Idgham Shafawi (Idgham Mithlayn): Rule and Examples from the Quran

Idgham Shafawi is one of the three rules of meem sakinah (مْ), and it is the simplest to recognise: a meem with sukoon is followed by another meem, so the two merge into one doubled meem with a nasal sound held for two counts. You will meet it in almost every surah, often in short phrases such as لَهُمْ مَا and كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ.

This guide explains the rule, why it is called both shafawi and mithlayn, how to pronounce it step by step, how it differs from the other two meem rules, how the Mushaf marks it, and the mistakes teachers correct most often. It suits beginners who are working through the Tajweed rules one by one, and anyone who wants to learn Quran online with clean, confident recitation.

What Is Idgham Shafawi?

Idgham (إِدْغَام) means “merging” and shafawi (شَفَوِي) means “of the lips”. Idgham Shafawi is the merging of a meem sakinah into a following meem, pronounced with the lips.

The rule: when meem sakinah (مْ) is followed by a meem with a vowel (مَ مِ مُ), the first meem is merged into the second. You read one meem with a shaddah (مّ) and hold a ghunnah (nasal sound) for about two counts.

It is also called Idgham Mithlayn Saghir: mithlayn means “two identical letters”, and saghir (“small”) means the first letter has a sukoon and the second has a vowel.

Which Letter Triggers Idgham Shafawi?

Only one letter: meem (م). This makes Idgham Shafawi the easiest of the meem rules to spot. The full picture of meem sakinah looks like this:

You can read about the hiding rule in our guide to Ikhfa Shafawi, and the clear rule in our guide to Izhar Shafawi.

What Are Examples of Idgham Shafawi in the Quran?

Idgham Shafawi almost always happens across two words, because two meems rarely sit side by side inside one word with the first one silent. Read each example slowly, then at normal speed:

The last example, from Surah Quraysh, is useful for children because it sits in Juz ‘Amma and is easy to memorise.

How Do You Pronounce Idgham Shafawi Step by Step?

1. Close the lips gently on the first meem. Do not release them.
2. Keep the lips closed and let the sound flow through the nose for about two counts. This is the ghunnah.
3. Open the lips onto the vowel of the second meem.

The result sounds like one long “mm” followed by the vowel: lahummā, not lahum mā with a break, and not lahu-mā with the meem dropped.

A simple way to feel the timing is to tap two fingers while holding the meem. Some teachers describe the count as the time it takes to bend and straighten one finger twice at a steady pace.

Why Is the Ghunnah Always Two Counts?

Whenever a meem or a noon carries a shaddah, it has a full ghunnah of about two counts. In Idgham Shafawi, merging the two meems creates exactly that: a meem with a shaddah. This is the same ghunnah you hold in ثُمَّ or أُمِّ. Our guide to ghunnah in Tajweed explains why the nasal sound is held for two counts and how to measure it consistently.

How Does the Mushaf Show Idgham Shafawi?

In the Madani (Uthmani) Mushaf, you can see Idgham Shafawi before you say it:

• The first meem is written without a sukoon.
• The second meem carries a shaddah together with its vowel.

So لَهُم مَّا is printed with a bare meem and then a meem with shaddah. That bare meem is your signal to merge. In colour-coded copies the merged meem is usually shaded in the ghunnah colour. IndoPak-style copies may keep a sukoon-like mark on the first meem, so if you use that script, rely on the rule: meem sakinah + meem = merge. Our guide to Uthmani vs IndoPak script compares the two styles.

How Is Idgham Shafawi Different from Idgham of Noon Sakinah?

Students sometimes mix these two up because both are called Idgham:

• Idgham of noon sakinah and tanween applies when a noon sakinah or tanween is followed by one of six letters (ي ر م ل و ن). It has types with and without ghunnah. Our guide to Idgham covers it in full.
• Idgham Shafawi applies only to meem sakinah followed by meem. It always has a ghunnah.

Notice that meem appears in both lists. In مِنْ مَاءٍ a noon sakinah merges into meem (Idgham of noon). In لَهُمْ مَا a meem sakinah merges into meem (Idgham Shafawi). The sound is very similar, but the name depends on which letter comes first.

What Mistakes Do Students Make with Idgham Shafawi?

• Breaking the merge: saying lahum and then a fresh mā, with a gap. The lips should stay closed through the ghunnah.
• Cutting the ghunnah short: a quick “m” instead of a held nasal sound.
• Over-stretching: holding the ghunnah for four counts or more, which turns it into an exaggeration.
• Adding a vowel: saying lahumu mā. The first meem has a sukoon and must not take a vowel.
• Ignoring it when stopping: if you stop on the first word (lahum), there is no Idgham, because the meem is no longer joined to the next word.

How Can You Practise Idgham Shafawi?

Spend five minutes a day on this short routine:

1. Hum a two-count “mm” with closed lips to feel the ghunnah.
2. Read the examples table, holding each merge for exactly two counts.
3. Read Surah Quraysh (106) and mark the merge in أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ.
4. Read Al-Baqarah 2:10 and listen for the merge in قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ.
5. Record yourself and check whether the lips stay closed through the ghunnah.

If you are unsure whether your ghunnah is the right length, a teacher can tell you in seconds. In our online Tajweed course students practise each meem rule with live correction.