Learn the proper rules of Quranic recitation with authentic references from Quran and Hadith
"And recite the Quran with measured recitation."
(Surah Al-Muzzammil, 73:4)
Tajweed linguistically means 'proficiency' or 'doing something well'. In Islamic context, it means giving every letter of the Quran its rights and dues of characteristics when we recite the Quran, and observing the rules that apply to those letters in different situations. It is a Fardh Kifayah (communal obligation) to learn and a Fardh 'Ayn (personal obligation) for every Muslim to recite correctly.
"The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Quran will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Quran and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward."
Makharij refers to the exact places in the mouth, throat, and nasal passage from where each Arabic letter originates. There are 17 specific makharij for the 28 Arabic letters plus hamzah. Proper pronunciation begins with knowing these articulation points precisely.
| مخرج (Point) | Location | Letters | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| الجوف | Empty space in mouth & throat | ا و ي | Elongated letters (Madd) |
| أقصى الحلق Deepest part of throat |
Base of throat near chest | ء ه | Like breathing out heavily |
| وسط الحلق Middle of throat |
Middle of throat | ع ح | Constricted throat sound |
| أدنى الحلق Closest part of throat |
Upper throat near mouth | غ خ | Gargling-like sound |
| ق | Base of tongue touching soft palate | ق | Deep 'Q' sound |
| ك | Middle of tongue touching hard palate | ك | Like English 'K' |
| ج ش ي | Middle of tongue touching palate | ج ش ي | Middle tongue letters |
| ض | Side/edge of tongue touching upper molars | ض | Unique Arabic sound |
| ل | Tip of tongue touching gums of front teeth | ل | Clear 'L' sound |
| ن | Tip of tongue touching gums slightly behind ل | ن | Nasal 'N' sound |
| ر | Tip of tongue touching gums with vibration | ر | Rolling 'R' sound |
| ط د ت | Tip of tongue touching base of front teeth | ط د ت | Dental letters |
| ظ ذ ث | Tip of tongue touching edges of upper teeth | ظ ذ ث | Interdental letters |
| ص س ز | Tip of tongue touching bottom of front teeth | ص س ز | Whistling letters |
| ف | Lower lip touches upper teeth | ف | Like English 'F' |
| ب م و | Both lips come together | ب م و | Bilabial letters |
| الخيشوم | Nasal passage | Ghunnah | For nasal sound during ن and م |
أَحَدٌ - هُدًى - عَلَيْهِ - حَسَنَةٍ - غَفُورٌ - خَيْرٌ
قُلْ - كِتَابٌ - جَنَّةٌ - شَيْءٌ - ضَلُّوا - لَهُ - نُورٌ - رَبِّ
فَاعْبُدُوا - بَسْمِ - مُحَمَّدٌ - وَاللَّهُ
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ
"And We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?"
(Surah Al-Qamar, 54:17)
Sifaat are the inherent characteristics or qualities of Arabic letters that distinguish them from each other. There are 17 permanent characteristics and 10 temporary characteristics. Knowing sifaat prevents letters from being confused with each other.
| Characteristic | Meaning | Letters | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| الهمس (Al-Hams) |
Whispering / Breathiness | ف ح ث ه ش خ ص س ك ت | Flow of breath continues with sound |
| الجهر (Al-Jahr) |
Voiced / Loudness | All remaining letters | Breath is stopped during pronunciation |
| الشدة (Ash-Shiddah) |
Strength / Pressure | أ ج د ق ط ب ك ت | Sound is imprisoned then released |
| الرخاوة (Ar-Rakhawah) |
Softness / Weakness | ع ح غ خ ث ذ ز س ش ص ض ظ ف و م ن ل ر ي | Sound flows continuously |
| البينية (Al-Bayniyyah) |
In-between | ل ن ع م ر | Medium between Shiddah & Rakhawah |
| الاستعلاء (Al-Ist'iala) |
Elevation | خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ | Tongue rises, heavy sound (تفخيم) |
| الاستفال (Al-Istifal) |
Lowering | All other letters | Tongue stays low, light sound (ترقيق) |
| الإطباق (Al-Itbaq) |
Adhesion | ص ض ط ظ | Tongue adheres to palate |
| الانفتاح (Al-Infitah) |
Opening | All other letters | Tongue separates from palate |
| القلقلة (Al-Qalqalah) |
Vibration | ق ط ب ج د | Echo/reverberation when sakin |
Hams vs Jahr:
فَتَحَ (Jahr) vs تَفْتَحُ (Hams)
Jahr stops breath, Hams continues breath
Shiddah vs Rakhawah:
قَدْ (Shiddah) vs فَذَلِكَ (Rakhawah)
Shiddah is abrupt, Rakhawah is flowing
Letters of Isti'la (خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ) are always heavy except:
قِرْطَاسٌ (light) vs قَوْمٌ (heavy)
Ghunnah is the nasal sound produced from the nasal passage when pronouncing ن and م. It is obligatory in certain situations and has different durations.
Duration: 2 counts (harakat)
إِنَّ - مُّحَمَّدٌ - مِنَّا
Duration: 1-2 counts
أَنْتُمْ - مِنْ - عَنْ
Duration: 2 counts
مِنْ ثَمَرَةٍ - مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ
| Situation | Duration | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ن or م with shaddah | 2 counts | إِنَّا |
| ن sakinah with ikhfa | 2 counts | مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ |
| ن sakinah with idgham | 2 counts | مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ |
| م sakinah with ikhfa shafawi | 2 counts | هُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ |
Qalqalah is the vibration or echo sound when pronouncing the five Qalqalah letters (ق ط ب ج د) when they are saakinah (with sukoon). The strength of qalqalah varies based on position in the word.
