Tajweed can sound intimidating at first, with Arabic terms and long lists of rules. The good news is that a handful of basic rules cover a large part of what you read on every page of the Quran. Learn these well, and your recitation will immediately sound clearer and more correct.
In this guide we explain five foundational tajweed rules in simple English, with examples you can practise today.
What is tajweed?
The word tajweed comes from an Arabic root meaning “to make better” or “to do well”. In Quran recitation it means giving every letter its right: pronouncing it from its correct place in the mouth or throat, with its correct qualities, and applying the rules that govern how letters affect each other.
Rule 1: Noon sakinah and tanween
A noon sakinah is a noon with a sukoon (نْ). Tanween is the double vowel mark (ـً ـٍ ـٌ) that sounds like a noon at the end of a word. What happens to this “n” sound depends on the letter that comes after it. There are four cases:
- Izhar (clear). Before the throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ, pronounce the noon clearly. Example: مِنْ خَوْفٍ.
- Idgham (merging). Before the letters of the word يَرْمَلُون (ي ر م ل و ن), the noon merges into the next letter. With ي ن م و it merges with a nasal sound (ghunnah), as in مَن يَقُولُ. With ل and ر it merges without ghunnah, as in مِن رَّبِّهِمْ.
- Iqlab (changing). Before ب, the noon turns into a light meem sound with ghunnah. Example: مِنۢ بَعْدِ.
- Ikhfa (hiding). Before the remaining 15 letters, the noon is half-hidden with a nasal sound. Example: مِن قَبْلِ.
Rule 2: Meem sakinah
A meem with a sukoon (مْ) has three cases:
- Ikhfa shafawi. Before ب, the meem is lightly hidden with ghunnah, as in تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ.
- Idgham mithlayn. Before another م, the two meems merge with ghunnah, as in لَهُم مَّا.
- Izhar shafawi. Before every other letter, pronounce the meem clearly, especially before و and ف.
Rule 3: Ghunnah on noon and meem with shaddah
Whenever you see a noon or meem with a shaddah (نّ مّ), hold the nasal sound for about two counts. Examples: إِنَّ and ثُمَّ. This small pause gives the recitation its characteristic beauty, and skipping it is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Rule 4: Qalqalah (the echo)
Five letters make a slight bouncing or echo sound when they carry a sukoon: ق ط ب ج د, easy to remember with the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ. The echo is stronger when you stop on the letter at the end of a verse, as in اللَّهُ أَحَدْ and بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقْ.
Rule 5: Natural madd (stretching)
When alif follows a fatha, waw sakinah follows a damma, or ya sakinah follows a kasra, the vowel is stretched for two counts. Examples: قَالَ, يَقُولُ, قِيلَ. This is called madd tabee’i, the natural stretch, and it is the foundation for all the longer madd rules you will learn later.
How to practise these rules
- Start with short surahs. Juz Amma has examples of every rule above in just a few lines.
- Listen before you read. Follow a well-known reciter slowly, verse by verse, and copy the sounds.
- Focus on one rule a week. Mark examples of it in your mushaf with a pencil and practise them daily.
- Get corrected. Reading alone, it is easy to repeat a mistake without noticing. A teacher who hears you catches it immediately.
Learn tajweed with Telawah Academy
Our qualified teachers take you through tajweed rule by rule in one-to-one online classes, with plenty of practice and correction, at times that suit your schedule.
Book your free trial class. Message us on WhatsApp: +20 10 42642933
حسّن تلاوتك مع أحكام التجويد، الحصة الأولى مجانية.
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