What Is the Wisdom behind Reciting the Quran with Tajwid?
Answered by Shaykh Anas Al-Musa
Question
What is the wisdom behind reciting the Quran with Tajwid?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Tajwid
The purpose of reciting the Quran with Tajwid is to enhance the quality of reciting the Holy Quran; as scholars have defined, Tajwid means improvement and perfection, taken from the word “al-Jawda” (high quality), which is the opposite of poor quality. Tajwid is the ornamentation of recitation and the beauty of reading.
Reciting the Quran with Tajwid is a response to the command of Allah (Most High):
“And recite the Quran (properly) in a measured way.” [Quran, 73:4]
Also, the recitation with Tajwid is a followed sunna from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and from those who took from him to our present day.
Meaning
In the terminology of the reciters, Tajwid refers to the excellent performance of the letters of the Holy Quran and its words with clarity and precision, giving each letter its due rights and returning it to its proper outlet, taking care of the appropriate form in its pronunciation with its neighbors, the syntax of its phrases, and observing the temporal measures of its limits—all without excess or distortion, without exaggeration, or complexity, and other aspects that would repel the natural disposition and that hearts and ears would disdain.
Tajwid enables the reader and assists in the quality of reading the Quran, the beauty of its performance, and the protection of one’s tongue from errors (mistakes) during recitation. [Tawil, Madkhal fi ‘Ulum al-Qira’at]
Importance
Indeed, what has been transmitted about some companions distinguished in reciting the Quran leaves no doubt about the importance of the knowledge of Tajwid during the recitation of the Quran. For instance, Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud was given a great share in mastering the Tajwid and recitation of the Quran, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) loved to hear the Quran from him, which sometimes moved him to tears until the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever loves to recite the Quran freshly as it was revealed, let him recite it in the reading of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud).” [Ahmad]
And Allah (Most High) speaks the truth when He says:
“Those We have given the Book follow it as it should be followed. It is they who (truly) believe in it. As for those who reject it, it is they who are the losers.” [Quran, 2:121]
Abu Uthman al-Nahdi said: “Ibn Mas‘ud led us in the Maghrib prayer with ‘Qul huwa Allahu ahad’ (Surat al-Ikhlas), and by Allah, I wished he had recited Surat al-Baqara because of the beauty of his voice and his recitation.” [Ibn Jazari, al-Nashr fi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr]
Ibn Jazari says: “This is the sunna of Allah (Most High); reciting the Quran with correct Tajwid as it was revealed delights the ears and humbles the hearts, captivating minds and seizing hearts. It is a secret of Allah (Most High) bestowed upon whom He wills. Among our teachers, some without pleasant voices or knowledge of melodies still excelled in their performance and precise pronunciation. Their recitation delighted listeners, captivated hearts, and drew crowds from all walks of life, including both Arabic speakers and non-speakers. In contrast, those with beautiful voices and musical knowledge who deviated from Tajwid and precision were overlooked.” [Ibid.]
Some important insights on the Tajwid of the Quran that demonstrate its importance:
1. Devotion in Recitation
Just as one must be devoted to understanding the meanings of the Quran and observing its limits, one must also correct its words and establish its letters in the received form, without deviation or alteration. Those who refuse to learn from a knowledgeable teacher and persist in altering the words of the Quran are disobedient and sinful. Safeguarding the Quran’s letters from alteration is obligatory. Allah (Most High) addressed His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his umma, saying:
“And recite the Quran (properly) in a measured way.” [Quran, 73:4]
Emphasizing the action with its verbal noun, out of concern for it and reverence, to aid in contemplating the Quran and understanding it. This was also how the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) acted, as Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with her) described when asked about the recitation and prayer of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). She said:
“What do you know of his prayer? Then she described his recitation, and it was a recitation elucidated letter by letter.” [Nasa’i; Ahmad; Tirmidhi; ‘Aqila, al-Ziyada wa al-Ihsan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]
From Umm Salama’s description (Allah be pleased with her), we understand that the well-rendered recitation was also transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), just as the Quran was transmitted.
