Class # 1 - Introduction to the Science of Tajweed

‫احلافظون واحلافظات‬
Al-Haafidhoon wal-Haafidhaat
The Hifdh Program at Albaseerah.org
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

What is Tajweed?
ُ‫سني‬
ِ ِ‫جوِي ُد = التَّح‬
ِ َّ‫الت‬
 Linguistically Tajweed means Tahseen, that is “to make something good.”

 Tajweed is derived from the word ‫ َجيِّد‬Jayyid which means “good”

 Tahseen is derived from ‫حسُن‬
َ Hasun which means “to make good”

 Technically Tajweed is giving every letter its right and what it deserves This includes:

 ‫ال َم ْخ َرج‬ Al-Makhraj - the point of articulation for each letter

 ‫س َفة‬
ِّ ‫ال‬ As-Sifah - the intricate characteristics of each letter
 ‫ال ًغ ّنة‬ Al-Ghunnah - the nasalization inherent in the letters noon (‫ )ن‬and meem (‫)م‬
 ‫الم ّد‬ Al-Madd – the lengthening of the vowel sounds
 ‫الترقيق‬ At-Tarqeeq – the lightness or thinness in the pronunciation of a letter
 ‫التفخيم‬ At-Tafkheem – the heaviness or thickness in the pronunciation of a letter

These are the meanings of the word Tajweed both ً‫ ُلغَة‬linguistically and ‫ اصِطِالحّا‬technically

2
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

Who is Obligated to Know Tajweed?

 Knowledge of Tajweed is a ٌ‫ َفرِضْ ِكفَايَة‬Fardh Kifaayah (communal
obligation) i.e. if only some people from amongst the Ummah know it
then it suffices for everyone...
… However -
 For those who have knowledge of it, it becomes a ْ‫ َفرِضْ عَيِه‬Fardh `Ayn –
an individual obligation on them to apply that knowledge.

ِ‫العِلْمُ ِبه‬ (knowledge of it) ِ‫العَمَلُ بِه‬ (acting on it)

ٌ‫َفرِضْ كِفَايَة‬ (Fardh Kifaayah) ْ‫َفرِضْ عَِيه‬ (Fardh `Ayn)

3
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

What are the Fruits of This Knowledge and Why Should We Strive to Attain It?

 From the fruits of knowing and applying Tajweed is that you will
safeguard your tongue from making mistakes in reciting the Glorious
Qur’aan
Examples where changing the sound of a letter changes the meaning of a
word:

Sounding Instead of Changes To

‫أ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫( العَلِيم‬All-Knowing – Allaah) ‫( الـأَلِيم‬the painful)
‫ك‬ ‫ق‬ ْ‫( قُل‬Say!) ْ‫( كُل‬Eat!)

 We should also strive to learn tajweed in order that we may recite the
Qur’aan as it was revealed to the Prophet r

4
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

From Where is the Knowledge of Tajweed Derived?

It is derived from:
 The Qur’aan as Allaah says:
‫ﭢﭣ ﭤ‬
And recite the Qur'aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone) and style. [Al-Muzzammil 73:4]

 And the Sunnah of the Prophet r as it came in his r manner of reciting

 Then the manner of the recitation of the ‫ الصَّحَابَة‬Sahaabah after him r

 Then the ‫ التَّاِبعِني‬Tabi`een - the Successors

 Then the ‫‘ أَتِبَاع التَّاِبعِني‬Atbaa`ut-Tabi`een-the ones who came after the Tabi`een

 And then the ‫ِمةُ اْل ِقرَائَة‬

َّ ‫‘ أَئ‬A‘immatul-Qiraa‘ah - Imaams of Recitation
 Until it reached us by ‫ التَّوَاتِر‬at-Tawaatir - a method of continuity or succession

5
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

A Basic look at Qiraa’aat (‫ )قراءات‬and Ahruf (‫)أحرف‬

Ubay ibn Ka’ab narrated that once the Prophet r met Jibreel, and said, “O Jibreel! I have
been sent to an illiterate nation. Among them are old and young men and women, and those
who have never read any writing!” Jibreel answered him, “O Muhammad, the Qur’aan has
been revealed in seven ahruf!” [At-Tirmidhee]

 During the time of the Revelation, the Arabian tribes spoke with varying dialects and so
the Qur’aan was revealed in seven different ahruf (sing. harf) to accommodate them.

 The qiraa’aat (sing. qiraa’ah) are methods of pronunciation used in the recitation of the
Qur’aan. This should not be confused with ahruf. The different qiraa’aat can be traced
back to the Prophet r through a number of Companions well noted for their Qur’aanic
recitations.

 (During the Caliphate of `Uthman (Raadiyallaahu`anhu) the Qur’aanic text was

standardized according to the ahruf of the Quraysh, and the popular qiraa’aat used
today are all based on that harf.

6
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

What Should be Our Objective for Reciting with Tajweed?

We should recite with the intention that our recitation is an

act of `Ibaadah (worship) which we perform in order to gain
the pleasure of Allaah.

7
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

What are the Virtues of Tajweed?

Tajweed is from the noblest of sciences, as Imaam Al-

Bukhaaree relates in the chapter titled: “The book of the virtues
of the Qur’aan”

ُ‫خَيِرُكُمِ مَ ِه تَعَلَّ َم الْ ُقرَا َن وَعَلَّمَه‬

On the authority of `Uthman ibn Affaan that the Prophet r
said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the
Qur'aan and teach it."

8
 Albaseerah.org
Tajweed Basics - Class #1

Assignments
 Write the following aayaat in Arabic with their
English meaning:
 Al-Muzzammil 73:4
 Al-Anfaal 8:2

 Memorize the hadeeth (in Arabic) “The best among

you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'aan and teach it.”