Understanding The Tajweed and Its Rules

The Quran is a blessing from Allah to mankind, every Muslim knows the importance of reciting the Holy book, and reciting the Quran with Tajweed, is mandatory for every Muslim.

Learning about the Tajweed rules is a way to understand the Quran's pronunciation   

However, in this blog, we have covered the basic definition of Tajweed, its rules, and the importance of reciting the Quran with Tajweed 

What is Tajweed

The literal meaning of Tajweed is to improve or make it better.

Tajweed Quran means reciting the Holy book with Quranic pronunciation or having an understanding of Tajweed rules.

Importance of Tajweed of Quran

Learning the Tajweed of Quran is very important for Muslims because wrong Quran recitation in Arabic is not considered a mistake but a sin.

Benefits of Recitation of Quran with Tajweed

• Recitation of Quran with Tajweed gives you a lot of benefits such as a melody voice while reacting to the Quran, 
• The creator of every particle Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala likes the person who recites the Quran with a beautiful voice without any mistake. 
• Reacting to the Holy Quran with a beautiful voice also heals your spiritual as well as physical wounds.

How to learn Tajweed online

Learning the Tajweed online can be tricky for some people but it is not that hard to understand.

To fully understand the Tajweed you have to memorize the 12 rules first then get a tutor for Tajweed lessons online there you will learn the practical use of Tajweed in the Quran. 

Before getting into Tajweed lessons note these points 

• Read the Tajweed Rules in detail
• Write the Tajweed Rule to make notes 
• Practice the Rule by reciting the Quran aloud 

Common mistakes in Tajweed

There are common mistakes in Tajweed that non-Arab people make when pronouncing a particular word because some Arabic words  and arabic sounds do not match with some languages which causes the problem to utter that word perfectly.

Here are some Arabic words alphabet that can be difficult to pronounce which leads to mistakes 

ض  ص  غ  ع  خ  ح  ط  ظ

Some have the same sounds but different utterance points like:

د  ت  ف  ك  ر  ل

12 Tajweed Rules

Understanding the Tajweed Rules is essential to recite the Holy Quran with perfect pronunciation.

Al-Isti’aathah & Al bismillah 

The first rule says to seek refugee from the creator 

• Recite Auzubillah Minashaitan Nirajeem
• Recite the Al basmalah before starting to recite any surah
• It's upon you to recite Bismillah in every surah but it is good to start the surah with Bismillah
•  Surah al Tauba comes without bismillah but you can recite “Seeking Refuge”

Noon sakinah and Tanween

Noon Sakinah is the rule to pronounce the Arabic letter “ن” and to make changes in certain verses with the exception of sounds and marks.

Noon sakinah rules made it more clear to recite the Quran without making any errors. 

Example : 

Here are key points to remember when uttering the “ن” in the Holy Quran.

1. Izhar letters: points out the clear pronunciation of  “ن” without making changes to it.
2. Iqlab letters: It is the change in  “ن” sound when  “ن” sakinah followed by the word “Baa” (ب) the sound has a resemblance with the “Baa” (ب) sound.
3. Idgham letters: involves merging Noon Saakin or Tanween with the following consonant, softening the transition, and blending the two sounds smooth like  “أَمَّن يُجِيبُ”

Example 

وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا

Idgham letters:   ي , ر , م , ل , و , ن

Meem Sakinah Rules  

Meem Sakinah Rules are the rules which describe how to utter Arabic letter Meem (م) when reciting the Quran.

The rules of meem sakinah say that you have to pronounce Meem with mouth closed and both lips touch each other when pronouncing the Meem.

But Meem saakinah applied on the Meem when it does not carry these three vowels (fatha, kasra, and damma) 

Example: In Surah Al-Fil (105:1): "أَلَمْ تَرَ" (alam tara). The Meem Saakinah in "ألم" is pronounced clearly

Al-Madd

In simple words Madd means stretching or increasing the length of a letter.

In Tajweed rules Madd means stretching the sound for the count of two when Madd appears before these Quran letters  (ا – و – ي).

There are two types of madd 

• Stretch the sound for the count of two when there is fatha before the Alif Arabic letter known as Alif Madd 
• Stretch the sound for the count of two when there is Damma before waaw in arabic known as waawmadd

Example: In Surah Al-Fatiha (1:7): "وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ" (wala-ddalleen). The Madd letter "ا" (Alif) in "وَلَا" is prolonged for six counts.

