What is tajweed?
The meaning of tajweed, the two kinds of recitation mistake (lahn jali and lahn khafi), and when to say the isti'adhah and the basmalah.
Tajweed means saying each letter of the Qur'an the right way: from the exact spot in your mouth or throat it comes from, with its own special sound. It's the set of rules for reading the Qur'an correctly and beautifully.
If you read the Qur'an in a way that breaks these rules, that's called a mistake, or lahn. There are two kinds.
| Kind | What it means | How serious |
|---|---|---|
| Lahn jali (clear mistake) | You change a letter, add or remove one, or change a vowel so the meaning of the word changes. | Haram: not allowed. It can even spoil your prayer. |
| Lahn khafi (hidden mistake) | The meaning doesn't change, but the recitation isn't as beautiful or correct as it should be. | Makruh: better to avoid, though not as serious. |
Tajweed literally means to beautify, refine, or perfect. In technical usage it refers to pronouncing each letter of the Qur'an from its correct point of articulation (makhraj) and giving it its proper qualities: the science that allows the letters and words of the Qur'an to be recited correctly and beautifully, following the rules of pronunciation.
اَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْاٰنَ تَرْتِيْلًا ٤ؕ
Wa rattili'l-Qurʾāna tartīlā
Or make it a little more than that and recite Quran slowly and thoughtfully.
Qurʼan 73:4, Al-Muzzammil, from Zujajah.org
Lahn refers to mistakes made in reciting the Qur'an, whether by reading it incorrectly or against the rules of tajweed. There are two kinds: lahn jali (a clear mistake) and lahn khafi (a hidden mistake).
| Kind | Definition | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Lahn jali (clear mistake) | The meaning of the words changes through mispronunciation: substituting one letter for another, adding or removing a letter, or altering the vowelling (zabar, zer, pesh) or a letter's pronunciation (as with jazm). | Haram, and in some cases can invalidate the prayer. |
| Lahn khafi (hidden mistake) | The meaning does not change, but the beauty and quality of pronunciation is affected: reciting contrary to the prescribed rules, though less seriously than lahn jali. | Makruh, and important to avoid even though it is not haram. |
Tajwīd, lexically, is to beautify, refine, or bring to perfection. Technically it denotes the pronunciation of each letter from its correct makhraj (articulation point) together with its due ṣifāt (qualities): the science governing the correct and beautiful recitation of the Qurʼān's letters and words according to the rules of pronunciation.
اَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْاٰنَ تَرْتِيْلًا ٤ؕ
Wa rattili'l-Qurʾāna tartīlā
Or make it a little more than that and recite Quran slowly and thoughtfully.
Qurʼan 73:4, Al-Muzzammil, from Zujajah.org
Laḥn denotes error in Qurʼānic recitation, whether from misreading or from departure from the rules of tajwīd, and divides into laḥn jalī and laḥn khafī.
| Kind | Definition | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Laḥn jalī (manifest error) | A change in the meaning of a word through mispronunciation: substituting a letter, adding or omitting one, or altering the ḥarakāt (zabar, zer, pesh) or a letter's realisation (as with jazm). | Ḥarām; in some cases sufficient to invalidate the ṣalāh itself. |
| Laḥn khafī (concealed error) | No change of meaning, but the beauty and correctness of the recitation are diminished: a departure from the prescribed rules that is less severe than laḥn jalī. | Makrūh: not ḥarām, but still to be guarded against. |
Terms on this page
Related
- The articulation points of the letters (makharij) The seventeen points in the mouth, throat and nose from which the twenty-nine Arabic letters are pronounced, and how to find a letter's own makhraj.
- Disliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call it The acts that make an adhan disliked, whose adhan does not count at all, and whose adhan counts but should ideally be repeated.
- The characteristics of the letters (sifat) The qualities of sound that distinguish letters sharing a makhraj: necessary and occasional, and the five pairs and seven single qualities among the necessary ones.
- The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah When lam and ra are pronounced heavy or light, how a silent mim and a silent nun behave before the next letter, the letters of prolongation, and two rules for hamzah.