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Izhar Shafawi

إظهار شفوي

The mīm said clearly, at the lips

Lesson 4.3 · Module 4 · Meem sakinah

Izhar Shafawi (إظهار شفوي): before every letter except bā and mīm, a mīm with no vowel is said clearly, without holding the nasal sound. When a mīm with no vowel is followed by any letter except bā (ب) and mīm (م): 26 letters. The Quran has 5,537 of them, in 105 surahs (Hafs reading).

What does Izhar Shafawi mean?

Izhar Shafawi (إظهار شفوي): the mīm said clearly, at the lips

Shafawi means “of the lips”, where the meem is made. Before every letter except baa and meem, the meem sakinah is said clearly, the lips closed for a moment.

Izhar Shafawi: the 26 letters

Izhar Shafawi in the Quran, letter by letter: computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf.
Letter Name In the Quran
ء hamzah 800
ت tā 418
ث thā 69
ج jīm 94
ح ḥā 84
خ khā 65
د dāl 74
ذ dhāl 28
ر rā 318
ز zāy 6
س sīn 174
ش shīn 93
ص ṣād 52
ض ḍād 16
ط ṭā 26
ظ ẓā 18
ع ʿayn 351
غ ghayn 31
ف fā 552
ق qāf 116
ك kāf 157
ل lām 453
ن nūn 157
ه hā 52
و wāw 815
ي yā 518

How to pronounce Izhar Shafawi

Close the lips for the mīm, then open them at once for the next letter, without letting the sound last in the nose.

The gesture
The lips close firmly for the mīm, without pressing, then open on the next letter.
Avoid
Before و and ف, do not hide the mīm: these letters also use the lips, which tempts you to hide it.
The condition
Only bā (the mīm is hidden: ikhfa shafawi) and mīm (it merges: idgham shafawi) change a mīm with no vowel. Before the other letters it stays clear.

Where the letters come from

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

12 examples of Izhar Shafawi in the Quran

Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear Izhar Shafawi in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

Izhar Shafawi: common mistakes

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

  1. Hiding the mīm before و or ف: it stays clear, lips closed.

    The right model · Al-Fil 105:2

  2. Holding the nasal sound for two counts, as before a bā: here nothing is lengthened.

    The right model · Al-Ikhlas 112:3

  3. Adding a small vowel after the mīm before the next letter: the mīm stays vowelless.

    The right model · Al-Fil 105:1

Izhar Shafawi and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
Izhar Shafawi When a mīm with no vowel is followed by any letter except bā (ب) and mīm (م): 26 letters. Before every letter except bā and mīm, a mīm with no vowel is said clearly, without holding the nasal sound.
Ikhfa Shafawi When a mīm with no vowel ends a word and the next word begins with a bā (ب). Before a bā, the mīm is not said clearly: it keeps a nasal sound for two counts.
Idgham Shafawi When a mīm with no vowel is followed by another mīm. A mīm with no vowel, then another mīm: they become one doubled mīm, with a nasal sound of two counts.
Izhar Halqi When a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn is followed by one of the six throat letters: ء ه ع ح غ خ, in the same word or at the start of the next. Before a throat letter, a nūn with no vowel or a tanwīn is said clearly, without holding the nasal sound.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two words that sound alike: one is read with Izhar Shafawi, the other with Ikhfa Shafawi. Listen for the difference.

Your turn: which rule?

By eye

The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?

  1. وَلَمْ يَكُن

    walam yakul

    Al-Ikhlas 112:4

  2. تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ

    tarmīhim biḥijāratim

    Al-Fil 105:4

  3. أَمْرٍ

    'amr

    Al-Qadr 97:4

  4. أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن

    'aṭʿamahummin

    Quraysh 106:4

By ear

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

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Izhar Shafawi in numbers

5,537times in the Quran

105surahs

Where to practise: the surahs of 20 verses or fewer with the most Izhar Shafawi
SurahVersesIzhar Shafawi
60. Al-Mumtahanah 13 41
49. Al-Hujurat 18 36
65. At-Talaq 12 24
64. At-Taghabun 18 21
63. Al-Munafiqun 11 20

Computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading), from the letter that follows.

Frequently asked questions

What is Izhar Shafawi in tajweed?

Before every letter except ب and م, a mīm with no vowel is said clearly, with special care before و and ف.

Which letters does Izhar Shafawi apply to?

When a mīm with no vowel is followed by any letter except bā (ب) and mīm (م): 26 letters. In the Quran, the most frequent is و (wāw): 815 times.

How many times does Izhar Shafawi occur in the Quran?

5,537 times, in 105 surahs, as computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Mumtahanah has the most: 41 in 13 verses.

Izhar Shafawi or Ikhfa Shafawi: what is the difference?

Izhar Shafawi: before every letter except bā and mīm, a mīm with no vowel is said clearly, without holding the nasal sound. Ikhfa Shafawi: before a bā, the mīm is not said clearly: it keeps a nasal sound for two counts.

Izhar Shafawi: 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 Izhar Shafawi was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

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