‘Al-Noor Islamic School’

Tajweed Rules Booklet

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{Tajweed Rules}

Contents

• Makhraj of Letters Page ۳ • Signs (Harakat) Page ٥ • Hard Letters and Soft Letters Page ۸

• The Rules of the Letters ل and ر Page ۹ • Ghunna Page ۱۱ • Qalqalah Page ۱۲ • Nun Sakin & Tanwin Page ۱۳ • Ith’har Page ۱٦ • Idgham Page ۱۷ • Iqlab Page ۲۰ • Ikhfaa Page ۲۱ • Meem Sakin Page ۲٤ • Madd Page ۲۸ • Waqf Page ۳٦ • Bibliography Page ۳۹

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Makhraj of Letters

Letters of Lip:

ب م ف وLetters of Throat:

Letters of Tongue:

Back of the Tongue (Section A)

ق ك

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Middle of the Tongue (Section B):

ج ش ي

Side of the Tongue (Section C):

ض ر

Tip of the Tongue (Section D):

ط د ت ز ص س ظ ذ ث

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Signs (Harakat)

The Mark's Name Applied to the letter

(Seen) Pronounced as..

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There are ۳ main signs:

Tanwin

o the doubled Damma o the doubled Fatha o and the doubled Kasra

• What do they look like?

Fat-ha س+ ◌

Sa

Kas-ra س+ ◌

Si

Dhamma س+ ◌

Su

Sukoon س+ ◌

S

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A doubled Fatha looks like ۲ Fathas on top of each other

ب A doubled Damma looks like ۲ Dammas written beside each other

ب

A doubled Kasra looks like ۲ Kasras on top of each other ب

• What are they called?

A double vowel is called a Tanween

• What do they sound like? If a letter has a Tanween, you will pronounce the single vowel and follow

it with a ن sound

بن = ب

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بن = ب

بن = ب

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Hard Letters & Soft Letters

Tafkheem (Hard Letters)

Definition: the elevation of the back of the tongue to the back roof of the mouth upon pronunciation of the letter, no matter what harakaat.

• During pronunciation, the back of the tongue is raised towards the upper palate. This will produce a thick, round sound

• These are known as full mouth / thick letters and are thus pronounced with a full mouth

• The hard letters are:

• The elevation is less when these letters carry a kasra

Tarqeeq (Soft Letters)

Definition: the lowering or depressing of the back of the tongue away from the roof of the mouth upon pronunciation of the letter.

• During pronunciation, the tongue is not raised, but kept downward in its normal position. This downward position will cause a flat sound

• These are also known as empty-mouth / thin letters and are thus pronounced with an empty mouth

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The Rules of the Letters ل and ر

The letters ل – Lam and ر - Raa’ can be said with a hard sound or with a soft sound

Letter ل – Lam with a shaddah

• Hard sound:

If the Letter ل comes after a letter with a fatha or a damma , then

the sound of the Letter ل is a hard sound

هللا

The second Letter ل has a hard sound because the letter ا - Alif is with a

fatha

• Soft Sound:

If the Letter ل comes after a letter with a kasra , then the sound of the

Letter ل is a soft sound

ہلل ۱۰ | P a g e

Letter ر - Raa’

• Hard sound:

If the ر - Raa’ is with a fatha or a damma , then the sound of the

Raa’ is a hard sound - ر

رجع

The ر - Raa’ has a hard sound because it is with a fatha

• Soft Sound:

If the ر - Raa’ is with a kasra , then the sound of the ر - Raa’ is a soft

sound

سریع

The ر - Raa’ has a soft sound because it is with a kasra

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Ghunna

The letters of Ghunna are م and ن

When these letters appear with a shaddah , then the sound of Ghunna is said. Ghunna makes a nasal sound (sound coming from the nose), which is ۲ counts long. Example:

من شر الوسواس الخناس

Exercise:

- Now try the Ghunna & Qalqalah Card Game (from office)

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Qalqalah

The letters of Qalqalah are ج د ق ط ب When these letters appear with a sukoon or are at the end of a word and become sakin because of a pause, Qalqalah is said. Qalqalah makes a strong, bouncing sound. Example:

لم یلد ولم یولد

Exercise:

- Now try the Ghunna & Qalqalah Card Game (from office)

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Nun sakin & Tanwin

Noon saakin ( ) and tanween are considered the same because the sound of a tanween sounds just like a noon saakin. Because of this similarity, the two take the same rules

Tanween(Nunnation)

Example

an أ�ن an

ban بن ban ب

un أ�ن un

bun بن bun ب

in ن� in ا

bin بن bin ب

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Ith'haar

Ith’ahr means to pronounce the letters from their makhraj, clearly and distinctly, without any changes.

