Arabic Basics Tajweed

7/29/2019 Arabic Basics Tajweed

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[73:4] ...and recite the Qur'aan clearly with Tarteel (in a distinct and measured

tone).

The word Tajweed linguistically means 'proficiency' or 'doing something well'. When applied to the Qur'an, it means

giving every letter of the Qur'an its rights and dues of characteristics when we recite the Qur'an and observing the rulesthat apply to those letters in d ifferent situations. We give the letters their rights by observing the essential characteristicsof each letter that never leave it. And we give them their dues by observing the characteristics of each letter that arepresent in them some of the time and not present at other times.

The Qur'an was revealed with Tajweed rules applied to it. In other words, when the angel Jibrael ((AS)) recited thewords of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) he recited them in a certain way and he showedthe Prophet Muhammad (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) the ways in which it was permissible to recite the Qur'an. So it isupon us to observe those rules so that we recite it in the way it was revealed.

Arabic Alphabets

Arabic language has 28 basic alphabets which take d ifferent shapes depending on the positioning within the word itselfi.e. it may have a d ifferent form if used as a first, middle or last letter. Some le tters can be combined with the next letterwhile other can't be combined and have to be written by themselves. All basic Arabic letters are consonants. Thefollowing table summarises all letters, their shapes (as isolated, or when used in the beginning, middle or end of theword), basic pronunciation and transliteration.

Letter Sound Transliterat ion End Middle Beginning Isolated (Original) Form

alif

b b

t tth th (also )

jm j

h

kh kh

dl d

dhl dh (also )

r r
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z z

sn s

shn sh (also )

d

d

ayn

ghayn gh

f f

qf q

kf k

lm l mm m

nn n

h h

ww w/ / aw

y y/ / ay

Hamza: The 29th letter?

Hamza (Arabic: , (al-)hamz ah) ( ) is a letter in the Arabic alphabet, representing the glottal stop []. Alif doesn'thave a sound of its own but when you say "Aaa" its actually Hamza (and Fatha on top) which is making the sound.Hamza can also be on top of Yaa and Waw.

Where the letters are pronounced f rom?


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Commonly mispronounced letters

The following table groups letters which are commonly mispronounced due to lack of knowledge of Tajweed, pleasekeep these sets in mind and note that they must sound distinct and different from each other and a note has beenplaced to indicate the part of human vocal system where the sound originates from.

Let ter Sound Let ter Sound Sound Let ter

ayn alif

(Full mouth)

d sn th

h (chest) (deep throat)

ghayn kh

d dl

z dhl

kf qf

Three (3) Short Vowels

The short vowel-marks enable the letter to make a sound in a similar way to the English language. In the same way aword cannot be made in the English language without one of the 5 vowels (a, e, i, o or u), in Arabic one cannot make aword without a vowel being used. In case of Alif a "Hamza" is used and then the short vowel is placed on top of it. Thesound is a single beat and no further elongation is required.

Arabic let ter with Short Vowel

Kasrah Fatha Damma Short Vowel Name

Bottom Top Top Short Vowel placement

i a u Short Vowel Sound

The "i" in sit The "a" in ba The "u" in put Similar English Sound


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Letter with Kasrah Lett er with Fatha Letter with Damma Isolated (Original) Form

Arabic Alphabet Song

Three (3) Long Vowels

In order to make the sound longer a letter is inserted after the letter upon which the vowel is placed and resulting sound


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is now longer and equal to the sound of one Alif. The length elongation is measured by either closing an open finger oopening a closed finger. The inserted letter has a Sukoon on it and in the illustration below we have shown the Sukoonbut it is sometimes omited (in writing). Note that Alif has no vowel on it!

Sukoon

This is a small circle which is placed on top of the letter to indicate "absence" of sound i.e. that letter doesn't make asound at all! The letter before it and after it will make a sound but not the letter upon which a Sukoon is placed e.g

Arabic let ter with LongVowel

Kasrah on the Letter andYaa added

Fatha on the Letter and Alifadded

Damma on the Letter andWawadded

Long VowelExplaination

Bottom Top Top Long Vowel placement

ea aa oo Long Vowel Sound

The "ea" in seat The "aa" in baa The "oo" in scoop Similar English Sound

Letter with Kasrah Lett er with Fatha Letter with Damma Isolated (Original) Form


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Au&Ae Sound

These two sound patterns are very common in the Qur'aan so we would like for you to practise these two sounds.Please note that these are also long sounds

Arabic lett er with Vowel & Lett er placement

Fatha and Yaa added Fatha and Waw added Long Vowel Used

Top Top Long Vowel placement

Ae Au Sound

Instructor to demonstrate sound Instructor to demonstrate sound Similar English Sound

Letter with Fatha & Yaa Added Lett er with Fatha & Waw Added Isolated (Original) Form


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Hamza with a vowel with Sukoon on it

The discussions above highlight that in order to make the sound of a vowel longer the following letters are employed:

When a Hamza is placed on top of these letters with a Sukoon, the sound will no longer be long i.e. the addition of thefollowing three a fter any of the le tters will no longer require e longation.

