The Qur’an was revealed by Almighty Allah through Jibril (upon him be peace) according to the rules of recitation that have been later formalized by the scholars of Tajwid. These rules describe the way that the Messenger of Allah (peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) was ordered to recite the Book of Allah. Allah ordered him in the Qur’an to, “...recite the Qur’an distinctly” (73:4). He (peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah loves that the Qur’an be recited the way it was revealed.” Based on evidences such as the above-mentioned verse and hadith, the scholars have diligently preserved the correct method of reciting each and every letter of the classical Arabic language as well as all other aspects of recitation. ‘Allama ibn al-Jazari has stated, “Learning Tajwid is a mandatory duty of utmost importance. Whoever does not recite the Qur’an with Tajwid is a sinner.” In addition, without correct recitation, our prayers cannot attain the highest level of acceptance.

This unique online course is the first of the four courses that constitute the complete Tajwid curriculum for the Jazari Certificate of Proficiency in Qur’anic Recitation. Students will learn the basics of Qur’anic recitation, including proper pronunciation of the Arabic letters, the special symbols which appear in the Arabic text, and the various rules associated with each of the letters. Students whom the instructor feels have demonstrated sufficient mastery after successful completion of the four part series will receive the Jazari Certificate for Instruction (Ijazah) in Qur’anic Recitation.  More information regarding the certificate is available here.

By the end of the first part of the Jazari Certificate, students must be able to recite the last ten Suras along with Surat al-Fatiha satisfactorily while understanding and implementing the basic rules of Tajwid covered in the course. Students will not be allowed to move forward to the next level before they can confidently demonstrate a grasp of the above-mentioned skills.

There will be separate live practice sessions for men and women. Sessions will be in small groups to facilitate a more effective learning environment.

Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: The Arabic Alphabet
Lesson 3: The Short Vowels & Tanwin
Lesson 4: The Long Vowels & Soft Vowels
Lesson 5: Sukoon and Shaddah
Lesson 6: Rules of Mim Sakina; Ikhfa, Idgham & Idhhar
Lesson 7: Rules of Nun Sakinah
Lesson 8: Rules of the Letter Ra
Lesson 9: Rules of Idgham
Lesson 10: Two Types of Hamza
Lesson 11: Review and Practice & Preview of Part Two of the Course
Lesson 12: Review and Practice

• Must know how to recite the Quran looking in.
• Must have a headset. No "stand alone" mikes.
• Must have wired internet connection. Wireless is discouraged unless necessary e.g. travels.
• 2-3 hours commitment a week

"Tajwid I (QRN101) was a wonderful class. I loved every minute of it. I came into the class not feeling very confident about my recitation and Alhumdulillah I feel like I improved immensely. Mufti Mohamed-Umer Esmail is a passionate and gifted teacher and sincerely loves to teach people Tajwid. He's always patient and encouraging. His lessons are extremely clear and well presented and he makes a point to highlight those areas where people commonly mispronounce letters or words. I feel incredibly fortunate to have benefited from this class and to have had the honor to learn under Mufti Esmail. I look forward to taking Tajwid II next semester." (Junaid Mansuri, Chicago)

"I feel the fact the lessons are available to be listened at our own time is of great help for those of us with very unpredictable schedules. It gives one the freedom to choose our own times as well as the added bonus of keeping the lessons and re-visit them over and over again!"
(Fall 2009 Student)