The art of correctly pronouncing the letters of the Quran, including their length, sound, and articulation, is known as tajweed. The correct pronunciation of vowels, the rules for letter combinations, and the pauses and stops between each verse are also important. Indeed, to fully understand the meaning of the Quran, tajweed is necessary. Those who recite the Quran with Tajweed can discern the many letters, vowels, and sounds employed in the text, which improves their understanding and recitation.
Importance of Tajweed
There is great importance in reciting the Quran with Tajweed as it is mentioned: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have two rewards." (Riyad as-Salihin 994) We also know that each letter of the Quran makes us earn great rewards. Narrated Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi: "I heard 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud saying: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah's Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter." (Jamiat Tirmidhi 3158) Another hadith in Sunan Abī Dāwū d 1468 depicts the importance of Tajweed. Al-Bara ibn ‘Azib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Beautify the Quran with your voices.” Now, let's understand Tajweed meaning with examples.
Few Examples of Tajweed
Learn about Noon Sakin and Tanween
The diacritical mark that is added to the letter "noon" (ن) to signify that it is a consonant and should be spoken without a vowel sound is known as Noon Sakinah.
Rules of Noon Saakinah are
- Ikhfa
If Noon Saakinah appears before one of the letters of Ikhfa, the sound is concealed or muffled (ghunnah). The letters are- ـه ،ن ،م ،ل ،ك ،ف ،ق ،ط ،د ،ب ،ج. In this instance, Noon Saakinah is uttered in a very low voice that resembles a whisper.
- Idgham
If the next letter is an Idgham letter, the sound of Noon Saakinah will blend or assimilate into it (ghunnah). The letters are- ن ،ل ،ظ ،ط ،ض ،ص ،ش ،س ،ز ،ر ،ذ ،د ،ث ،ت. In this instance, the sound of Noon Saakinah is combined with the letter that follows rather than being pronounced independently.
- Izhar
If Noon Saakinah appears before an Izhar letter, it should be pronounced clearly (openness). The letters are- ن ،ل ،ظ ،ط ،ض ،ص ،ش ،س ،ز ،ر ،ذ ،د ،ث ،ت. The pronunciation of Noon Saakinah in this instance is unique and audible.
- Iqlab
If Noon Saakinah appears before the letter Ba (ب) with a Fathah (ـَ ) on it, the sound changes to Meem (م). The word "qalb" (heart), which is pronounced "qalm," is what happens when the Noon Saakinah sounds change to a Meem sound in this situation.
Tanween
When a noun or adjective has a tanween mark at the end, it means the word is unspecific or unknowable and should be treated as such. For instance, the word "kitab" (book) could be changed to "kitaban" by adding a Fathah Tanween to denote "a book."
Rules of Tanween include
- Fathah Tanween
- Kasrah Tanween
Dammah Tanween The minute details of Tajweed should not be ignored in our recitation. Hence, if you want to learn more about it, join our Online Quran recitation course with Tajweed. Learn Quran online free in the free trial classes and get to know all about the course!
Conclusion
Tajweed is an important aspect of reciting the Quran. Hence, when we recite the Quran and want to connect with it, we must put extra effort on Tajweed and its application. So, learn Tajweed rules today and join the course!