2. Preserved Sunna
Reflecting on the Prophet Muhammad’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) presentation of the Quran to Gabriel (peace be upon him), as related by ‘Aisha from what Fatima (Allah be pleased with her) told her:
“Gabriel used to review the Quran with him once every year. (He (Allah bless him and give him peace) added,) ‘But this year, he reviewed it with me twice, and therefore, I think that my time of death has approached.’” [Bukhari]
Coupled with what was narrated about his recitation to Ubay Ibn Ka‘b, as reported by Anas Ibn Malik: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Ubay Ibn Ka‘b,
“Indeed, Allah has commanded me to recite to you: ‘Those who disbelieve were not…’ [Quran 98:1]” He asked, “Did He mention me by name?” He replied, “Yes.” Upon hearing this, Ubay wept. [Bukhari; Ahmad]
This clarifies why scholars emphasize learning Quranic recitation directly from knowledgeable teachers through oral transmission. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught Ubay Ibn Ka‘b the proper recitation and melodious delivery, establishing a sunna for teaching. The companions, and later the Followers and their successors, continued this practice, ensuring the Quran was transmitted accurately. Those who attempt to learn solely from books without a teacher have erred and may fall into serious error.. [Qadi ‘Iyyad, Ikmal al-Mu‘lim bi Fawa’id Muslim; Ibn Mulaqqin, al-Tawdih li Sharh al-Jami‘ al-Sahih; ‘Aqila, al-Ziyada wa al-Ihsan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]
Nawawi said in the explanation of the hadith of Ubay ibn Ka‘b mentioned earlier: “They differed on the wisdom of his recitation to Ubay, and the preferred view is that the reason is that the umma should emulate this in reading to those of mastery and virtue, and learn the etiquette of reading, and no one should disdain this.” [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim]
This means it should be a sunna for the nation to refine students’ reading with teachers, correct the pronunciation of letters from their articulation points, how to pronounce them, and so forth.
This is further confirmed by what Shaqiq Ibn Salama narrated: Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud addressed us and said, “By Allah, I took from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) seventy-odd Suras…” [Bukhari]
All this indicates that reading is a followed sunna.
3. Essence of Tajwid
Abu Amr al-Dani, one of the masters of Quranic recitation, points out that the intended Tajwid does not mean overarticulation in pronunciation; rather, Tajwid should be far from affectation and coercion in performance. He states:
“Tajwid is not about chewing the tongue, nor hollowing the mouth, nor twisting the jaw, nor trembling the voice, nor excessively elongating the stress, nor chopping the prolongation, nor buzzing the nasal sounds, nor constricting the ‘ra’ sounds—a reading that the natural disposition repels and the hearts and ears disdain. Rather, the correct reading is one that is easy, sweet, delightful, and gentle, which involves no chewing or locking, no coercion or affectation, no artifice or pretense, and does not deviate from the nature of Arab eloquence in any aspect of readings and performance.” [Ibn Jazari, al-Nashr fi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr]
4. Mastery through Practice
Reaching the proper level of Tajwid in the Quran requires more practice, training, and learning from those who excel in performance. The more the reader practices and disciplines themselves in the correct reading away from the pitfalls of affectation, the more they will achieve the desired level of Tajwid.
5. Types of Mistakes
Scholars have deemed reading without Tajwid as a mistake (error) and divided the mistake into:
- Lahn Jali (major errors);
- Lahn Khafi (minor errors).
A minor error is a defect in the pronunciation of words known only to scholars of recitation and masters of performance who have learned it from the scholars and refined it from the language of the performers. On the other hand, a major error is a manifest fault recognized by scholars of recitation and others, such as errors in grammatical inflection. [al-Mawsu‘a al-Quraniyya]
Summary
The wisdom of reading the Quran with Tajwid is that Tajwid is the adornment of the recitation, ensuring the rights and proper arrangement of letters, restoring each letter to its correct articulation point, and refining the pronunciation to its perfect form without excess or coercion. Reading with Tajwid captures attention, engages the heart with the Quran, and influences it, aiding in the contemplation of its meanings. Furthermore, reading the Quran with Tajwid is a response to the Prophet Muhammad’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) command to us, saying,
“Beautify the Quran with your voices.” [Ahmad]
This means enhancing your voice during recitation, for good speech is further beautified by a good voice, and undoubtedly, applying the rules of Tajwid has an effect in this regard.
If you find yourself weak in applying the rules of Tajwid mentioned by the scholars, it is advisable to adhere to a certified Quran teacher who can assist in this matter.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
