Back to: The Quran Reading Journey — Level 1
Lesson 4: Ikhfaa — Hiding (إخفاء)
Ikhfaa is the most common Tajweed rule — it covers 15 letters
After learning Ith-har (clear) and Idghaam (merge), you now meet the rule that sits in between: Ikhfaa (إخفاء) — "concealment."
When a noon saakin (نْ) or tanwin (ً ٍ ٌ) is followed by any of the 15 Ikhfaa letters, the noon is neither fully pronounced nor fully merged. It is hidden — a soft nasal hum held for 2 counts while the tongue moves toward the next letter. The sound lives between noon and the following letter.
The 15 Ikhfaa Letters
All 15 letters follow the same rule. Tap each card to hear the letter. The example shows noon saakin followed by that letter.
Selected Examples — How Ikhfaa Sounds
The same rule applies to all 15 letters. Here are 6 representative examples from the Quran.
| Letter | Name | Quranic Example | What You Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| ص | Ṣād | مِن صِيَامٍAl-Baqarah 2:184 — "from fasting" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before Ṣ |
| ك | Kāf | مِن كُلِّ أَمْرٍAl-Qadr 97:4 — "from every matter" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before K |
| ش | Shīn | مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَAl-Falaq 113:2 — "from the evil of what He created" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before SH |
| ق | Qāf | مِن قَبْلِكَAl-Baqarah 2:4 — "before you" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before Q |
| ف | Fā | مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِAl-Baqarah 2:64 — "from the bounty of Allah" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before F |
| ت | Tā | مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُAl-Baqarah 2:25 — "beneath it rivers" | Noon hides · soft nasal hum · 2 counts before T |
| The same rule applies to all remaining letters: ذ · ث · ج · د · ط · ز · ض · ظ | |||
Spot Ikhfaa in the Quran
The blue word shows where noon meets an Ikhfaa letter — the noon is hidden with a soft nasal hum.
Test Your Knowledge — Ikhfaa & Previous Rules
10 questions. Most focus on Ikhfaa — but some test Ith-har, Idghaam, and Iqlaab so you can see the differences clearly. Read each verse and choose the correct Tajweed rule for the highlighted word.