Rules of Recitation in the Quran

Rules of the Silent Noon

The silent noon and tanween are governed by four main rules, which are:

Pronunciation (Idhaar)

Definition: This refers to clearly pronouncing the letter from its point of articulation without an apparent ghunnah (nasal sound). Pronunciation can occur in either one or two words.
Letters: There are six letters involved: (ء، هـ، ع، ح، غ، خ).
Method of Pronunciation: The noon should be pronounced with the tip of the tongue while the idhaar letters are articulated from the throat, known as “throat pronunciation.” An example is from the Quran, Allah says: (مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ).

Concealment (Ikhfaa)

Definition: This involves obscuring the letter while maintaining the ghunnah in the concealed letter.
Letters: There are fifteen letters, including: (ص، ذ، ث، ك، ج، ش، ق، س، د، ط، ز، ف، ت، ض، ظ).
Method of Pronunciation: The letter is pronounced in a manner that lies between the properties of idhaar and idghaam while keeping the ghunnah. Examples include: كنْتم، انْطلقوا، عنْدكم.

Assimilation (Idghaam)

Definition: This is when a silent letter meets a moving one, causing them to merge into one pronounced letter with stress, classified into two types: assimilation with ghunnah and without ghunnah.
Letters: There are six letters that are grouped with the word (يرملون): (ي، ر، م، ل، و، ن).
Assimilation with Ghunnah: This occurs when one of the following four letters comes after a silent noon or tanween: (ي، ن، م، و), as mentioned in the verse: (وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ).
Assimilation without Ghunnah: This applies when one of the letters (ل، ر) follows a silent noon or tanween, exemplified in the verse: (أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ).
Method of Pronunciation: Pronounce the two letters as one stressed letter similar to the second.

Inversion (Iqlaab)

Definition: This involves transforming one letter into another with the consideration of ghunnah and concealment; essentially flipping the silent noon or tanween into a meema.
Letters: The singular letter is the ba (ب).
Method of Pronunciation: The silent noon or tanween is converted to meema, with the meema concealed before ba, as in the verse: (خَبيرًا بَصيرًا).

Rules of the Silent Meem

The silent meem is governed by three rules, which are:

Oral Pronunciation (Idhaar Shafawi)

Definition: This involves articulating the silent meem from its exit point without assimilation or concealment when followed by one of the letters of oral pronunciation.
Letters: All letters of the alphabet except ba and meem.
Method of Pronunciation: The letter is pronounced as it is from its point of articulation, without an apparent ghunnah, such as in the verse: (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ).

Oral Concealment (Ikhfaa Shafawi)

Definition: This refers to the articulation of the meem in a manner that lies between idhaar and idghaam without stress, while maintaining the ghunnah.
Letters: The letter ba (ب).
Method of Pronunciation: The silent meem is pronounced in a moderate state between idhaar and idghaam without stress, with a ghunnah lasting approximately two counts, illustrated in the verse: (يَعْتَصِم بِاللَّـهِ).

Oral Assimilation (Idghaam Shafawi)

Definition: This occurs when a moving meem follows a silent meem, resulting in the pronunciation as a stressed meem with a ghunnah.
Letters: The letter meem (م).
Method of Pronunciation: Pronounce both letters as a stressed meem with a ghunnah, such as in the verse: (كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ).

Rules for the Doubled Meem and Noon

Definition: This pertains to letters that originally consist of two letters, which have to be pronounced with stress and a ghunnah lasting two counts, referred to as a stressed ghunnah letter. The ghunnah is the sound produced from the nasal cavity.
Letters: The letters meem and noon in their doubled form.
Method of Pronunciation: Pronounce both letters, whether they are the stressed meem or noon, as a single stressed letter accompanied by a ghunnah lasting two counts, using examples such as: (مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ) and (مِمَّ خُلق).

Extensions (Madd)

Extension is the elongation of the natural prolongation and can occur due to either a pause or a hamzah. More details on hamzah will be discussed subsequently. Extensions due to hamzah are of two types:

Connected Extension (Madd Mutasil)

Definition: This refers to an extension followed by a hamzah within a single word, hence named due to the direct connection of the extending letter to the hamzah within the same word. Its ruling is mandatory, necessitating an elongation beyond the original extension’s measure.
Length of Extension: It is elongated for four or five counts according to the Shatibiyyah method when the hamzah is terminal, as exemplified in the phrase: (وَلَمّا جاء موسى). It has two conditions:
- In the case of connection: four or five counts.
- In the case of stopping on the terminal connected extension: four, five, or six counts.
When multiple extensions appear in a single verse or session, the reader must maintain equality among them.

