Al-Bara ibn ‘Azib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Beautify the Quran with your voices.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1468)
The way we pronounce letters and words from our voices impact our Quran recitation. Hence, we should pronounce every letter and word with its due right, assessing its phonetics, length, and sound.
What is Tajweed
The root word of tajweed is “jawdah” meaning “quality.” Linguistically the meaning of Tajweed can be said as “proficiency” or “doing something well.”
If we have to define the meaning of Tajweed in a sentence, it can be explained as improving something so well that you attain proficiency.
The importance of Tajweed can be understood from the fact that Angel Jibril (A.s) revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a certain way of recitation. And that’s why it’s important for all of us to learn Tajweed rules and recite the Quran with Tajweed.
Today, there is an urgent need to know the importance of Tajweed rules because of the mixing of cultures, change in the languages due to many reasons, and the mixing of the wArabic language with other languages. Hence, one should know Tajweed rules so that the Quran recitation can be done in its full rights.
History of Tajweed
“Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.” (Yusuf 12: Verse 2)
This verse clearly states the importance of the Arabic language. Hence, it is our duty to recite it with correct Arabic. As it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Arabic and that time people of Arab spoke Arabic language that’s why it was very easy for people in that region to understand the Holy Quran and recite it beautifully. However, with due time and mixing of culture, the base Arabic language underwent many changes.
Also, the spread of Islam to other parts of the world made many non-Arabs face difficulty in the pronunciation of Arabic words. Hence, Tajweed rules were laid so that the Quran can be recited in the correct form.
The Tajweed rules were set so that Prophetic recitation can be preserved and passed on to the next generations. Imaam Naafi’, Imaam ‘Aasim, Imaam Kisaa’ee, and many others set the Tajweed rules for correct Quranic recitation.
The Ruling of Reading the Quran with Tajweed
Muhammad bin Al-Jazaree, who was an eminent Qur’an and Hadeeth scholar in the 9th Century (Hijri) says about the rules of Tajweed:
“And applying Tajweed is an issue of absolute necessity, Whoever doesn’t apply Tajweed to the Qur’an, then a sinner is he.”
Undoubtedly, reciting the Quran with Tajweed and applying Tajweed rules is as important as reciting the Quran itself. There are many letters in the Arabic language that sound very similar but they have completely different meanings. And when we ignore these signs in our Quran recitation we change the meaning of the verse completely. Doesn’t it make us worthy of sin instead of reward? That’s why learning and applying Tajweed rules are very necessary.
Tajweed rules help us in eliminating minor and major mistakes also. Such as
- Taking care of Madd i.e. elongation of every letter as Madd Far’ee, Madd Asli, and Madd Badal
- Differentiating between types of Madd and Harkah (short vowel).
- Knowing where to stop, take pause, or continue reading so as not to change the meaning of a verse.
- Knowing about the elongation period of each letter and then their actual application while recitation.
- Taking care of Makhraj, Idghaam, Ith-haar, and more.
- Knowing from which part of our throat and mouth the sound should come.
- Realizing the deep and shallow pronunciation of each letter when read separately or mixed.
If many words like Harkah, Noon-Sakin, ghunnah, Madd, Idghaam, Ith-haar, and more are unfamiliar to you, then you must join the Online Tajweed course by Almuhammadi Academy to excel in your recitation and recite the Quran with Tajweed and earn rewards.
Benefits of learning Tajweed rules
There are innumerable benefits of learning the Tajweed rules. The greatest benefit of knowing the Tajweed rules is that it helps the believer in the Quran recitation perfectly. It is also a way to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Some other benefits of learning Tajweed rules are:
- Reciting the Quran with Tajweed rules gains you the company of angels.
The Prophet Sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said, “Allah has a mobile (squads) of angels who have no other work (to attend to) but to look for the assemblies of Thikr, and when they find such assemblies in which there is Thikr (of Allah), they sit with them, and some of them surround the others with their wings till the space between them and the sky of the world is filled with them.” [Muslim]
- Learning Tajweed rules makes you the best among the people.
“The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” [Al-Bukhari]
Undoubtedly, we can only teach others when we ourselves know the Quran in perfect form. Hence, it is important for us to know the Tajweed rule so that we can teach others. Also, learning the Quran also makes it the best. SubhanAllah! We get benefitted even in learning the Tajweed rules.
- Reciting the Quran with Tajweed makes us attain the company of nobles.
The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Verily, whoever recites the Qur’an in a beautiful, smooth, and exact manner will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And whoever recites it with difficulty, stammering or faltering through its phrases will be rewarded TWICE as much.”
We may face difficulty in learning the Tajweed rules but how Magnificent is Allah SWT that He has kept a reward even in our shortcomings?
- Reciting the Quran with Tajweed rules makes it worthy of great rewards.
“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter, and “meem” is a letter.” [Tirmidhi]
The fact that every letter makes us gain rewards makes it compulsory for us to read every word with its due right, pronunciation, phonetics, and perfection.
- Reciting the Quran makes our way to Paradise
“The Quran is an intercessor, something has given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire.” [ At-Tabaraani ]
Online Tajweed Classes
Learn to recite the Quran perfectly by mastering Tajweed rules through Online Tajweed Classes. There are many advantages of online Tajweed Classes such as:
- Learning the Tajweed rules from the native and best Tutors online from the world.
- Learning the Tajweed rules in the comfort of your home with flexible timings and affordable fees.
- Learning the minute details of Tajweed rules from proficient teachers in one-on-one classes.
- The eminent free Islamic and Arabic books make you understand the Tajweed rules more efficiently.
Almuhammadi Academy is the online platform that makes you learn the Tajweed rules from the best tutors online and the best e-books to make you gain proficiency in your Quran recitation.
FAQs
Question 1: Can we learn Tajweed at any age?
Answer 1: Yes. Learning Tajweed rules is a part of perfecting your religion and as a believer, we should keep perfecting our religion till the last day.
Question 2: How long will it take to master the Tajweed rule and apply it in our recitation?
Answer 2: Learning as well as applying the Tajweed rule takes time but the process can be accelerated by enrolling in an online Tajweed course to receive proper and disciplined guidance. It may take from 3-9 months, depending on time, capacity, and number of classes.
Question 3: Is it compulsory to recite the Quran with Tajweed?
Answer 3: Many people can have different opinions on it but we must know that the Quran is the Book of Allah and it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a certain manner and he (pbuh) recited him in that manner. So we must recite the Quran with Tajweed as this will only bring betterment for all of us personally as well as spiritually.
Question 4: How to learn to recite the Quran with Tajweed efficiently when we don’t know Arabic language?
Answer 4: Undoubtedly, any non-Arab person can feel difficulty in learning the pronunciation of each letter. However, with the help of the Quran and Tajweed teacher online or the online Tajweed course, we can gain proficiency in our pronunciations easily and effectively. Also, always keep in mind that Allah SWT rewards us twice whenever we face difficulty in our learning process.
Question 5: Are online Tajweed courses effective in learning Tajweed rules?
Answer 5: Yes. With the help of online courses, we can effectively learn Tajweed rules from the eminent tutors online from around the world.
