciation of the letter Ta'. It should be recited as Mu(n)*tasirin.

* (n) stands for lowered nasal sound.

EXAMPLES: (586-611).

Al-Ikhfa', Lowering the Sound – RULE No.29
	1	2	3	4	5
	مُنتَصِرِينَ (586)	مَنْثُورًا (587)	يُنَجِّيكُمْ (588)	اَلْإِنسِ (589)	اَلْمُنزِلِينَ (590)
	يَنْصُرُونَكُمْ (591)	مَنْضُودٍ (592)	يَنطِقُونَ (593)	يَنظُرُونَ (594)	يُنفِقُونَ (595)
	تَنكِيلًا (596)
	وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنْ الصَّلَاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنتَهُونَ (597)				ت
	الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنثَى بِالْأُنثَى (598)				ث
	هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (599)				ج
	وَمِنْ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ (600)				د
	لِيُنْذِرَ مَنْ كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ (601)				ذ
	وَقُلْ رَبِّ أَنزِلْنِي مُنْزَلًا مُبَارَكًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ (602)				ر
	مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ (603)				س
	أَأَنْتُمْ أَنشَأْتُمْ شَجَرَتَهَا أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنشِئُونَ (604)				ش
	وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ فِئَةٌ يَنصُرُونَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا (605)				ص
	وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ مَنْضُودٍ (606)				ض
	قَالُوا أَنطَقَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ (607)				ط
	قَالَ أَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ * قَالَ إِنَّكَ مِنْ الْمُنظَرِينَ (608)				ظ
	يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوْ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا (609)				ق
	وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنْ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا (610)				ف
	فَمَنْ نَكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنْكُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ (611)				ك

RULE NO.30

If a word ends either with Nun sakin or tanwin and the next word begins with one of the letters of al-Ikhfa', then the actual sound of Nun sakin and tanwin should be concealed and only their lower nasal sounds with a maximum duration of two harakah added to the pronunciation of the next letter of al-Ikhfa'.

Example Analysis:

Example No. 612, Man Tashd', consists of two words. The first word ends with Nun sakin and the second word begins with one of the letters of al-Ikhfa': Ta'. It should be recited as Ma(n)tashd'.

Example No. 631, Kullan Tabbarna, consists of two words. The first word ends with tanwin and the second word begins with one of the letters of al-Ikhfa': Ta'. Here the actual sound of tanwin is concealed and it should be recited as Kulla(n) Tabbarna.

EXAMPLES: (612-52).

Al-Ikhfa', Lowering the Sound – RULE No.30
	1	2		3		4		5
	مَنْ تَشَاءُ (612)	مِنْ ثُلُثَي اللَّيْلِ (613)		مَنْ جَاءَ (614)		مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ (615)		مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا (616)
	مَنْ زَكَّاهَا (617)	مِنْ شَرِّ (618)		عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ (619)		عَنْ ضَيْفِ (620)		عَنْ طَبَقٍ (621)
	مَنْ ظُلِمَ (622)	مِنْ فَضْلِهِ (623)		مِمَّنْ كَتَمَ (624)
	وَإِنْ تَفْعَلُوا فَإِنَّهُ فُسُوقٌ بِكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ (625)							ت
	وَحُلُّوا أَسَاوِرَ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ وَسَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًا طَهُورًا (626)							ف
	مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا (627)							ج
	قُلْ مَنْ بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (628)							ك
	وَلَمَنْ صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ (629)							ص
	إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا (630)							ش
	كُلًّا تَبَّرْنَا (631)		سَائِحَاتٍ ثَيِّبَاتٍ (632)		عِجْلًا جَسَدًا (633)		كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ (634)
	فَاكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ (635)		مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا (636)		مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا (637)		عَذَابًا صَعَدًا (638)
	مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا (639)		لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا (640)		لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا (641)		رَحْمَةً فَرِحُوا (642)
	مِنْ فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوهَا (643)		خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا (644)
	إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (645)
	فَلْيَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا (646)
	وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ بَلْ كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا طَاغِينَ (647)
	وَمِنْ النَّخْلِ مِنْ طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ (648)
	لَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَنُدْخِلُهُمْ ظِلًّا ظَلِيلًا (649)
	وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ * ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ (650)
	فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ (651)
	كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ (652)