Reciting the Quran with Correct Pronunciation

It is wâjib to make efforts in reciting the Quran with correct pronunciation (tajwîd) . It is a sin to display complacency and laziness in this regard. There are many rules of tajwîd . However, we will mention those that are necessary and simple. You should take extreme care in differentiating the following letters and pronouncing them correctly:

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is not read with a full mouth, but is read with a full mouth. is soft, while is hard. is read with a full mouth. is pronounced with the side of the tongue touching the left side of the jaw-tooth. It is wrong to pronounce it with the front teeth. It is necessary to practice pronouncing this letter repeatedly. is soft, while is hard. is read with a full mouth.

1. The following letters are always read with a full mouth:

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2. When there is a tashdîd ( ) on a noon and mîm , you should read it with ghunnah . In other words, read the letter through your nose to the extent that it takes to read an 'alif .

3. If a letter has a fat h ah ( ), kasrah ( ), or d ammah ( ) and there is no 'alif, wâw , or yâ after it; then do not read it by lengthening its pronunciation as is the habit of many girls. It is wrong to read it in this way. For example, it is wrong to read as , or as , or as . Wherever the 'alif, wâw , or yâ is written, do not shorten it. In short, you should be particularly careful in differentiating between shortening and lengthening.

4. The d ammah ( ) should be pronounced with a slight tinge of wâw , while the kasrah ( ) should be pronounced with a slight tinge of yâ .

5. If there is a sukûn on the nûn and it is followed by one of the following letters, then you should read it with ghunnah . The letters are:

Examples :

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6. Similarly, if any letter has two fat h ahs , two kasrahs , or two d ammahs whereby they produce the sound of a noon , and this letter is followed by any of the above mentioned 15 letters, then you should also read it with ghunnah . Examples :

You can search for similar examples.

7. If a nûn has a sukûn and it is followed by a râ or lâm , then that nûn is not pronounced and it becomes completely joined into the râ and lâm . For example,

8. Similarly, if any letter has two fat h ahs , two kasrahs , or two d ammahs whereby they produce the sound of a nûn , and this letter is followed by a râ , or lâm ; even then that nûn is not pronounced and it becomes completely joined into the râ and lâm . For example,

9. If there is a sukûn on a nûn and it is followed by a bâ, then that nûn will be pronounced like a mîm and ghunnah will also be made. For example,

will be read as

Similarly, if any letter has two fat h ahs , two kasrahs , or two d ammahs whereby they produce the sound of a nûn , and this letter is followed by a bâ , even then that nûn will be read as a mîm . For example,

will be read as

In some copies of the Quran, a small mîm is written above that letter, while other copies do not have it written. Whatever the case may be, this pronunciation will have to be followed wherever this is found.

10. If there is a sukûn on a mîm and it is followed by a bâ , then make ghunnah on that mîm . For example,

11. If a letter has two fat h ahs , two kasrahs , or two d ammahs and the letter following it has a sukûn , then in place of reading the two fat h ahs , one fat h ah will be read and the 'alif that is written will not be read, instead, the person will read a nûn that has a kasrah and join it to the letter that has got a sukûn . For example,

will be read as

Similarly, instead of reading two kasrahs , he will read one kasrah and join it with a nûn . For example,

will be read as

Similarly, instead of reading two d ammahs , he will read one d ammah and join it with a nûn . For example,

will be read as

In some copies of the Quran, a small nûn is written in-between the two letters. But if it is not written in any particular copy, this rule should still be followed.

12. If there is a fat h ah or d ammah on the râ , it should be pronounced with a full mouth. For example,

But if there is a kasrah below the râ , it should be pronounced lightly. For example,

If there is a sukûn on the râ , then look at the letter preceding it. If the preceding letter has a fat h ah or d ammah , then pronounce that râ with a full mouth. For example,

But if the preceding letter has a kasrah , then pronounce that râ lightly. For example,

There are certain places where this rule does not apply, however, you will not understand them now. In most places, the above-mentioned rules apply, therefore read them as mentioned.

