Importance of Tajweed


Tajweed teacher: Hisham, you are amazing! Could you give me some advice on how I could teach Tajweed effectively. I deal with aunties who have a very ‘non-serious attitude’ towards the subject. Please guide.

You: Wait, what is this ‘Tajweed?’

Me: Why do people ask me such questions? 🙂

Alright, let’s first discuss what Tajweed is.

(deepens voice and starts speaking like an academic) Linguistically, Tajweed means to beautify – beautify the words and letters of the Quran by reciting them correctly. In other words it means to pronounce each of the 29 letters in the Arabic language from where they should be pronounced from (Makhaarij) and give them their appropriate attributes (Sifaat).

Makhaarij and Sifaat are two main branches of Tajweed that we’ll study in further detail later inshallah.

You: Yay! I’m really excited.

Me: Cool.

Anyhow, there is one very important issue that I would like to discuss. When we recite the Quran incorrectly (without Tajweed) and the letters are therefore mispronounced, something very dangerous could happen. The meaning could change. And since this is the Quran, the most sacred of books, the Word of Allah (exalted is He), it becomes a very serious matter.

You: So do I HAVE to learn Tajweed?

Me: Good question. The scholars have said 2 things.

  1. Not everyone needs to know the rules of Tajweed (names of rules and complicated terms).
  2. However, it is an obligation to recite the Quran correctly and that may only happen if the rules of Tajweed are followed.

So yes.

Allah (exalted is He) says in the Quran:


‘Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it – it is they who are the losers.’ [Al-Baqarah – Verse 121]

The ‘true recital’ of the Quran means to recite it with Tarteel. Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding the meaning of Tarteel: ‘At tarteelu hua tajweed ul hurroofi wa ma’rifatul wuqoofi.’ Tarteel is the Tajweed of letters and the awareness/knowledge of where to stop.

Realize that reciting the Quran is an act of worship. For every letter you recite, you get 10 good deeds. But there are rules that have to be followed. Can you read 3 raka’at in Fajr prayer instead of 2? Can you leave out reciting Surah Fatiha? Can you do 3 sujood instead of 2? No. Just how prayer has its musts (qiyam, sujood, rukoo’, etc.), so does reciting the Quran.

Tajweed teacher: But, you didn’t answer my question :|.

Me: I did! Make your ‘non-serious’ aunties realize the importance of Tajweed and get them to become ‘serious.’ If they don’t understand its value, how will they be interested?

You could also buy them chocolate.

You: I want chocolate.

Me: In the comment section below, tell me what exactly is it that you want to learn in the subject of Tajweed.

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