QalQalah Rule

QalQalah rule are the echo sounds that disturbe the letters that are in sakoon or have the QalQalah symbol o n them.

Specifically when these five Arabic letters in quran ق          ط        ب        ج         د  have Qalqalah symbol we make some force when uttering them to create the echo in letter.

Example:  In Surah Al-Ikhlas (112:2): "اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ" (Allahus-Samad). The letter "د" (Dal) in "الصمد" is pronounced with a bouncing sound.

Makharij-al-Huroof

Quran Makhraj Tajweed describes the articulation points and their use with specific Arabic letters.

In the Quran Makhraj Tajweed we use vocal tract parts to pronounce the Arabic letter in a specific manner.

The vocal tract parts that we use are::

•  chest area 
• Throat 
• Tongue 
• Lips
• Nasal cavity 

Sifat al Huroof

Sifat al Haroof makes changes in the articulated letters to differentiate with others.

Sifat al Huroof has two types 

• The Permanent Sifaat (Qualities) with Opposites
• The Permanent Sifaat (Qualities) without Opposites

Letters of Ghunnah

In Arabic linguistics letters of Ghunnah are  the letters that have the sound of some specific Arabic letters  uttered through the nasal cavity.

Waqful ibatdia

Waqf " and"Ibtida " are two important concepts in Tajweed related to stopping and starting during the recitation of the holy Quran.

Waqf (Stopping)

Waqf refers to the act of stopping at the end of a word or phrase during the recitation of the Quran verses. Proper stopping is crucial because it can change the meaning of the text if done incorrectly.

Ibtida (Starting):

1. Starting after a Complete Stop: Begin with a new sentence or topic.
2. Starting after a Sufficient Stop: Resume reading with the continuation of the topic while ensuring the meaning remains clear and connected.
3. Avoiding Repulsive Starts: Avoid starting in a place that could lead to misunderstanding of the text.

Muldood

In Tajweed, the term "Maddood" (often spelled as "Maddud" or "Madd") refers to the elongation of a vowel sound in the recitation of the Qur'an. Madd means to extend or lengthen, and there are specific rules on how and when to elongate the vowel sounds during the recitation.

There are 6 important types of Madd in Tajweed:

1. Madd Tabee'i (Natural Madd):  This is the natural elongation of a vowel sound, usually extending for two counts (Harakat).
2. Madd Munfasil: It comes when a Madd letter is followed by a Hamza in the same word or in the next word. It is elongated for four to five counts.
3. Madd Muttasil: It takes place when a Madd letter is followed by a Hamza in the same word. It is also elongated for four to five counts.
4. Madd Laazim: Occurs when a Madd letter is followed by a Shadda (double consonant) or a Sukoon (silent letter) in the same word. It is elongated for six counts.
5. Madd Aarid Lissukoon: Occurs when a Madd letter is followed by a temporary Sukoon due to a stop at the end of a word during recitation. It can be elongated for two, four, or six counts.
6. Madd Badal: Occurs when a Hamza precedes a Madd letter, typically elongated for two counts.

Noon and Meem Mushadad 

In Tajweed, "Noon Mushaddad" and "Meem Mushaddad" refer to instances where the Arabic letters Noon (ن) and Meem (م) carry a Shaddah ( ّ ). The Shaddah indicates that the letter is doubled or emphasized.

Recitation Guidelines:

Pronunciation: Ensure that the nasal sound is consistent and the letter is pronounced clearly with an emphasis.

Duration: The Ghunna should last for two harakahs, making the pronunciation distinct from a regular Noon or Meem.

Taqeeq & Tafkheem 

In Tajweed, Tafkheem and Taqeeq are two important concepts related to the pronunciation of certain Arabic letters. These rules help maintain the correct articulation and acoustic properties of the letters, contributing to the beauty and precision of Quranic recitation.

Tafkheem (تفخيم)

Tafkheem means "emphasis" or "making thick". It refers to the practice of pronouncing certain letters with a heavy or thick sound. This creates a full and deep resonance in the mouth and throat.

Taqeeq (ترقيق)

Taqeeq means "attenuation" or "making thin". It refers to the practice of pronouncing certain letters with a light or thin sound.