13. If the lâm in

is preceded by a letter that has a fat h ah or d ammah , then pronounce the lâm with a full mouth. For example,

But if it is preceded by a kasrah , then pronounce the lâm lightly. For example,

14. Wherever you find a tâ marbûta ( ) whether it is written separately or joined to another letter, ( ) and you wish to stop at that tâ marbûta , then it will be pronounced as a hâ . For example,

will be read as

Similarly,

will also be read according to the above rule.

15. If a letter has two fat h ahs and you wish to stop at that letter, then an 'alif will be recited after that letter. For example,

will be read as

16. Wherever you find this sign ( ) in the Quran, you should elongate that word. For example, in the following word you should read the 'alif by adding several other 'alifs to it:

You should read the wâw by adding several other wâws to it:

You should read the yâ by adding several other yâs to it:

17. If you see any of the following signs, you should stop.

If you see any of the following signs, you should pause without breaking your breath. Thereafter, continue with your recitation.

If you see the following dots ( ) written twice in one verse, you have the choice of stopping at any one of the two places. You can stop at the first place and do not stop at the second place, or vice versa.

Where you see a ( ) written, do not stop over there. If any other signs are written anywhere, you have the choice of either stopping or not stopping. If there are two signs written, one above the other, then act according to the sign that is written on top.

18. When a letter has a sukûn and it is followed by a tashdîd , the first letter will not be read. For example, in the following words, the dâl will not be read:

In the following words, the tâ will not be read:

In the following words, the tâ ( ) will not be read:

In the following words, the tâ will not be read:

In the following words, the qâf will not be read:

However, if this letter which has a sukûn is a nûn , or is pronounced as a nûn on account of two fat h ahs , two kasrahs , or two d ammahs ; and the following letter is a yâ or wâw which has a tashdîd ; then in such a case, a tinge of the nûn will remain in the pronunciation and the sound of the nûn will be created from the nose. For example:

19. In Sûrah Hûd , verse 41, the kasrah on the letter râ in the following word will not be pronounced like other râs . Instead, it will be pronounced with 'imâlah . 'Imâlah means to pronounce an 'alif so that its sound resembles the sound of a yâ and to pronounce a fat h ah to resemble the sound of kasrah . The word is:

20. In Sûrah al- H ujurât , verse 11, the letter sîn in the following words is not joined to any letter and the lâm following it is joined to the next sîn . Based on this,

is read as:

21. In Sûrah Âl ‘Imrân , verse 1, the mîm is joined to the lâm and when pronounced will produce the sound "mîmal" . It is wrong to pronounce it as "mîm mal" . The words are:

22. There are certain places in the Quran, which are pronounced in a certain way and in other situations they are pronounced in another way. You should bear these places in mind. Extract these places from the Quran and teach them to the girls and womenfolk. They are:

(a) Wherever the word ( ) appears in the Quran, the 'alif that follows the nûn is not pronounced. Only the first 'alif and the nûn is pronounced. It is read in this way:

(b) In Sûrah al-Baqarah , verse 245, the word is written with a s âd but pronounced as a sîn . In most copies of the Quran, a small sîn is written above the s âd . Even if it is not written, the sîn should still be pronounced. Similarly, in Sûrah al-'A'râf , verse 69, the word is written with a s âd but pronounced as a sîn .