Separated Extension (Madd Munfasil)

Definition: This occurs when the extending letter is at the end of a word and the hamzah begins the next word. The ruling is permissive, allowing the option of elongation or shortening among the readers.
Length of Extension: It is typically extended for four or five counts according to the Shatibiyyah method for Hafs, with four counts being the most common and preferred. In certain instances, a shortening of two counts is permissible, as demonstrated in some approaches from the Qira’ah traditions.
Reason for Extension: The principle is that the extending letter is weak while the hamzah is strong, thus the weak letter is strengthened by the extension.
Types of Separated Extension:
- Original Separated, e.g., (وَما تَوفيقي إِلّا).
- Rulings of Separation, e.g., (هَـؤُلَاءِ), termed so because the word is connected in Quranic script but separated by ruling. This includes the principle of the “large connection” extension.

Connecting Hamzah

The connecting hamzah is an extra hamzah that appears at the beginning of a word; it is confirmed at the start but omitted in the middle. It is termed as such because it facilitates the pronunciation of a preceding consonant at the start of a word. The connecting hamzah occurs in nouns as follows:

Nouns defined by (ال), typically starting with an open connecting hamzah, e.g., (الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ).
Non-defined nouns starting with a broken connecting hamzah, whether they are standard or traditional:
- Standard nouns are of two types:
- - The derivative of the past tense five-letter verb (افتعال), such as in: (وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّـهِ وَاللَّـهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ).
  - The derivative of the six-letter verb, as in: (وَأَصَرُّوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا اسْتِكْبَارًا).
- Traditional nouns, which include ten terms: (ابن، ابنت، ابنة، امرؤ، امرأة، اثنين، اثنتا، امرأت، اسم، اثنان، ايم الله), as noted in: (وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ).

As for the connecting hamzah in verbs, it finds itself present solely in the past or imperative forms of three, five, and six-letter verbs, rarely appearing in the present tense unless as a cutting hamzah. The connecting hamzah is pronounced as broken if the verb itself is originally broken or open, illustrated in the verse: (فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا).

Qalqalah

The rules of qalqalah are as follows:

Definition: It refers to the disturbance of the articulation when pronouncing a letter in a state of rest, producing a strong resonance.
Letters: There are five letters grouped in the phrase: (قطب جد).
Ranks of Qalqalah: Qalqalah has two ranks:
- Major Qalqalah occurs when the qalqalah letter is at the end of a word, as seen in: (يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ).
- Minor Qalqalah occurs when the qalqalah letter is within the word, as in: (وَقَد أَفلَحَ).

Emphasis and Lightness

This is one of the rules of Tajweed related to sound qualities, detailed as follows:

Definition of Emphasis: This refers to the articulation being robust at the point of emission, filling the mouth.
Definition of Lightness: This refers to the articulation being thin at the point of emission.
Classification of Letters by Emphasis and Lightness: There are three categories:
- Permanently Emphasized Letters: These are grouped in the phrase (خص ضغط قظ), as in: (خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ).
- Letters that are sometimes emphasized and periodically lightened. These include:
- - Alif, which generally takes its quality from the preceding letter, being emphasized if preceded by an emphasized letter and lightened if preceded by a light letter.
  - The letter of Allah’s name, which varies based on the preceding vowel, being emphasized if the preceding letter is open or rounded, and lightened if it is broken. An example is found in: (قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّـهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا).
Relative Emphasis: This occurs in letters like ṭa and is lowest in ghain and khā, exhibiting weak emphasis when these letters are broken.
Permanently Lightened Letters: These are the remaining letters: (ب، ت، ث، ج، ح، د، ذ، ز، س، ش، ع، ف، ك، ل، م، ن، هـ، و، ي), as in: (أَنْعَمْتُ).

Tajweed Training Exercises

Example	Tajweed Rule
Allah says: (صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ).	Pronunciation
Allah says: (خَلَقَ الإِنسانَ مِن نُطفَةٍ).	Assimilation with Ghunnah
Allah says: (يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا).	Assimilation without Ghunnah
Allah says: (يُنبِتُ لَكُم بِهِ الزَّرعَ وَالزَّيتونَ).	Inversion
Allah says: (إِنَّهُم ساءَ ما كانوا يَعمَلونَ).	Connected Extension
Allah says: (افتِراءً عَلَى اللَّـهِ).	Connecting Hamzah
Allah says: (سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى).	Connecting Hamzah
Allah says: (قالَ إِنّي عَبدُ اللَّـهِ آتانِيَ الكِتابَ وَجَعَلَني نَبِيًّا).	Emphasizing Allah’s Name
Allah says: (مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ).	Doubled Noon
Allah says: (أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللَّـهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ).	Major Qalqalah