---
title: "Iqlab in Tajweed: Definition, Letter and Examples"
description: "Iqlab in tajweed: a noon sakinah or tanween turns into a hidden meem before the letter ba, with a two-count ghunnah. Quran examples and common mistakes."
url: "https://iqraairtqi.com/en/blogs/iqlab-comprehensive-tajweed-guide"
date: "2026-08-16T07:00:40+00:00"
---

# Iqlab in Tajweed: Definition, Letter and Examples

<div class="whiteboard-box">- 🔄 **Iqlab** means turning a noon sakinah or tanween into a hidden meem when the letter **ba (ب)** follows.
- 🔤 There is only one letter of iqlab: **ba**.
- 🔊 The hidden meem is pronounced with a **ghunnah of two counts** and a light closing of the lips.
- ⚠️ The most common mistake: saying the noon as it is, or pressing the lips so hard that a full meem is heard.

</div>What is iqlab in tajweed?
-------------------------

Iqlab literally means turning something away from its form. In tajweed it means turning a noon sakinah or tanween into a hidden meem before the letter ba, while keeping the ghunnah. So «مِن بَعْدِ» is not read with a clear noon but with a hidden meem: «مِمْ بَعْدِ».

When does iqlab happen?
-----------------------

Two conditions must be met: a **noon sakinah or tanween** comes first, and the **letter ba follows it directly**. The noon can sit inside one word, like «أَنْبِئْهُم», at the end of a word with the ba starting the next, like «مِن بَعْدِ», or be a tanween, like «سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ».

How to pronounce iqlab, step by step
------------------------------------

1. Look at what follows the noon sakinah or tanween. If it is **ba**, this is iqlab.
2. Do not pronounce the noon. Turn it into a **meem**.
3. Close the lips **lightly**, without pressing.
4. Let the **ghunnah** sound through the nasal passage for two counts.
5. Say the ba straight after the ghunnah with no pause.

Examples of iqlab in the Quran
------------------------------

<table><tr><th>Example</th><th>Where iqlab occurs</th><th>How it is read</th></tr><tr><td>﴿أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ﴾</td><td>noon sakinah then ba inside one word</td><td>أَمْبِئْهُم</td></tr><tr><td>﴿مِن بَعْدِ﴾</td><td>noon sakinah ending a word, ba starting the next</td><td>مِمْ بَعْدِ</td></tr><tr><td>﴿سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ﴾</td><td>tanween then ba</td><td>سَمِيعُمْ بَصِيرٌ</td></tr><tr><td>﴿عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾</td><td>tanween then ba</td><td>عَلِيمُمْ بِذَاتِ</td></tr><tr><td>﴿لَيُنبَذَنَّ﴾</td><td>noon sakinah then ba inside one word</td><td>لَيُمْبَذَنَّ</td></tr></table>

For more places in the Quran see [where iqlab occurs in the Quran](/blogs/tajweed-rules-understanding-iqlaab).

Iqlab, ikhfa and idgham: what is the difference?
------------------------------------------------

In all three, the rule is decided by the letter that follows the noon sakinah or tanween. In **iqlab** the noon becomes a meem before ba alone. In **ikhfa** the noon stays hidden before fifteen letters. In **idgham** the noon merges into the six letters of «يرملون». For a side-by-side comparison read [idgham, ikhfa and iqlab: how to tell them apart](/blogs/understanding-idgham-in-tajweed).

Common mistakes in iqlab
------------------------

- **Skipping the change:** pronouncing a clear noon in «مِن بَعْدِ», as in izhar.
- **Pressing the lips hard:** so a full meem appears instead of a hidden one.
- **Dropping the ghunnah** or making it shorter than two counts.
- **Stretching the ghunnah** beyond two counts until it sounds like a madd.
- **Pausing between the ghunnah and the ba** where the rule does not call for a pause.

To practise this with a teacher who follows your progress, start with a free trial class at our [online Quran academy](/en/online-quran-academy).

<div class="faq-section">#### Frequently asked questions

<div class="faq-item">**Q: What is the letter of iqlab?**A: Only one letter: ba (ب).

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: How long is the ghunnah in iqlab?**A: Two counts, about the time it takes to close and open a finger.

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: Can iqlab happen inside one word?**A: Yes, as in «أَنْبِئْهُم» and «لَيُنبَذَنَّ», as well as between two words as in «مِن بَعْدِ».

</div><div class="faq-item">**Q: What is the difference between iqlab and ikhfa?**A: In iqlab the noon turns into a meem before ba only, while in ikhfa the noon stays hidden before fifteen letters.

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;margin:35px 0;padding:24px;background:#f0f7f4;border-radius:16px;">Ready to start with a specialist teacher?

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