Reciting the holy Quran with a beautiful voice. And rectifying it is something all Muslims try to achieve, but does that mean that reciting with Tajweed is obligatory? Let’s find out.
Is Tajweed obligatory? No, reciting Quran with Tajweed is not obligatory, but it helps you read the verses of the Quran correctly and pronouncing each letter how it is supposed to be pronounced. This in turn will help you understand the meaning of the verses you read easily.
Now if you want to know how to learn tajweed on your own and what scholars said about learning tajweed rules then keep reading.
What is Tajweed?
Tajweed are the rules that are made to make the recitation of the holy Quran easy. It helps you read the verses correctly without making any mistake. The literal meaning of the word tajweed is “doing something well”. It helps you read the verses of the Quran correctly and pronounce each letter how it is supposed to be pronounced. This in turn will help you understand the meaning of the verses you read easily.
Do I have to learn Tajweed?
Wondering is Tajweed obligatory or not is a very common question that new Muslims have. Learning the tajweed rules helps you read correctly. Because as you know the meaning of the word can completely change if you dropped a lettמחסני חשמל מבצעים באר שבע מכונת כביסה טכניקה להעלת משקל בדחיקת חזה grüne zimmerpflanze große blätter mini balon adidas biglie con ciclisti leroy merlin deska klozetowa elac debut s10 2 subwoofer review спален комплект 100 памук цветенца piatti di plastica dorati разклонител пвц ппк ф40 ф40-87градуса תצפית על מטוסים נתב ג tracciato tav firenze rear ram stainless steel charcoal bbq grill ottoman gardens kolonya hasbahçe er or read it wrong. Therefore, yes learning tajweed is important if you don’t want to make a mistake while reciting the Quran.
Shaykh Zakaria Al-Ansari said:
“It is imperative for a Muslim to learn the rules of recitation that preserve the meaning and function of words since failure to do so is blameworthy.”
Ali Hanafi said,
“Correct rules of recitation must be learned to avoid changes in meaning and function. It is preferable for a Muslim to learn the rules which preserve meaning and make it clearer since a great deal of hardship is involved in mastering all the rules of correct recitation.”
Is reading Quran with a Tajweed a Must?
No reading with Tajweed is not compulsory. It is a way to rectify your voice while reciting the holy Quran. And it helps you to pronounce each word correctly. So, there is no problem if you read the Quran without tajweed. Reciting it with tajweed rules is a Sunnah, and the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“Verily the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have TWICE that reward.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Imam Al-Dhahabi said:
“Tajwid is a waste of time, I do not know about this, by Allah! But if it is true about him, then what he means is that the person does not get busy with it too much and neglects to pay attention to the meanings.”
From this, we understand that what is more important is to focus on the meaning of the verses.
Can you learn Tajweed by yourself?
You can learn tajweed on your own but it will take a long time It would be a bit hard. Here are some tips for you to make the learning journey much easier.
1) Make your Intention.
The most important thing before you start doing anything in your life is the intention, make your intention to learn the tajweed rules and Quran reading for Allah, and to come closer to him.
The prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.”
2) Enroll yourself in an online course.
A professional tutor will guide you through your learning journey. He will explain each rule and train you to use it correctly. If you don’t understand any rule or anything he will explain it in a simpler way. Besides learning with a tutor, it would be a good idea to try watching online videos. You can learn from them too and ask the tutor about what you didn’t understand. This will help you master the tajweed rules faster. You can check out our Tajweed course for adults here.
3) Learn the right pronunciation of Arabic letters.
To read the Quranic verses correctly and easily it’s better to learn the right way to pronounce each letter, so that you don’t change the meaning of the word while reciting.
First learn each letter and how it changes its shape depending on its place in the word, the sound that each letter makes, and its articulation. When you learn them, you won’t face any problems reading the Qur’anic verses. And there are many videos on the internet to learn from.
4) Stay motivated.
When you start learning something new you will be motivated at first but then when you see how long it takes to learn you will start to lose hope. But you shouldn’t remind yourself that it’s normal to take long for mastering tajweed rules and with time you will. What good does it make when you stop in the middle of your way? Keep going and tell yourself that you’re doing this for Allah. When you keep this in mind you won’t lose hope.
Actually, to motivate yourself you could teach what you learned to someone else, this will make you proud of yourself and you will also do good deeds.
Now remember what our beloved prophet said about Quran recitation:
“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.”
5) Learn slowly.
Take your time to learn, you don’t need to rush yourself out, learning tajweed rules is not easy and if you put pressure on yourself, you are either going to lose hope and stop in the middle of the way or you will forget everything you learned. We don’t want any of this to happen, so learn each rule and give yourself time to master it.
6) Recite the holy Quran.
Never stop reciting Quran, to practice what you have learned you should keep reading Quran and apply the Tajweed rules. The more you read the better you get.
Also, listen to your favorite reciter and repeat after him, verse by verse. You could even record yourself and see if you get it right or not. This will greatly help you enhance your tajweed learning faster.
7) Practice makes perfect.
To enhance your tajweed recitation you shouldn’t stop practicing. It’s like learning a new language, when you don’t practice it every day you will forget what you have learned. Therefore, you should read Quranic surahs and apply the tajweed rules, and see how good you’ve got so far.
8) Teach what you Learn.
A great idea to memorize what you have learned is by teaching it, find a friend that wants to learn the tajweed rules or a family member and teaching him/her the rules that you have learned. This will not only enhance your learning but will reward you with good deeds. As the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
You can also give classes in mosques if you don’t have someone to teach, teach kids and make them love reciting the Quran.
9) Learn from your mistakes.
Remember it is normal to make mistakes, don’t stress yourself, and use it to make yourself better. Don’t listen to the people who say it’s haram to read the holy Quran if you can’t read it right and remember what our beloved prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.”
It doesn’t matter if you can read correctly or not, just keep reading the Quran and Allah will reward you, it’s more than enough that you’re trying and Allah knows that.
Allah said in the holy Quran:
“So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah]; it is better for yourself. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be successful.” [64:16]
Don’t be afraid of making any mistakes while reciting the holy Quran, as you keep reading you will enhance it, and when you learn the tajweed rules you will master Quran recitation.
How long does it take to master Tajweed?
The time it takes to learn tajweed changes from one person to another depending on the age of the person, and the free time the person has. Children from 3 to 5 years will learn in three years. While for adults it only takes one year to learn the whole tajweed rules.
That’s it for today’s article, I hope you’ve found it useful, and if you still have any questions visit our website Quran classes right away and we will be more glad to help.