As a linguistic discipline, tajweed governs the accurate pronunciation of Arabic letters when the Quran is recited. Tajweed comes from “Jayyid” in Arabic, which means “good” or “proper”. Hence, Tajweed rules ensure that there is a correct pronunciation of a letter and the sound that is attached to it according to its characteristics and the rules attached to it. Tajweed is important for all the narrators of the Quran so that the message of Allah’s words in the form of writing is not distorted and is narrated as it was originally passed on.
Tajweed Basics
History and definition are fundamental for any Islamic science, terms, narration, and Arabic grammar, to mention a few. Being a proficient person in Islam entails having a good grasp of history and excellent qualifications. For instance, the Arabic word ‘عَلِمَ’ means ‘to know’ but ‘يَعَلِمُ’ means ‘he knows’ and a slight difference in pronunciation can change the meaning of an entire word or verse significantly such as ‘كَذَبَ’ and ‘كَذَبة’ but the meaning becomes wholly different through such minute changes such as the one phoneme ‘كَذَبَ سَمَاء احتبرت’.
Tajweed guidelines for pronouncing words and letters from the Quran possess broader meanings in so far as they protect the obfuscation of the Quran. Is it not this evocation of meanings that the Prophet Muhammad spoke about when he warned Muslims against reading the Quran without purpose? Basic Tajweed rules are the first of learning more about the Quran and its meaning. So one may ask, what purpose does basic tajweed of rules serve?
Shaddah (Double Consonants):
The shaddah mark shows that a letter is pronounced twice and the speaker has to stretch the sound of the letter. For example, in the word “اللّه” (Allah), it is seen that the sound “l” has been made more than once and it has to be emphasized during pronunciation.
Mad (Elongation):
Mad refers to the lengthening of certain letters when specific vowels are pronounced. Depending on the letters it is coupled with, a short vowel such as Fatha, Kasra, or Damma can be stretched from two beats to a maximum of six beats. The stretching is indeed vital in ensuring that the flow and the song of the words are reproduced during the Quranic recitation.
Idghaam (Merging):
This is the process of combining together two letters that form a common syllable. For example: in all the dialects of Arabic, when there is a ‘n’ (the letter ‘noon’ ن) followed by a letter from ‘Ya’, the sound of ‘n’ goes up to the next letter making the joined sound flow better.
Conclusion
Tajweed rules complete the reading of the Quran by adding grace to the beauty of the meaning of the holy words. There are rules that guide the proper reading of the Quran and with them, one can read beautifully and clearly the holy book in the best possible way. Tajweed is a source of strength to a Muslim by enabling him or her to have the right experience of reading their holy book, whether in individual or group prayer.