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Idgham Mutaqaribayn

إدغام متقاربين

Two letters, neighbouring places

Lesson 9.3 · Module 9 · When two letters meet

Idgham Mutaqaribayn (إدغام متقاربين): a letter with no vowel, then a letter from a neighbouring place: the first merges into the second. Two letters made close to each other. In Hafs, the first, with no vowel, merges into the second only where the Mushaf marks a shaddah. The Quran has 13 of them, in 9 surahs (Hafs reading).

What does Idgham Mutaqaribayn mean?

Idgham Mutaqaribayn (إدغام متقاربين): two letters, neighbouring places

Two letters whose points of articulation are close merge, in Hafs, in the cases marked with a shaddah, such as laam into raa.

Idgham Mutaqaribayn: the letter pairs

In Hafs, two cases: a lām with no vowel before a rā, and the qāf before the kāf (77:20). The Mushaf shows them: no sukoon on the first letter, a shaddah on the second. Except in 83:14, where a short pause (sakt) prevents the merger.

Idgham Mutaqaribayn in the Quran, letter by letter: counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf.
The two lettersNameIn the Quran
ل ر lām then rā 12
ق ك qāf then kāf 1

How to pronounce Idgham Mutaqaribayn

Move from one letter to the other with no break, in one motion, as the reciter does.

The gesture
Do not say the lām: go straight to the rā and say it doubled. In 77:20, follow the reciter.
Avoid
Do not pronounce the two letters separately or pause between their nearby articulation points.
The condition
In Hafs this merger happens in only thirteen places: twelve lām before rā, and qāf before kāf in 77:20. There, two ways are transmitted: a full merger, or the qāf keeps its height. In both, the qāf does not bounce.

Where the letters come from

Each point is shown on the mouth map, and each letter has its own page.

13 examples of Idgham Mutaqaribayn in the Quran

Idgham Mutaqaribayn occurs only 13 times in the Quran: here they all are. Tap ▶ to hear each word in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

Idgham Mutaqaribayn: common mistakes

What is often heard, and how to fix it. The ▶ plays the right model, recited by al-Husary.

  1. Letting the lām be heard before the rā: it merges, and the rā is doubled.

    The right model · Al-Isra' 17:24

  2. Merging the lām into the rā in 83:14: Hafs makes a short breathless pause there (sakt), which prevents the merging.

    The right model · Al-Mutaffifin 83:14

  3. Passing over the rā without doubling it: after the merging, it carries the shadda.

    The right model · Al-Mu'minun 23:93

Idgham Mutaqaribayn and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
Idgham Mutaqaribayn In Hafs, two cases: a lām with no vowel before a rā, and the qāf before the kāf (77:20). The Mushaf shows them: no sukoon on the first letter, a shaddah on the second. Except in 83:14, where a short pause (sakt) prevents the merger. A letter with no vowel, then a letter from a neighbouring place: the first merges into the second.
Idgham Mutajanisayn First letter with no vowel: among ت, د and ط; among ث, ذ and ظ; or from ب into م. A ṭā before a tā keeps its heaviness: the merger there is incomplete. A letter with no vowel, then a letter from the same place in the mouth: the first merges into the second.
Idgham without Ghunnah Between two words: a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn (final “n”), then lām or rā. The nūn disappears completely into the lām or rā that follows, with no nasal sound.
Lam Shamsiyyah When “al” is followed by one of these letters: ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. In “al”, before one of the 14 sun letters, the lām is not said: the next letter is doubled.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two words that sound almost the same: in one, the lām merges into the rā; in the other, the nūn does. Both sound alike, a doubled rā with no nasal sound: only the written letter changes.

What I show you when you recite

Your turn: which rule?

By eye

The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?

  1. قُل رَّبِّىٓ

    qurrabbī

    Al-Qasas 28:85

  2. عَبَدتُّمْ

    ʿabattum

    Al-Kafirun 109:4

  3. قُل رَّبِّىٓ

    qurrabbī

    Al-Kahf 18:22

  4. يَكُن لَّهُۥ

    yakullahū

    Al-Ikhlas 112:4

By ear

Listen, then choose the rule you hear. The word appears after you answer.

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Idgham Mutaqaribayn in numbers

13times in the Quran

9surahs

Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).

Frequently asked questions

What is Idgham Mutaqaribayn in tajweed?

Two letters made close to each other. In Hafs, the first, with no vowel, merges into the second only where the Mushaf marks a shaddah.

When does Idgham Mutaqaribayn apply?

In Hafs, two cases: a lām with no vowel before a rā, and the qāf before the kāf (77:20). The Mushaf shows them: no sukoon on the first letter, a shaddah on the second. Except in 83:14, where a short pause (sakt) prevents the merger. In Hafs this merger happens in only thirteen places: twelve lām before rā, and qāf before kāf in 77:20. There, two ways are transmitted: a full merger, or the qāf keeps its height. In both, the qāf does not bounce.

How many times does Idgham Mutaqaribayn occur in the Quran?

13 times, in 9 surahs, according to the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).

Idgham Mutaqaribayn or Idgham Mutajanisayn: what is the difference?

Idgham Mutaqaribayn: a letter with no vowel, then a letter from a neighbouring place: the first merges into the second. Idgham Mutajanisayn: a letter with no vowel, then a letter from the same place in the mouth: the first merges into the second.

Idgham Mutaqaribayn: how do I know I apply it correctly?

A rule is learned by ear: recite a surah out loud in the Tilawa app, which follows your recitation word by word and shows you where Idgham Mutaqaribayn was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error