By Quran Majlis Living a busy life, trying to balance between work and life; we tend to overlook so many things, and spiritual enlightement is one of them. As we all know most of us are from Western or Asian lands where we weren't fortunate enough to learn Quran in depth, it's time for us to sit and take a moment to ponder on what we have learnt so far, and how we can improve ourselves for a better spiritual connection. As we are approaching closer to Ramadan this year, it's important we should take some efforts to learn how to read Quran with proper Tajweed, as it lifts your mood and enhance your life spiritually to find the lost contentment. You will feel more connected to what you recite, and every word whether you understand or not will make a sense that will connect deep within you. What is Tajweed? Tajweed is the art of reading Quran - to enhance and make it more appropriate, to recite beautifully by considering the pronunciation of each letter according to its own set of rules. Necessary or Recommended? Some may argue that just reading the Quran alone without any Tajweed is enough to gain rewards, as it's all about reciting. Following are some verses and hadiths that insist learning Tajweed is necessary: "Those to whom we have given the book, recite it with its true recital..." (2:121) Allah says in the Quran itself that it must be recited with its true recital which means to recite exactly in the way it was revealed. "...Or add to it, and recite the Quran with measured recitation." (73:4) Ali ibn Abi Talib explained the above verse saying that 'Tarteelan' means measured recitation which is defined as the Tajweed of the letters, and knowing where to stop them correctly. "The Quran will either testify in your favour or against you." The above Hadith quoted from Sahih Muslim clearly indicates that we should recite the Quran properly, as it will intercede on the Day of Judgement for us. Improper recitation can lead the Quran to testify against us. "Clearly distinguished letter by letter." When Umm Salamah was asked about the recitation of Prophet (SAWS), she expressed his recitation as, 'clearly distinguished letter by letter'. Aren't we excited to recite the way it was revealed? To feel every word when reciting? Learning tajweed is the way to go! Virtues of Learning Tajweed 1. Company of the noble and obedient angels: Aysha (RA) narrates that the Prophet (SAWS) said, "The one who recites the Quran precisely will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels, and as for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering and stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward." [Bukhari & Muslim] 2. The Best of People: Uthmaan (RA) said that the Prophet (SAWS) said, "The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others." [Bukhari] 3. Ten Rewards for each letter: The Prophet (SAWS) said, "Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward and the reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that, 'Alif', 'Laam', and 'Meem' is a letter. Rather I am saying that 'Alif' is a letter, 'Laam' is a letter and 'Meem' is a letter." [Tirmizi] 4. Way to Paradise: The Prophet (SAWS) said, "A reader of the Holy Quran will be called upon on the Day of Judgement: 'Start reading the Holy Quran and ascend the (high) stages of the Heaven, and recite slowly as you had been reading in the world, as your abode will be where the last verse of your recitation will end'." [Abu Daud & Tirmizi] 5. Spiritual Upliftment: Hazrat Bra'a ibn 'Aazib (RA) states that a person was reading Surah Al-Kahf and his horse was tied near him with two ropes. It so happened that a patch of cloud reached the horse and covered it. The animal whereupon began jumping. Next day in the morning, the man went to the Holy Prophet (SAWS) and related the incident to him. The Holy Prophet (SAWS) said, "This was 'Sakeenat' (mental and spiritual peace and satisfaction) that came down as a result of the recitation of the Holy Quran. [Bukhari & Muslim] How to Start Learning Tajweed? 1. Seek a qualified Quran teacher who is specialized in teaching Tajweed, as Tajweed application can only be learnt properly by listening to, reciting to, and there should be someone to verify and correct your mistakes. 2. Purchase a book containing the rules of Tajweed, and start to go through them step by step. 3. Listen to Quran tapes of reciters. Notice their application of Tajweed. Replay it for several times to catch the exact points. Tajweed Checklist Here's a simple checklist to see how well you have mastered the art of Tajweed:
1. Articulation Points of Each Letter: If you know how to pronounce each letter by considering its attributes, then you are 25% close to perfecting your Tajweed skills. 2. Reading Level: When reading, if your tongue and lips automatically move to the right place without any hesitation, to pronounce with the correct signs and attributes of the letters, then you are 60% close to mastering the art of Tajweed. 3. Change of Rules: If you know the change of rules to an extent where you notice a change in pronouncing a letter due to the influence of other letters, then you are almost close to 80% of mastering your Tajweed skills. To acheive 100%, it's important to test your level with a Quran teacher who is specialized in teaching Tajweed, so you are 100% assured, and you can even start teaching others! What are your thoughts on learning Tajweed? Let us know in the comments below!
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