Importance of Tajweed in the Recitation of the Quran

Tajweed means “to perfect” to beautify in Arabic, the language of the Holy Quran. Tajweed is essential for proper reading of the Quran and the Quran itself endorses the importance of tajweed:

“Or add to it [at will]; and [during that time] recite the Qur’an calmly and distinctly, with thy mind attuned to its meaning.” 73:04

Tajweed means to read the Quran while following the rules of the Arabic language and as instructed by the prophet himself. Arabic has remarkably similar words with different meanings, if you pronounce it a bit off, you might risk saying something you don’t intend. In this article, you will learn about the importance and benefits of learning tajweed. Plus, the basic rules for beginners to start.

Importance of Tajweed

To understand the Quran properly, you must understand the rules and importance of tajweed. The Prophet himself used to recite the Holy Quran in a specific manner, either to clarify or for emphasis.

Prophet PBUH said:

“The best among you are those who learn and teach the Quran." Volume 6, Book 61, Number 546.

Tajweed has rules that allow you to pronounce Arabic words with clarity, with the proper rhythm of syllables. Understanding how each word changes when there are different words around it.

The Benefits

There are a lot of benefits to learning tajweed, and we can divide them into two for ease. The benefits you get in this world and the benefits you get in the afterlife.

The benefits you get in this world include but are not limited; to the understanding of the Arabic language for non-native speakers. Learning a new language has enormous benefits, including changes in your brain that make you learn faster in the future. Plus, if you decide to become fluent in Arabic, it will be much easier for you.

The benefits you get in the afterlife are enormous in comparison to those you get in this life. According to our Prophet PBUH:

“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will receive one good deed as ten good deeds like it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is one letter, but rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2910

Rules of Tajweed

Learning proper tajweed means that you understand the rules of tajweed and learn to pronounce them. There are 70 rules to be exact learning all of them is tedious for beginners. Usually, words with similar pronunciation are clustered together for ease of understanding but miss some nuances that beginners don’t need to worry about.

Gunna or the nasal sound

These words require that you close your mouth and allow air to come out of your nose. Like m and n in English, they are not whispered but hummed and create vibration when pronounced.

Tanween

The Noon Sakin that comes after the nouns is Tanween. Noon Sakinah is how it is spoken, although it is not written. Double signs—2 Fatha, 2 Kasra, and 2 Damma—are the Tanween symbol (harakat). It is typically translated as "nonation," which refers to the act of doubling the last short vowel in a word.

Sakin or Sakinah

In these words, we add the letter "N" at the end, but it isn't written.

بًا This word sounds "ba," but whenever a double vowel is on a letter, we make it sound like a noon, here بًا is read as "ban," adding a noon at the end.

Izhaar (clearing)

No nasal sounds for the following letters ء, ه, ع, ح ,غ ,خ.

If sakin or tanwin is after the words mentioned, they are pronounced without Gunna(nasal sound).

Idgham (merging words)

It has two types with Gunna and without Gunna(nasal sound)

For the following conditions, it is without Gunna. If ل,ر comes after noon sakin or tanween, you skip the noon, and the pronunciation of the following letter is without Gunna.

For the following conditions, it is with Gunna. If the following letters (ي ن م و) come after a noon sakin or tanween, then apply the Gunna to the following letters like ي ن م و.

Iqlaab (Change the sound)

Whenever there is a ب after a sakin or tanween, change Gunna into a Meem sound, and pronounce the ب sound after it. Usually, a small Meem represents it on the letter that needs to sound different.

Ikhfaa (hide sakin or tanween)

The following letters (ت ث ج د ذ س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك) are pronounced by hiding the sakin/tanween sound. You still have to do Gunna (nasal sound). How much each word should vibrate depends on the word.

Mushaddah

This only applies to the letters "noon" and "Meem." Its purpose is to pronounce a word in two separate digits while still making the Gunna or nasal sound. Like "tumm,mma" and "inn,na".

Meem Sakin

Whenever a double vowel appears, it adds the "m" sound at the end. It has applications in the following;

Ikhfaa shafawy
Idghaam shafawy
Ishaar shafawy

Qalqalah

Qalqalah means shaking or disturbance in the word. Some words like ق ط ب ج د are pronounced with disturbance to make them clear or to echo them for clarity and understanding.

If a Qabalah word comes in the middle, you make a smooth disturbance. If the qabalah word comes at the end you create a distinctive disturbance to signify the end of the ayat.

Madd

Madd letters are words that should be stretched (sound longer) while pronouncing instead of sounding like a regular word. These general Madd letters are ا,و,ى. How much a letter sound is elongated depends upon the letter.

Two beat Madd

When one letter is connected to another and the next letter is except hamza or sukoon (also known as jazm, it represents the state of the letter without a short vowel) and it is a Madd letter, it is elongated for two beats. Two-beat Madd is also known as natural Madd.

Flexible Madd

If a Madd comes before the word's last letter, it elongates to a four or six-beat Madd. But you must at least make two beats. Plus, you can only do four or six beats if you decide to stop after the word with Madd.

Conclusion

Tajweed means “to perfect” and to beautify. It is enough about the importance of tajweed that learning it helps you understand and pronounce the Quran better. Additionally, you get many benefits in this world, including a basic understanding of Arabic and ease of speaking if you decide to become fluent. According to the prophet PBUH, you get ten deeds for reading every word. Tajweed has 70 rules in total, but some major rules for beginners help you to start.

FAQ's

Why Is Learning Tajweed Important?

Learning Tajweed is important because it ensures the correct pronunciation and recitation of the Quran, preserving its meaning and beauty; you can achieve this through Tajweed lessons online.