Rules of Quranic Tajweed
The field of Tajweed encompasses several categories established by scholars for the purpose of teaching this vital discipline. Among the most significant rules of Tajweed, the following are noteworthy:
Rules of Unvowelled Noon and Tanween
The term “unvowelled noon” refers to the noon that lacks any vowel markings, while tanween follows the same principles when it precedes certain letters of the Arabic alphabet. The related rules are as follows:
- Izhar: This involves articulating the letter without any alteration, such as ghunnah (nasalization). The letters associated with Izhar are six: alif, ‘ayn, kha, ha, ghain, and ha.
- Iqlab: This is the process of converting a letter into another. The letter that corresponds to Iqlab is ba; if ba follows an unvowelled noon or tanween, the noon is transformed into a concealed meem while a ghunnah is pronounced.
- Idgham: This refers to merging one letter into another. The letters involved can be remembered by the acronym “Yarmaloon.” If one of the letters from “Yanmoo” is preceded by an unvowelled noon or tanween, this is known as incomplete Idgham, which retains the ghunnah of the noon. However, when followed by laam or raa, the ghunnah is not pronounced, resulting in complete Idgham.
- Ikhafaa: This is a quality that sits between Idgham and Izhar. The letters included in Ikhafaa are: sad, dhal, thaa, kaaf, jeem, sheen, qaaf, seen, dal, taa, zaa, faa, taa, dhad, and dhah.
Rules of Unvowelled Meem
The unvowelled meem can occur at the beginning, middle, or end of words and is classified based on the letters that follow it. The related rules are:
- Shafawi Ikhfaa: The corresponding letter is ba; if the unvowelled meem is followed by ba, the meem is concealed, and the reader must articulate the ghunnah.
- Idgham of Similar Letters: The corresponding letter is meem; when an unvowelled meem is followed by an active meem, both are merged with the ghunnah being pronounced. The shaddah (doubling) of meem receives the rule of Idgham of similar letters.
- Shafawi Izhar: This includes all letters except for meem and ba; if the unvowelled meem is followed by any letter other than ba or meem, it will appear clearly and pronounced fully.
Fundamentals of Tajweed Science
The science of Tajweed is regarded as one of the noblest disciplines a person can engage in, as it focuses on the articulation of Quranic text, ensuring that each letter is pronounced from its correct point of origin. This enables learners to master the proper recitation of the Quran as it was conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Historically, the Prophet was the first to apply this knowledge in practice, after which scholars began to formally systematize its principles and rules. It is said that the first to establish the fundamentals of Tajweed was Al-Khalil Al-Farahidi, with contributions also from Abu Al-Aswad Al-Du’ali, among others.