• Ith’har is said when there is either a ن or tanween

• followed by any letter of the throat غ ع خ ح ه ء

ن • or tanween is pronounced clearly, there is no ghunnah

Examples:

Letter Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۱۰۸:۲)

(۷۹:٤۰)

(۷۹:۳۳)

(۷:٤۳)

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(۸۰:۱۸)

(۸۰:۱۰)

Letter Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۱۰۱:۱۱)

(۹۹:۷)

(۱۰۲:۸)

(۹٥:٦)

(۱۱۳:۳)

(۹۷:٥)

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Idghaam

The ٦ letters of Idghaam are collected in the following word :

نیرملو - ن و ل م ر ي Two types of Idghaam :

۱. Without ghunnah ۲. With ghunnah

Idghaam without ghunnah

It is called the complete idghaam and its determining letters are ل and ر

• Presence of ن or tanween

• followed by ل or ر

ر or ل • has a shaddah on top of it ◌

• ghunnah is not pronounced

• Sound: this means a complete assimilation where no trace of the sound is left

Examples

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

Extract from Verse Surah: Verse

(۱۱۲:٤)

(۹٦:۱٥)

(۹٦:۷)

(۸۳:۱٥)

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TANWEEN

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

Extract from Verse Surah: Verse

(۷۹:۲٦)

(۱۰٤:۱)

(۱۰۱:۷)

(۸۱:۲٥)

Idghaam with ghunnah

It is called the incomplete idghaam, and its four determining letters are collected in the word

)نیمو) ن م و ي

• Presence of ن or tanween

• followed by any of the following : ن م و ي

• ghunnah is pronounced, ۲ counts

• this means that some of the ن sound will be heard as it is incomplete blending or

assimilation

Examples

Letter Extract from Surah : Extract from Surah:

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Verse Verse Verse Verse

(۹۹:۷)

(۹۰:٥)

(۱۳:۱۱)

(۱۳:۳٤)

(۱۱۱:٥)

(۸٦:٦)

(۹۲:۱۹)

(۱٤:۱۱)

TANWEEN

Letter Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse

Extract from Verse Surah: Verse

(۸۹:۲۳)

(۷۸:٤۰)

(۱۱۱:۱)

(۱۰٦:٤)

(۱۱۱:٥)

(۱۰٥:٤)

(۱٤:٤٤)

(۲:٥۸)

NOTE

The rule of idghaam will be applied on a provided it is the last letter of the word. If it appears in the middle of a word, then there will be no idghaam.

Tanween cannot appear in the middle of a word

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Iqlaab

Iqlab is the change of a sound from its original makhraj, in this case changing the ن or

tanween into a م

• Presence of ن or tanween

• followed by ب

• Turn the ن into a م sound

• ghunnah is pronounced, ۲ counts long

Examples:

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۹۸:٤)

(۱۰٤:٤)

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Ikhfaa

The concealment of the ن sound

• Presence of ن or tanween

• followed by any of the ۱٥ remaining letters of the alphabet • These are

ت ث ج د ذ ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ف ق ك

• ghunnah is pronounced, ۲ counts long

(his ghunnah is slight, not too deep, unlike the idghaam and or )

Method for pronouncing Ikhfaa

When an ikhfaa occurs, the makhraj of the ن or tanween is ignored and instead it is

pronounced at or near the makhraj of the letter of ikhfaa. Therefore, the reader should

make his tongue distant from the makhraj of the ن and close to the makhraj of the letter

of ikhfaa during ghunnah, ready to pronounce the letter of Ikhfaa.

