Allah SWT commands us in the Quran to recite the Quran with Tarteel, which refers to one of the cases of reciting the Quran with Tajweed. Tarteel requires reciting the Quran with a study and a slow pace, together with beautifying one’s voice. One of the requirements of the case of Tarteel is following the rules of Tajweed.
Tajweed rules range from Noon Saakin and Tanween to rules of Madd and the characteristics of Arabic letters. One of the topics covered by this science is the rule of Nabr in Tajweed. Stick around to find out more about this rule and its proper application in Quranic recitation.
What is Nabr in Tajweed?
The meaning of Nabr in Arabic is a strong pronunciation or a loud cry. Nabr in Tajweed refers to the stress on a certain letter or syllable so that the voice of the reciter is slightly elevated to denote such a stress. The reason why we use Nabr in Tajweed is to maintain the clarity and accuracy of Quranic recitation without changing the proper articulation of the letters.
Nabr in Tajweed corresponds to the concept of stress in the English language. It is similar to the varying pronunciation of the word permit when it is used as a verb or as a noun. The first syllable of the word ‘permit’ is stressed if it is used as a noun, which means that the voice of the speaker becomes louder in that first syllable to make it more prominent. However, the verb ‘permit’ places the stress on the second syllable, making it louder and more distinct.
Types of Nabr in the Quran
Understanding Nabr in Tajweed requires a clear knowledge of its specific occurrences in the verses of the Quran. Nabr is used in 3 cases of the Quran regardless of pausing or continuation, and it is found in 2 cases only if the reciter stops:
1- Cases of Nabr in both Pausing and Continuation:
A) When there’s shaddah on the letters (و-ي)
Here, the function of Nabr is to exhibit the presence of the Shaddah (the fact that it is two letters; one saakin and one with Harakah)
The application of Nabr is necessary in this case because it prevents the mistake of applying Madd instead of Shaddah.
For example:
(إيَّاك نعبد وإيَّاك نستعين)
The word (إيَّأك) has a yaa’ with a Shaddah, so Nabr makes it clearer instead of pronouncing it like an elongated yaa’.
(الرجال قوّامون على النساء)
This is an example of Nabr in a waw that has Shaddah; otherwise, it will sound like an extended waw.
B) With Madd Lazem
Madd Lazem is found when one of the letters of Madd (و-ا-ي) is located before a stressed letter/ a letter with Shaddah. In such a case, the stressed letter should be pronounced with Nabr. Nabr, in that case, prevents the Madd Lazem from overshadowing the pronunciation of the stressed letter.
For example:
(وما من دابّة في الأرض إلا على الله رزقها)
The word (دابة) has a Madd Lazem with alif followed by a stressed baa’. Here, Nabr must be applied while pronouncing the letter baa’.
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C) With the Dual form of Alif
Words like (قالا), (ذاقا), and (استبقا) end with a special letter in Arabic denoting that the verb is done by two people. The pronunciation of this alif is omitted when it is followed by a Saakin in order to avoid pronouncing two consecutive Saakin letters.
For example:
(فلما ذاقا الشجرة بدت لهما سوءاتهما)
The word (ذاقا) ends with a Saakin; alif, which is followed by another alif. The omission of the first alif may create the illusion that it is (ذاقَ), instead of (ذاقا). Thus, the Qari’ needs to apply Nabr at the end of (ذاقا) to avoid this alteration of the meaning.
2- Cases of Nabr in Pausing only
A) A word that ends with Hamza preceded by Madd
Applying Nabr in case of pausing on such a word prevents the omission of the pronunciation of the Hamza and hereby, changing the meaning of the verse.
For example:
(أو كصيب من السماء)
Nabr in this verse is applied to the Hamza as the reciter needs to stress it after fulfilling the Madd of the previous letter.
Note: Be careful not to exaggerate the Nabr in this case because it will add an extra هـ sound at the end of the word.
B) A word that ends with Shaddah
While this is similar to the first case mentioned in the article, this case only occurs when pausing. Nabr is only applied if the final stressed letter is not (م-ن) and it is not one of the letters of Qalqalah (قطب جد).
For example:
(لكل نبأٍ مستقرّ)
The stressed raa’ in the final word should be articulated with Nabr in order to indicate the shaddah in case of pausing.
Note: if the final stressed letter is (م-ن), you do not apply Nabr because the Ghunnah is sufficient, such as (لم يطمثهنَّ إنس قبلهم ولا جانَّ)
- In the verse (تبت يدا أبي لهب وتبَّ), the final stressed letter is one of the letters of Qalqalah, so Nabr is unnecessary because the sound of Qalqalah is enough to denote the Shaddah.
Conclusion
The rule of Nabr in Tajweed is one of the advanced rules so make sure to master the basics first before attempting to learn this rule. Nonetheless, it remains one of the essentials in mastering the recitation of the Quran because it prevents alterations to the meaning of Quranic verses.
Whether you are a beginner or advanced learner of Tajweed, Almuhammadi Academy has the right tajweed course for you with numerous online Tajweed classes and online Quran recitation course supervised and managed by expert tutors. So, don’t miss the opportunity to perfect Tajweed rules such as Nabr!