Idgham Mutamathilayn, Mutajanisayn and Mutaqaribayn

Idgham mutamathilayn, mutajanisayn and mutaqaribayn are the three ways two neighboring letters can merge in Quran recitation. Mutamathilayn is the same letter twice, mutajanisayn is two different letters from the same articulation point, and mutaqaribayn is two letters whose articulation points are close. When the first letter has a sukun, it usually disappears into the second, and you hear a single stressed letter. If you want a teacher to listen to these merges in your own recitation, you can learn Tajweed online in one-to-one lessons.

These rules sit right after noon and meem sakinah in most Tajweed curricula, and they trip up many readers because the mushaf only hints at them. This guide explains each category in the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim (by way of al-Shatibiyyah), with real Quran examples and the exceptions teachers test most.

The Basic Idea Behind All Three

Idgham means inserting one letter into another so that the two are pronounced as one doubled letter. Scholars of Tajweed group letter pairs by how similar they are, because similarity is what makes merging natural:

• Tamathul (identical): same makhraj and same qualities (sifat). In practice, the same letter.
• Tajanus (related): same makhraj, different qualities.
• Taqarub (close): articulation points or qualities are near each other, but not the same.
• Taba’ud (distant): far apart, so the letters stay clear (izhar).

Each similar pair is then classified by its vowels:

Almost everything you will practice falls under saghir, so that is where we focus below. If the general concept of merging is new to you, start with our overview of idgham letters in Tajweed.

Idgham Mutamathilayn: The Same Letter Twice

When any letter with sukun is followed by the same letter with a vowel, the first merges completely into the second. This applies across words and inside a word.

1. اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ (Al-Baqarah 2:60): ba into ba.
2. قَد دَّخَلُوا (Al-Ma’idah 5:61): dal into dal.
3. يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ (An-Nisa 4:78): kaf into kaf inside one word.
4. رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ (Al-Baqarah 2:16): ta into ta.

Noon into noon and meem into meem also belong here, but they carry a full two-count ghunnah, as in مِّن نُّورٍ and لَهُم مَّا. You will usually study them with the noon and meem sakinah rules.

The madd letter exception

If the first letter is a madd letter (a waw sakinah after damma or a ya sakinah after kasra), there is no merging. You lengthen the madd naturally and then pronounce the next letter clearly:

• قَالُوا وَهُمْ (Ash-Shu’ara 26:96)
• فِي يَوْمٍ (Al-Ma’arij 70:4)

Merging here would erase the madd and change the word, so take care to keep the waw or ya round and clear.

The special case of مَالِيَهْ هَلَكَ

At Al-Haqqah 69:28 to 29, the ha at the end of مَالِيَهْ meets the ha of هَلَكَ. Hafs has two valid ways when joining: idgham, or a short sakt (a breathless pause) on the first ha with no merging. Many teachers give the sakt first, so follow the way your teacher reads to you.

Idgham Mutajanisayn: Same Makhraj, Different Qualities

Here the letters come from the same place in the mouth but differ in qualities such as heaviness or whisper. Hafs merges only these pairs when the first is sakin:

Note that د into ت also happens inside words, as in عَبَدتُّمْ (Al-Kafirun 109:4).

Complete vs incomplete idgham

Most of these merges are complete (kamil): nothing of the first letter remains. The exception is ط into ت, found in بَسَطتَ, أَحَطتُ (An-Naml 27:22) and فَرَّطتُ (Az-Zumar 39:56). Here the idgham is incomplete (naqis). Your tongue moves to the ta, but the heavy, rising quality of ط is kept, so the sound is fuller than a plain ta. Saying “basatta” with a light ta is one of the most common mistakes teachers correct.

In إِذ ظَّلَمُوا, make sure the merged letter is a true ظ, pronounced with the tongue tip touching the edges of the upper front teeth. Many students blur ظ with ض, so our guide on pronouncing dhaad is a useful companion here.

Ready to test yourself? The quiz below covers all three categories and the exceptions.

