What Is the Ruling of Reciting the Tanwin?

Question: What is the ruling of reciting the tanwin, when stopping or continuing? Do mistakes in recitation invalidate the prayer?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

What is Tanwin?

Tanwin is the double vowel found at the end of words. For example:

Words that end in a double kasra (pronounced ‘in’)
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ – 90:4
Words that end in a double dhamma (pronounced ‘un’)
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ – 90:5
Words that end in a double fatha (pronounced ‘an’)
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا – 90:6

How is the Tanwin pronounced?

The Tanwin is pronounced similar to the letter Nun with a Sukoon on it.

Using the above examples, tanwin is pronounced as follows:
كَبَدِنْ – أَحَدُنْ – لُبَدَنْ

When Stopping

However, the tanwin (i.e. the nun sound) would only be pronounced when continuing to the next word. But if you stop on it, it is not pronounced.

Thus you will say Kabad, Ahad (as shown below).

كَبَدْ – أَحَدْ
If the word ends in a double fatha, it is read with an Alif when stopping (i.e. lubada instead of lubad as shown below).

لُبَدَا

[Reference; Al-Tajwid al-Musawwar: Shaykh Aiman Swayd]

Do mistakes in recitation invalidate the prayer?

Therefore, the reciter you mentioned is correct. However, your recitation does not invalidate your prayer. The later scholars have agreed that mistakes in the vowels of the Qur’an do not invalidate the prayer. This is because the majority of people cannot distinguish between the vowels [Hashiyah Ibn Abidin].

May Allah bless you
Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.