Tajweed

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah () said to me: "Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.'' [At-Tirmidhi]

Introduction Tajweed ( ﺗﺠﻮﻳﺪ ) is an Arabic word meaning correct pronunciation during recitation. It is a set of rules which dictate how the Qur'an should be read. It comes from the root word 'ja-wa-da' meaning to make well, make better or improve. TARTEEL The word is used in Surah Muzammil : 'And recite the Qur'an in slow measured rhythmic tone' (Al Qur'an ; 73:4) The Arabic word translated as 'slow, measured rythmic' is TARTEEL. The tafseer of the above ayat according to Ibn Kathir is 'recite the Qur'an slowly, making the letters clear, for this is an assistance in understanding and pondering the meaning of the Qur'an.' The teaching used in this website is  Hafs 'An 'Aasim by the way of Shaatibiyyah                  () For a detailed insight into the different qiraat, here are some recommended links http://www.abouttajweed.com/ http://islamthought.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/qirat-of-the-quran/   Why the need for tajweed rules? When Islam was being spread (and it was done so at a very quick pace and also into non-Arab speaking countries) not everyone's tongue was accustomed to the Arabic letters and sounds. Thus, when reciting the Qur'an, much error and distortion occurred and the Muslim scholars feared (the perpetration of) that error and distortion. It was at this point that some of them recorded the rules and foundations that regulate the correct pronunciation of Qur'an, and they named this the Science of Tajweed. The rules were not made up by these Scholars. In fact, all they did was closely observe the perfect readers who read as they were taught by the Prophet () and wrote down for later generations the rules of recitation of the earlier generations. From the outset, Tajweed was a Science that cannot be learnt only from a book and will always retain this inherent quality. The most important part of Tajweed is learning about correct positions of the organs of speech and the manner of articulation. The Qur'an can lose its meaning if the letters are not pronounced correctly. E.g ﻛﻠﺐ Dog   The first letters are similar in pronunciation, but if not pronounced correctly will change the word/meaning completely ﻗﻠﺐ Heart Tajweed is not intended to be about just learning rules and committing them to memory, but rather the correct application of those rules while reciting the Qur'an. When 'tajweed' is observed, the reading will flow smoothly and eloquently. The reader will also be sure he is following the holy Prophet's () example by reciting the Qur'an just as the Prophet () did and just as it was revealed to him - InshaAllah. Failure to adhere to those rules may result in an unacceptable manner of reading, altering the entire meaning of the words and making one guilty of the unintentional utterance of the words of disbelief (kufr). Incorrect recital of the Qur'an constitutes LAHN, which may deprive the reader of any reward in the Hereafter, and Allah () Knows Best.