Idgham Mutaqaribayn: Close Letters

Close letters merge in Hafs in two main situations:

Lam into ra. Any lam sakinah before ra merges completely: قُل رَّبِّ (Al-Isra 17:24) and بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ (An-Nisa 4:158). The ra is then read heavy or light according to its own rules.

Qaf into kaf. In أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم (Al-Mursalat 77:20), Hafs has two narrated ways: complete idgham (a doubled kaf with no trace of qaf) and incomplete idgham (keeping the heaviness of qaf). Complete idgham is the way most teachers give first.

The rules of noon sakinah into lam and ra, and the merging of the sun letters (lam shamsiyyah), are also technically idgham of close letters. They are usually taught as separate topics because they are so frequent.

Where Hafs does not merge close letters

• بَلْ رَانَ (Al-Mutaffifin 83:14) and مَنْ رَاقٍ (Al-Qiyamah 75:27): Hafs makes a short sakt, so there is no idgham.
• Lam before noon or ta, as in قُلْ نَعَمْ (As-Saffat 37:18) and قُلْ تَعَالَوْا: the lam stays clear.

How to Spot These Rules in the Mushaf

In the standard Madinah mushaf, the marks do most of the work for you:

• No sukun on the first letter + shaddah on the second = complete idgham. Look at بِّعَصَاكَ: the ba of اضْرِب has no sukun sign.
• No sukun on the first letter + no shaddah on the second = incomplete idgham, as in بَسَطتَ, where the ta carries only its vowel.
• A sukun sign on the first letter = pronounce it clearly.

Training your eye to read these marks is part of how to read Quran with Tajweed fluently, without stopping to analyze every word.

Common Mistakes Teachers Hear

1. Adding a qalqalah before the merge. In قَد تَّبَيَّنَ, there should be no bounce on the dal. It vanishes into the ta.
2. Merging madd letters. فِي يَوْمٍ is not “fiyyawm.”
3. Making ط into ت too light in بَسَطتَ and أَحَطتُ.
4. Forgetting the Hafs sakt in بَلْ رَانَ and مَنْ رَاقٍ.
5. Not doubling the merged letter. A merged letter carries a shaddah, so hold it for its full length instead of rushing past it.

These are small details, but they are exactly what a trained ear notices. A teacher in a one-to-one Tajweed course can catch them in real time, which is far quicker than discovering them months later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between mutajanisayn and mutaqaribayn?

Mutajanisayn letters share the exact same articulation point but differ in qualities, like dal and ta. Mutaqaribayn letters have articulation points that are close but separate, like lam and ra. Both can merge in Hafs, but only in specific pairs.

Is idgham mutamathilayn obligatory?

Yes, when the first letter is sakin and the second is voweled, merging is obligatory in Hafs. The exception is when the first letter is a madd letter, as in قَالُوا وَهُمْ, where the letters are pronounced separately.

Why does بَسَطتَ not sound like a normal doubled ta?

Because the idgham of ط into ت is incomplete. The tongue moves to the ta, but the heaviness of ط stays, so the word keeps a fuller sound. Your teacher will model it so you can copy it exactly.

Is idgham shafawi the same as idgham mutamathilayn?

Idgham shafawi (meem sakinah into meem) is in fact a case of identical letters, so it falls under mutamathilayn. It is taught separately because it carries a ghunnah and belongs to the meem sakinah rules.

Can I learn these idgham rules without a teacher?

You can learn the definitions from a book, but applying them correctly, especially incomplete idgham and the Hafs exceptions, needs someone to listen. Our tutors hold Ijazah and correct every merge live, so you can study Tajweed rules with a certified teacher starting with a free trial class.

Madraset El Quran Academy

Editor@madrasatelquran.com

Madraset Elquran Academy is a world-class platform for learning Quran, Arabic, and Islamic Studies, recognized globally for its excellence. As one of the leading online Quran schools, we offer personalized one-on-one sessions with expert native Egyptian tutors, providing high-quality education for learners of all levels.

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