The Quran is the central religious text of Islam and is regarded by Muslims as the literal word of God revealed to the prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. Tajweed refers to the rules governing the correct pronunciation of the Quran when reciting it aloud. Mastery of tajweed is essential for all those wishing to recite the Quran correctly and beautifully.
The Importance of Tajweed
Tajweed has several important functions in Quranic recitation:
- It ensures every letter is pronounced clearly and distinctly, allowing the listener to understand each word.
- It facilitates the implementation of the various vocal rules of recitation such as merging letters (idgham), prolonging sounds (madd), and others.
- It helps convey the precise meanings behind the revelation by pronouncing words differently in various contexts.
- It beautifies the recitation and moves the listener through its melodious implementation.
Therefore, applying proper tajweed elevates a recitation from mere reading to an act of worship, allowing one to fully experience the Quran’s magnificence.
Origin & Development of the Tajweed Rules
The rules of tajweed are based on the recitation of the prophet Muhammad as narrated from him through a chain of trusted narrators from the early Muslim community. This oral tradition was later codified in written form.
The most important early source was the Muwatta of Imam Malik (d. 795 CE) which devoted a chapter to the recitation of the Quran according to the style of the people of Medina, based on the teachings of the companion Ibn Kathir al-Makki.
Over the next few centuries, master scholars like Abu ‘Amr ad-Dani (d. 1053 CE) and Ibn al-Jazari (d.1429 CE) compiled treatises that systematically organized and explained the rules of tajweed in detail. These continue to serve as primary references on the topic today.
Therefore, tajweed represents a sacred science that has been meticulously transmitted from generation to generation of Quran teachers and students for over 1400 years.
The Two Categories of Tajweed Rules
The rules of tajweed are of two main types:
- Essential Rules: The omission of which renders recitation incorrect.
- Embellishing Rules: That enhance the recitation but their omission does not invalidate it.
1. The Essential Rules of Tajweed
The essential rules relate to the correct pronunciation of letters. They are as follows:
Letter pronunciation
- Each letter should be pronounced fully and distinctly in its natural place of articulation e.g. ت is emitted from the tip of the tongue striking the base of the front top teeth.
- Letters should not be merged into each other such that one loses its characteristics e.g. joining ل and ب into one Leb.
- When two similar letters meet, each retains its characteristics e.g. pronouncing each ت fully in تطهرنّ.
Nasalization
- Nasal letters (ن, م, و) should be emitted from their nasal passage along with the mouth e.g. pronouncing nun from the nose in نسك.
- Non-nasals should be emitted purely from the mouth without nasal influence.
The Ghunnah
- There should be a nasal twang when pronouncing the م if it has a sukoon on it and is followed by ب, م, or و e.g. in حرموا.
Letter Prolongation
- Letters pronounced proportionately longer are required in certain situations e.g. the raa’ in قل هو الله أحد.
2. The Embellishing Rules of Tajweed
The embellishing rules relate to perfecting letter pronunciation and extending the recitation. The main ones are:
Idgham
- Merging letters in certain situations yet without losing their individual characteristics e.g. merging the raa with the laam in الرحمن.
Iqlab
- Replacing certain letters with others in specific contexts e.g. replacing noon saakinah with meem in ربنا آتنا.
Ikhfa’
- Obscuring or concealing letters by pronouncing them weakly or into the following letter e.g. the noon saakinah in ينسلخ.
Prolonging Sounds
- Extending the natural length of certain letters e.g. the madd letters, leen letters etc.
There are also several other embellishing rules like qalqalah, waqf etc. Each rule will be discussed in detail in the following sections.
Letters of the Arabic Alphabet
Before delving into the rules of tajweed, it is important to understand the letters of the Arabic alphabet over which these rules are applied. There are 28 letters divided into groups based on articulation point:
| Articulation Point | Letters |
|---|---|
| Glotal | ء |
| Velar | خ ح هـ ع غ |
| Palatal | ش ج ي |
| Dental | ذ ث ظ ط ض |
| Alveolar | ز ر س ص ض ط ظ |
| Labial | ف ب م و |
Letters also have characteristics which affect their pronunciation:
1. Jawf Letters
Emitted from the hollow of the mouth without the tongue touching any point. These are the glotal, velar and labial letters.
2. Lisan Letters
Pronounced with the tongue making firm contact with roof of the mouth. The remaining letters are lisan letters.
3. Shajariyyah Letters
Those pronounced at the beginning of the mouth from the glottal point to the palatal letters (ء خ ح هـ ع غ ش ج). Pronouncing these incorrectly invalidates recitation.
4. Nit’iyyah Letters
Pronounced at the end of the mouth from the dental letters onwards. Pronouncing these incorrectly does not necessarily invalidate recitation.