(c) In Sûrah Âl ‘Imrân , verse 144, in the word an 'alif is written after the fâ , however, this 'alif is not pronounced. This word is read as:

(d) In Sûrah ‘Âl ‘Imrân , verse 158, in the words

the 'alif after the first lâm is written, but only one 'alif is pronounced in the following way:

(e) In Sûrah al-Mâ'idah , verse 29, in the word the 'alif is written after the hamzah , but not read. Instead, it is read in the following way:

(f) In Sûrah al-'A'râf , verse 103, in the word an 'alif is written after the lâm . This 'alif is not read. Wherever else in the Quran this word may appear, it will not be read. Instead it will be read as:

(g) In Sûrah at-Taubah , verse 47, in the word an 'alif is written after the lâm 'alif ( ), however, this 'alif is not read. Instead it is read as:

(h) In Sûrah Hûd , verse 68, in the word an 'alif is written after the dâl , but it is not read. Instead, it is read as:

Similarly, in Sûrah an-Najm , verse 51, in the same word, an 'alif is written after the dâl but not read.

(i) In Sûrah ar-Ra'd , verse 30, in the word an 'alif is written after the wâw , but not read. Instead, it is read as:

(j) In Sûrah al-Kahf , verse 14, in the word an 'alif is written after the wâw , but not read.

Similarly, in Sûrah al-Kahf , verse 23, in the word an 'alif is not read. Instead, it is read as:

(k) In Sûrah al-Kahf , verse 38, in the word an 'alif is written after the nûn , but not read. Instead, it is read as:

(l) In Sûrah an-Naml , verse 21, in the word an 'alif is written after the lâm , but not read. Instead, it is read as:

(m) In Sûrah as- S âffât , verse 68, in the word two 'alifs are written after the first lâm . However, only one of the two 'alifs is read. It is read as:

(n) In Sûrah Mu h ammad , verse 4, in the word an 'alif is written after the wâw , but not read.

Similarly, in verse 31 of the same sûrah , in the word an 'alif is written after the wâw , but not read.

(o) In Sûrah ad-Dahr , verse 4, in the word an 'alif is written after the second lâm , but not read. Instead, it is read as:

Similarly, in verse 15 and 16 of the same sûrah , the word has been mentioned twice and in both places an 'alif has been written after the second râ . Most of the people reading these words, stop at the first word and do not stop at the second word. When reading in this manner, the rule is that the 'alif should be pronounced when reading the first word, and should not be pronounced when reading the second word. If someone does not stop at the first place, but stops at the second place, then even in this second place he should not pronounce the 'alif . That is, irrespective of whether he stops at the second place or not, the 'alif will not be read. If he stops at the first place, he must pronounce the 'alif , if not, he must not pronounce it.

Note : At the beginning of Sûrah at-Taubah, Bismillâ h ir Ra h mânir Ra h îm is not written. The rule with regard to this is that if someone is reciting the verses before this sûrah and intends to continue reading, then upon reaching the beginning of this sûrah , he should not read Bismillâh . That is, he should commence this sûrah without reading Bismillâh . However, if a person commences his recitation at this sûrah , or recites a part of it, stops reciting and thereafter recommences with his recitation; then in both these cases he must read Bismillâh .

Special advice to the teacher : Teach all these rules one after the other, and teach them over several days by applying them in quarter juz or half juz at a time. Also ensure that the students practice on them.

things that are utilised in this world, there is nothing better than a pious woman. In other words, if a person is fortunate enough to get a pious wife, it will be a great blessing. It is also a mercy from Allah Ta'âlâ that she is actually a comfort for the husband and a means for his success in this world and in the hereafter. A person enjoys comfort from such a woman for his worldly needs and she also assists him in fulfilling his religious duties.

2. It is mentioned in a H adîth that Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: "Marriage is my way and my sunnah ." "The one who does not act upon my sunnah is not of me." That is, there is no relationship between him and me. This is actually a warning and a threat to the one who does not practice on the sunnah and a mention of Rasûlullâh's s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam anger on such a person. It is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious in this regard. Furthermore, how can a Muslim bear to have Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam displeased with him for even a moment. May Allah Ta'âlâ grant us death before that day comes when a Muslim is able to bear the displeasure of Allah and His Rasûl s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam .

