Ghunnah

Islam > Quran > Tajweed > Ghunnah

The definition of the ghunnah

In the language: the ghunnah is a sound that resonates in the nose.

In the terminology: a delicate sound lodged in the body of the noon and the meem, in which the tongue has no role.

It has been said that it resembles the sound of the gazelle when her young is lost¹.

The makhraj of the ghunnah

The ghunnah comes out from the nose (al-khayshum), which is the top of the nose and its deepest part inside.

The length of the ghunnah

The length of the ghunnah is two harakat, by the movement of the finger, closing it or opening it.

The pronunciation of the ghunnah

It follows what follows it in emphasis and in attenuation: if what follows is a letter of isti'aalah (emphasis), it is emphasized, as in يَنْطِقُونَ ²; and if what follows is a letter of istifaal (attenuation), it is attenuated, as in مَا نَنْسَخْ ³.

The author of La'ali al-Bayan indicated the manner of pronouncing it, saying:

....................... وتتبع الألف ... ما قبلها والعكس في الغن ألف

"... and follows the alif... what precedes it, and the reverse for the ghunnah, the alif"

The 5 degrees of the ghunnah

The degrees of the ghunnah are five according to the mashhur:

1. Its most perfect degree: in the mushaddad (reinforced letter) and the mudgham with complete ghunnah.
2. Then the mudgham with incomplete ghunnah.
3. Then the mukhfa (entering into it the iqlaab).
4. Then the saakin made apparent (muzhar).
5. Then the mutaharrik.

In reality, it appears only in the first three degrees: the mushaddad, the mudgham and the mukhfa, where it reaches the degree of perfection; as for the two cases of the muzhar and the mutaharrik, it is its origin that is maintained in them, not its perfection.

And let it be known: what is meant by the mudgham with complete ghunnah is the one on which the sign of the shaddah has been placed on the mudgham.

Where is the perfect ghunnah found?

The ghunnah in a state of perfection is found in the following:

1. The noon saakin and the tanween in the cases: the idghaam with ghunnah, the iqlaab and the ikhfa.
2. The noon and the meem mushaddad (reinforced).
3. The meem saakin in the two cases: the ikhfa and the idghaam.

And a questioner may ask: how is the ghunnah maintained in the muzhar and the mutaharrik?

The answer: they relied, for the maintenance of the ghunnah in the muzhar and the mutaharrik, on the fact that the pronunciation of the noon and the meem made apparent or mutaharrik becomes impossible if the point of articulation of the ghunnah (the nose) is obstructed¹.

And the author of Tuhfat al-Atfal indicated the ruling of the ghunnah by his statement:

وغُنَّ ميمًا ثم نونًا شُدِّدا ... وسمِّ كلا حرف غنةٍ بدا

"And give ghunnah to a meem then to a noon mushaddad... and name each letter, from the start, a letter with ghunnah"

And the author of La'ali al-Bayan indicated the ruling of the ghunnah and its degrees by his statement:

وغن في نون وميم باديا ... إن شددا فأُدغما فأُخفيا
فأُظهِرا فحُركا وقُدِّرتْ ... بألف لا فيهما كما ثبتْ

"And give ghunnah to a noon and a meem from the start... if they are mushaddad, then idghaam, then ikhfa
If they are made apparent or mutaharrik, and [the ghunnah] is estimated... by an alif, as it is established"

Additional examples (Qawa'id al-Tajwid on the recitation of Hafs)

مُّحَمَّدٌۭ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَىٰهُمْ رُكَّعًۭا سُجَّدًۭا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِى وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسْتَغْلَظَ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعْجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًۢا

Surah 48, 29: Example from the book: the mushaddad meem of محمد carries the obligatory ghunnah of two harakat.

إِذْ جَآءُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَبَلَغَتِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلْحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠

Surah 33, 10: Example from the book: the mushaddad noon of تظنون carries the obligatory ghunnah.

فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّۢا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا۟ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍۢ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ

Surah 47, 4: Example from the book: the noon of the tanween of منّا carries the obligatory ghunnah.