Double Short Vowels

The double vowel- marks signs are an extension of the single vowel-marks. The double vowel signs add the '- n' sounto the single vowel and it is called "Tanween"

Arabic let ter with double shortVowel

Kasrah- tain Fatha- tain Damma- tain Double short Vowel (Tanwin) ActualName


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Bottom Top

(An Alif is added and the vowel placedon top)

Top Double short Vowel placement

in un oo followed by an"n"

Double short Vowel Sound

The "in" insin

The "un" in funn The "un" in uno Similar English Sound

Letter with Kasrah-t ain Lett er with Fatha-t ain Letter with Damma-t ain Isolated (Original) Form


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Using the Hamza with Alif

As expla ined previously think of Hamza as a chair for Alif to put the double short vowel! Notice that in case of "Kasrah-tain" the Hamza is actually moved underneath Alif but sometimes it remains on top but the "Kasrah-tain" is moved belo

Alif and sometimes Hamza is above Alif and "Kasrah-tain" is beneath Hamz a but above Alif, all three methods ofwritings are valid.

Hamzatul-Qat'e

This regular hamza(t) at the beginning of a word is called the "disconnecting hamza(t)" . This is often an originletter and it must be pronounced always.

Hamzatul-Wasl

The other type of hamza(t) which lacks the sign is called the "connecting hamza(t)" . That one is never anoriginal letter and it is only pronounced when it is the first thing that comes out of the mouth. Arabs added this kind o fhamza(t) to some words for merely phonolog ical reasons, namely because they hated to start talking by pronouncing "still" letter, that is, a consonant that is not followed by any vowel. The connecting hamza(t) is somewhat similar to theFrench "liaison."

Exercise

Go to the alphabet table and place each of the double short vowels (Fatha-tain/Kasrah-tain/Damma-tain) underneath iand pronounce it.

Shadda (emphasis) or Tashdeed (sign of emphasis)

This is a small w which is placed on top of the letter to indicate that the letter is to be pronounced twice e.g

Exercise

Go to the alphabet table and place each of the Shadda underneath it and pronounce it twice.

Qalqalah

The following letters are pronounced with a slight (echo) vibrating sound at the end when the letter has a Sukoon or lettis assigned a Sukoon because of stopping.

Letter Sound Transliterat ion End Middle Beginning Isolated (Original) Form

b b

jm j

dl d


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qf q

Long Vowel: Alif Al-Madd

This is used to elongate the sound of a single short vowel i.e. the Alif is added to Fatha so sound goes from Fatha (a) t"aa" e.g.

Exercise

Go to the alphabet table and place Alif Al-Madd underneath it and pronounce it while elongating the sound of normalFatha.

Long Vowel: Yaa Al-Madd

This is used to elongate the sound of a single short vowel i.e. the Yaa is added to Kasrah so sound goes from Kasrah(i) to "ii" or "ee" e.g.

Exercise

Go to the alphabet table and place Yaa Al-Madd underneath it and pronounce it while elongating the sound of normalKasrah.

Long Vowel: Waaw Al-Madd

This is used to e longate the sound of a single short vowel i.e. the Waaw is added to Damma so sound goes fromDamma (u) to "oo" or e.g.

Exercise

Go to the alphabet table and place Waaw Al-Madd underneath it and pronounce it while elongating the sound of normaDamma.

Huroof Tafkheem (pronouncing with full mouth)

The following letters will always be pronounced with a full mouth and it doesn't matter which vowel is placed on them.

if the Tafkheem letter is followed by an Alif then the Alif must also be pronounced with a full mouth.

Exercise

( )

( )

( )

( )


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Huroof Maddah (or open letters)

Make the Madd equal to one Alif and it is measured according to the opening of 1 finger.

Waaw Saakin preceded by a Dammah

Alif preceded by a Fatha, (Khathi Zabar[Alif Maqsoorah]or Fathatain)

Yaa Sakin preceded by a Kasrah

Closed Letters

When there is no Madd and no signs of elongation, do not drag the letter and simply pronounce it.

( )

( )

Rule of Laam in the name of Allah (SWT)

If there is Damma or Fatha before or on the letter Laam then the letter is pronounced with a full mouth.


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If there is Kasrah on the letter before or on the letter Laam then the letter is pronounced with an empty mouth.

Rule ofRaa

If there is Damma or Fatha before or on the letter Raa or if there is Hamzatul-Waslbefore it then Raa is pronounced witha full mouth.

If there is Kasrah on the letter before or on the letter Laam or if Yaa is the previous letter then the Raa is pronounced wian empty mouth.

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Arabic Basics Tajweed