It is mentioned in a H adîth that Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: "Marry so that I can be proud (of your numbers) on the day of judgement over the other nations." In other words, Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam likes his 'ummah to be in large numbers and more than the other nations. If this happens, his 'ummah will be carrying out more good deeds, and in so doing he will receive more rewards and gain closer proximity to Allah Ta'âlâ. This is because whoever from his 'ummah does good deeds, does so through his teachings. Therefore, the more people who act on his teachings, the more reward he will receive for conveying those teachings. We also learn from this that whenever and however possible, we should undertake to carry out those tasks and actions that will take us closer to Allah Ta'âlâ, and that we should not display any laziness in this regard.

It is mentioned in a H adîth that on the day of judgement the people will be standing in 120 lines. Out of these, 40 lines of people will be from the other nations while 80 lines of people will be from the 'ummah of Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam . Glory be to Allah! How beloved Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is to Him.

The one who is able to (fulfil the rights of a wife) should marry. As for the one who does not have sufficient wealth (to fulfil the rights of a wife), he should fast. That is, he should fast so that there will be a decrease in his desires. Fasting is actually a means of curbing his desires. If a person does not have a very dire need for women, and instead has an average need, and he is able to pay for her basic necessities, then nikâh is sunnat-e-mu'akkadah for such a person. As for the person who has a very urgent need, nikâh will be far d upon him. This is because there is a fear that he will commit adultery and thereby get the sin of committing a h arâm act. If a person has a very urgent need but is financially incapable of maintaining a wife, then such a person must fast abundantly. Later, when he has sufficient funds to maintain a wife, he must get married.

3. It is mentioned in a Hadith that children are the flowers of jannah . This means that the amount of joy and happiness one will experience on seeing the flowers of paradise, that same amount of joy and happiness is experienced when he looks at his children. And we know fully well that children can only be obtained through marriage.

4. It is mentioned in a H adîth that when the status of a person is increased in jannah , he asks out of wonder: "How did I receive all this?" (That is, "How did I receive such a high status when I hadn't carried out so many good deeds to deserve such a status?") It will be said to this person that this high status is on account of your children asking for forgiveness on your behalf. In other words, your children had asked for forgiveness on your behalf. In return for that, you have been accorded this status.

5. It is mentioned that the child who is born out of a miscarriage (i.e. it is born before the due date) will "fight"(wrangle) with its Creator when its parents are entered into jahannam . In other words, this child will go to extremes in interceding on behalf of its parents and will ask Allah Ta'âlâ to remove its parents from jahannam . Through His bounty, Allah Ta'ala will accept the intercession of this child and He will be soft and lenient towards it. It will be said to this child: "O siq t (which means, miscarried foetus) who is quarrelling with its Lord! Enter your parents into jannah ." So this child will draw its parents out of jahannam with its navel cord and enter both of them into jannah . We learn from this, that children of this sort, who are actually a by-product of marriage, will also be of help in the hereafter.

6. It is mentioned in a Hadith that when the husband and wife look at each other (with love), Allah Ta'âlâ looks at both of them with mercy.

7. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah Ta'âlâ has taken it upon Himself (i.e. out of His mercy, He as taken the responsibility) of helping the person who gets married in order to attain purity from that which Allah has made h arâm . In other words, the person who marries in order to save himself from adultery with the intention of obeying Allah Ta'âlâ, Allah will help and assist him in his expenses and other affairs.

8. It is mentioned in a H adîth that two rak‘ats of s alât performed by a married person is better than 82 rak‘ats performed by an unmarried person. In another Hadith, 70 rak‘ats have been mentioned instead of 82 rak‘ats. It is possible that this means that 70 rak‘ats are written in favour of the person who fulfils the necessary rights of his wife and family, and that 82 rak‘ats are in favour of the person who apart from fulfilling their necessary rights, serves them more with his life, wealth and good habits.

9. It is mentioned in a H adîth that it is a major sin for a person to be neglectful with regard to those whom he is responsible for (and to have shortcomings in fulfilling their needs).

