Question

There is a small meem in the Qur'an above and at the end of some words for example there is one in the words:  in surah al Bayynah (sura 98 aaya 4) right above the noon in the word  What is the significance of this meem ?

Answer

If the letter  has no vowel on it (in other words, it is saakinah), and is followed by the letter , the letter  then changes into a .  This is because it is very difficult to say a voweless , followed by a .  This is not unique to the Arabic language.  Even English doesn’t not have the letter “n” without a vowel followed by the letter “b”. 

The little  written over the is to help us recognize this change over, and apply it in our reciation.  The rule here for the  saakinah changing into a  is called (iqlaab), which means change. 

This iqlaab can take place between two words, as in the fourth aayah of Al-Bayyinah, or in can be in the middle of a word, such as . 

A tanween, which is either a double fat-hah, kasrah, or dhammah, also consists of a  saakinah.  If there is a tanween (they are only at the end of a word) followed by a , the  saakinah of the tanween will also change into a .  There is a little  written as the second part of the tanween in these cases.  An example of this is: . 

In all of these cases, we do not say the letter , but instead say a  in its place, and we hold the sound for a bit, letting the lengthened sound come from the nasalization (ghunnah) of the , while keeping our lips closed.