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Examples:

TANWEEN

Extract from Verse

Surah : Verse

Extract from Verse Surah: Verse

(۷۸:٤۰)

(۹۲:۱٤)

(۱۰۱:٦)

(۷۸:۱٤)

(۸۰:۲)

(۸۹:۲۰)

(۹۱:۱۰)

(۸۹:۲۱)

(۷۸:٤۰)

(۹۰:۱٤)

(۷۸:۱٤)

(۱۸:۷٤)

(۷۹:۳٥)

(۱۸:۲۲)

(۷۸:۳۹)

(۷۸:۱۲)

(۹٤:۷)

(۸۹:۲۲)

(۸۸:٦)

(۳۰:٥٤)

(۷۹:۳۷)

(۳٤:۱٥)

(۷۸:٤۰)

(٤:٥۷)

(۷۸:۱۸)

(۹۰:۱٤)

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(۹٤:۳)

(۷۸:٤۰)

(۸۱:۲۸)

(۷۹:۱۲)

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Meem Sakin

The rules of are called shafawee ( يشفو ) as the makhraj of the is the lips (shafatain = pair of lips)

Idghaam Shafawee

• Presence of a followed by another • The first one carries a and the second carries a vowel • Hence, a will be created and shown on the second • Resulting in ghunnah, held for ۲ counts

Example

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۱۰٤:۸)

(۱۰٦:٤)

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Ikhfaa Shafawee

• Presence of a followed by a

• The carries a saakin and the carries a vowel • Ghunnah is pronounced, for ۲ counts • The is concealed by the ghunnah

Example

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۱۰٥:٤)

(۸۸:۲۲)

Ith-haar Shafawee

• Presence of a followed by any letter other than or • The carries a saakin ( ), and the second letter carries a vowel • There is no ghunnah, and the is pronounced clearly,

Example

Extract from Verse Surah : Verse

(۹۸:۸)

(۹۸:۸)

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SUMMARY

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Madd

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Waqf

The Rules of Stopping (Waqf)

Definition

'To stop on the last letter of a complete word, which is disconnected from the word after it, and giving the last letter a sukoon and by breaking the breath, then taking a new breath to read the next word.'

• The proper way to stop in a word is by putting a on the last letter of the word. If there is a harakah ( ) or tanween ( ) on the last letter of a word before a stop, that letter is made into a sukoon

E.g

(۱۱۲:۱)

will be read as

The last word will be read 'ahad' and not 'ahadun'

• If it is a tanween then the last word is pronounced as an alif

E.g

(۷۸:۱٦)

will be read as

Will be read 'al faa faa' and not 'al faa fan'

• If the last letter is a 'taa marbutah' ( ), it is read as 'ha' ( )

E.g

(۸۸:٥)

will be read as

Will be read 'aa-niah' and not 'aa-niatin'

• If the last letter of a word contains a 'hamzah' ( ), the harakah on the hamzah is changed into a sukoon ( ), and the hamzah is read clearly. A common mistake when stopping at a hamzah is not to indicate the presence of the hamzah at all

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E.g

(۱٤:۲٤)

will be read as

(۷:۱٥٦)

will be read as

• If the last letter of a word contains a 'tashdeed' ( ), the mashaddad letter is changed into a saakin letter, BUT making sure the tashdeed is still read i.e. by spending more time on the letter.

(۱۱۱:۱)

will be read as

(but without the qalqalah)

(۷۸:۳۹)

(but without the qalqalah)

NB remember to tighten/emphasise the saakin letter so to differentiate from an ordinary saakin letter as t

• A waqf is only correct if breath is taken before reading the following word. To read the last letter as sukoon ( ) and not to renew the breath is incorrect.

• The opposite of waqf is known as 'wasl'. Wasl means to join verses / sentences without stopping.

• Different letters / symbols are placed to indicate compulsory stops, recommended stops, better to read on, and other such commands:

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◌ The compulsory stop - we have to stop, wasl is not allowed

◌ The prohibited stop - we cannot stop

◌ The good stop - it is better to continue, but stopping is allowed

◌ The sufficient stop - it is better to stop

◌ The quality stop - it is the same to stop or continue

◌ The subtle stop/pause - stop vocal sound for a brief time, without taking breath

Necessary stop - shows end of sentence

Stopping at either of the points but not at both

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Bibliography:

• http://www.readwithtajweed.com/tajweed_letters.htm • http://tajweedinenglish.com • http://www.arabion.net/lesson٤.html • http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet۱۳.shtml • http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet۲۱.shtml • http://kids.farhathashmi.com • http://www.understandquran.com/fileadmin/user_upload/extras/tajweed/Tajweed_Rules.p

df • ‘A Course in The Science of Reciting the Qur’an’ by Muhammad Ibrahim H.I. Surty

(Published by ‘The Islamic Foundation’)

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