10. It is mentioned in a H adîth that Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: "I have not left behind any test and tribulation on men more harmful than women." In other words, of all the things that are harmful for men, women are the most harmful. This is because, out of his love for a woman, a man loses all his senses, so much so that he does not even take the commands and orders of Allah Ta'âlâ into consideration. Therefore, a person must not fall in love with a woman in such a way that he has to act contrary to the Sharî‘ah . For example, her demands for her food and clothing are more than what the husband can afford. In such circumstances, never accept any bribes in order to supplement your present income. Instead, give her from the h alâl earnings which Allah Ta'âlâ has blessed you with. You should continue teaching your womenfolk and inculcate respect and good manners in them. Do not allow them to become impudent and disrespectful. The intellect of women is deficient, it is therefore incumbent to take special measures in reforming them.

11. It is mentioned in a H adîth that you should not propose to a girl when your fellow Muslim brother has already proposed to her until he gets married or gives up this proposal. In other words, when a person has sent a proposal to a particular family and there is a likelihood of their replying in the affirmative, another person should not send a proposal to that same family. However, if they reject this first person, or he himself changes his mind, or they are not too happy with him and are still hesitant in giving a reply, it will be permissible for another person to send a proposal for the same girl.

The same rule applies to the transactions of buying and selling. That is, if a person is busy buying or selling something, then as long as they do not separate or abandon the transaction, another person should not enter into their transaction and should not offer a price above or below that which has been already offered when there is an indication that they are about to come to an agreement. Understand this well, and know that a kâfir is also included in this rule.

12. It is mentioned in a Hadith that a woman is either married because of her Dîn , her wealth or her beauty. Choose the one with Dîn , may your hands become dusty. In other words, a man may prefer a woman who is religiously inclined. While another may prefer one who is wealthy. While yet another may prefer one who is beautiful. However, Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that one should choose a religiously inclined woman and that it is preferable to marry such a woman. However, if the circumstances are such that a woman is very pious but at the same time she is so ugly that one's nature does not find her acceptable and there is a fear that if he marries such a woman there will be no mutual understanding between them, and that he will be neglectful in fulfilling her rights, then in such a case he should not marry such a woman. "May your hands become dusty" is an Arabic mode of expression which is used on different occasions. In this context, it is meant to create a yearning and a desire for a pious woman.

13. It is mentioned in a H adîth that the best wife is one whose mahr is very simple. That is, it is very easy for the man to fulfil her mahr . These days, there is the habit of specifying a very high mahr . People should abstain from this.

14. It is mentioned in a H adîth that you should look for a good place for your sperms because a woman gives birth to children that resemble her brothers and sisters. In other words, marry a woman who comes from a pious and noble family because the children generally resemble the maternal relations. Although the father also has some influence over the child's resemblance, we learn from this H adîth that the mother's influence is greater. If the wife is from a disreputable and irreligious family, the children who will be born will be similar to that family. But if this is not so, then the children who will be born will be pious and religious.

15. It is mentioned in a H adîth that the greatest right that a woman has to fulfil is to her husband, and that the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. In other words, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam the woman has a very great right to fulfil to her husband, so much so that the husband's rights supersede the rights of her parents. As for the man, after the rights of Allah and His Rasûl s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam , the greatest right that he has to fulfil is to his mother. We learn from this that the right of the mother supersedes that of the father.

16. It is mentioned in a H adîth that if anyone of you wishes to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife, he should recite the following du‘â :

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The virtue of this du‘â is that if a child is conceived through this intercourse, shay t ân will not be able to harm this child in any way.

17. There is a lengthy H adîth in which Rasûlullâh s allallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam addressed ‘Abdur Ra h mân bin ‘Auf ra d iyallâhu ‘anhu asking him to have a walîmah even if it is with one sheep. In other words, even if you possess very little, you should spend. It is preferable to have the walîmah after engaging in sexual intercourse with one's bride. However, many ‘ulamâ have permitted it immediately after the nikâh as well. It is musta h ab to have a walîmah .