5. Qalqalah Letters
The five qalqalah letters which have a ‘bouncing’ sound when saakinah: ط د ج ب ق
This brief overview will facilitate understanding the actual rules of tajweed explained below:
The Essential Rules of Tajweed in Detail
These are the rules which must be adhered to for a recitation to be valid. We will examine each one in depth:
1. Correct Letter Pronunciation
Each letter should be pronounced clearly and fully from its articulation point while applying the following rules:
Rules for Lisan Letters
- The tongue makes complete contact with the roof of the mouth.
- Air is only released after pronouncing the letter fully from its articulation point.
- Two letters articulated from the same point have a ghunnah wasl between them.
- The letters remain clear and not merged into each other.
Rules for Jawf Letters
- The mouth should be opened wide enough when pronouncing them.
- They should not be pronounced through the nose.
- Care should be taken not to merge into the next letter.
Common Mistakes
- Not fully pronouncing letters from their point of articulation
- Letting letters merge into each other
- Pronouncing lisan letters without the tongue contacting the roof of the mouth
- Not opening the mouth enough for jawf letters
2. Nasalization
The nose functions along with the mouth when pronouncing nasal letters. The rules are:
Nasal Letters
- Emitted from their articulation point as well as nasal passage.
- Should have a ghunnah if followed by another nasal letter.
- The nose should emit an accompanying nasal sound along with the mouth’s emission.
Oral Letters
- Emitted purely from articulation point without nasal influence.
- Must avoid letting sound escape from nose.
Common Mistakes
- Letting non-nasal letters like rabb and laam have a nasal sound.
- Blocking the nasal sound when pronouncing nasal letters like nun and meem.
- Not having a ghunnah between two nasal letters.
3. The Ghunnah
This refers to nasalization when pronouncing a saakin م that is followed by a ب , م or و. The rules are:
- Prolong the nasalization of the meem 2-4 counts when followed by a baa, meem or wow.
- Nasalization should continue into the next letter without a break.
- Care must be taken not to exaggerate its length.
Common Mistakes:
- Making the ghunnah too long.
- Not joining it to the next letter.
- Stopping the nasalization before starting the next letter.
4. Letters of Prolongation (Mudood)
Some letters like alif, raa, etc are pronounced proportionately longer in certain situations. The rules are:
- Pronounce the alif long if preceded by a hamzated alif e.g. أمرت.
- Make the raa long when followed by a hamzah or saakinah.
- Pronounce the laam long if it has a shaddah or if laam al ta’rif.
- Prolong wow and yaa if there is a sukoon on the previous letter.
Common Mistakes:
- Not sufficiently prolonging the mudood letters.
- Over elongating them breaking the flow of recitation.
The Embellishing Rules of Tajweed
These rules give beauty and melody to the recitation. The main ones are:
1. Idghaam
This refers to merging letters under certain circumstances. There are two main types:
Idghaam with Ghunnah
- Merging a vowelled letter with a saakin letter following it.
- Each letter retains its characteristics.
- Time of 2 counts between them e.g. من ربّه in النجم.
Idghaam without Ghunnah
- Merging a saakin letter with a following vowelled letter.
- Pronounced with characteristics of the second letter e.g. الرجيم.
- No ghunnah between them.
Common Mistakes
- No ghunnah between merging letters that require it.
- Ghunnah between letters merging without it.
- Not giving the saakin letter its right when it merges into the second letter.
2. Iqlab
Substituting noon saakinah with meem saakinah when followed by ب. For example, ربنا is recited as ربمّا.
The meem is recited clearly with characteristics of meem and the lips are rounded when pronouncing it.
3. Ikhfa’
Rendering letters ‘heavy’ or unclear in certain situations. There are two main types:
Ikhfa’ Shafawi
- Pronouncing saakinah at the end of a word unclearly when stopping on it.
- Lips should be rounded to avoid complete omission.
- e.g. pronunciation of شيء when stopping on it.
Ikhfa’ Haqiqi
- Making noon saakin or tanween unclear when followed by specific letters.
- Pronounced between idaarah and idghaam.
- e.g. the noon in ينسلخ.
Common Mistakes
- Omitting the saakinah completely in ikhfa’ shafawi.
- Not obscuring letters correctly in ikhfa’ haqiqi situations.
4. Qalqalah
Giving saakinah letters a ‘bouncing’ sound when stopping on them. It applies to the five qalqalah letters: ط د ج ب ق.
The bouncing sound is emitted by vibrating the articulation point of the letter itself.
5. Madd Letters
Extending the three madd letters: alif مدّ , wow مدّ , yaa مدّ when they have a harakah and are followed by a hamzah or sukoon.
Madd letters are elongated for 2 to 6 counts based on the situation.
Conclusion
The tajweed rules teach the precise manner of reciting the Words of Allah such that the tongue may articulate His Speech as it deserves. Tajweed is an indispensable science without which the Quran cannot be recited properly. The rules are not meant to be restrictive but rather to establish the sacred manner of recitation practiced by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم himself.
Tajweed should be pursued with the intention of following the Sunnah and reciting the Quran in the very manner it was revealed by Allah. Its practicing expresses love for the Q