When: At end of word with sukoon due to stopping
الْحَقَّ - يَتَّقِ - يَلْهَثْ
Strongest echo - pronounce clearly
When: Middle of word with original sukoon
يَقْبِضُ - يَدْخُلُونَ - أَبْصَارُهُمْ
Medium echo - natural vibration
When: Middle of word with temporary sukoon
اقْتَرَبَتِ - اتَّبَعَ - اجْتَنِبُوا
Lightest echo - subtle vibration
قُطْبُ جَدٍ
"Qutbu Jadin" - Makes it easy to remember all 5 letters
Madd means elongation of sound. There are two main types: Madd Asli (Natural/Original) and Madd Far'i (Secondary). Each has specific rules and durations measured in harakat (counts).
Elongation that occurs naturally without any external cause. Every letter of Madd (ا و ي) is elongated 2 harakat when followed by hamzah or sukoon.
قَالَ - يَقُولُ - نُوحِيهَا
Each Madd letter is held for 2 counts
Conditions for Madd:
Secondary elongation that occurs due to hamzah or sukoon. There are 6 types of Madd Far'i:
Condition: Madd letter followed by hamzah in same word
Duration: 4-5 harakat (obligatory)
السَّمَاءُ - الْجَاءَ - الشَّيْءُ
Condition: Madd letter followed by hamzah in next word
Duration: 4-5 harakat (permissible)
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ - يَا أَيُّهَا
Condition: Madd letter followed by original sukoon
Duration: 6 harakat (compulsory)
الْحَاقَّةُ - آلْآنَ - الضَّالِّينَ
Condition: Madd letter followed by temporary sukoon (when stopping)
Duration: 2, 4, or 6 harakat (optional)
الرَّحْمَٰنِ - الْعَالَمِينَ
Condition: Hamzah followed by madd letter
Duration: 2 harakat
آمَنُوا - أُوتُوا - إِيمَانًا
Condition: هاء الضمير (his/him) between two vowels
Duration: 2 harakat
لَهُ - بِهِ - فِيهِ
| Type of Madd | Minimum | Maximum | Common |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asli (Original) | 2 harakat | 2 harakat | 2 harakat |
| Muttasil (Connected) | 4 harakat | 5 harakat | 4-5 harakat |
| Munfasil (Separated) | 4 harakat | 5 harakat | 4 harakat |
| Lazim (Compulsory) | 6 harakat | 6 harakat | 6 harakat |
Rule: Must have Ghunnah for 2 counts
Sound: Strong nasal sound from ن and مakhraj
إِنَّ - مِنَّا - أَنَّى
Pronounce with clear nasalization
Rule: Must have Ghunnah for 2 counts
Sound: Nasal sound from lips and nasal passage
أُمَّةٌ - كَمًّا - تَمَّتْ
Pronounce with lips closed and nasal sound
Tafkheem (Heavy): When preceded by fathah or dammah
اللَّهُ - وَاللَّهُ
Tarqeeq (Light): When preceded by kasrah
بِاللَّهِ - لِلَّهِ
Usually light unless it has fathah or dammah
رَبِّ (heavy) - رِزْقٌ (light) - مَرْيَمَ (light)
Letters: ل - ر
ن or tanween merges into ل or ر without ghunnah
مِن لَّدُنْهُ - مِن رَّبِّهِمْ
No nasal sound during merging
Letters: ي ن م و
ن or tanween merges with ghunnah
مِن يَقُولُ - مِن نِّعْمَةٍ - مِن مَّالٍ - مِن وَرَائِهِمْ
With nasal sound during merging
Same letter: ب followed by ب
Similar letters: ت followed by ط etc.
قَدْ دَخَلُوا - إِذْ ذَهَبَ
Complete merging of similar sounds
Tajweed Points:
Practice Steps:
Tip: Notice how ل changes from heavy to light based on preceding vowel. This is a key distinction in Tajweed.
الْحَقَّ
يَتَّقِ
يَلْهَثْ
Stop on these words and pronounce qalqalah clearly
يَقْبِضُ
يَدْخُلُونَ
أَبْصَارُهُمْ
Pronounce with natural vibration while continuing
اقْتَرَبَتِ
اتَّبَعَ
اجْتَنِبُوا
Subtle vibration - don't overemphasize
السَّمَاءُ
الْجَاءَ
الشَّيْءُ
Count: ألف... ألف... ألف... ألف (4 counts)
الْحَاقَّةُ
آلْآنَ
الضَّالِّينَ
Count: ألف... ألف... ألف... ألف... ألف... ألف (6 counts)
Practice Method: Use a timer or metronome to ensure consistent duration for each madd type. Start slow and gradually increase speed while maintaining proper elongation.
Why every Muslim must learn proper Quranic recitation
Tajweed ensures the Quran is recited exactly as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), preserving the exact pronunciation for all generations until Day of Judgment.
Proper recitation is essential for the validity of Salah. Major mistakes (لحن جلي) can change meanings and invalidate prayer, while minor mistakes reduce reward.
Beautiful recitation with proper Tajweed enhances spiritual connection, increases rewards for recitation, and brings peace to the heart of the reciter and listener.
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
"So when the Quran is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy."
(Surah Al-A'raf, 7:204)
"Verily Allah has commanded you to recite the Quran as it was revealed. So when you recite it, make your voices beautiful with it, for a beautiful voice increases the beauty of the Quran."
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