The Ruling on Learning Tajwīd

Theoretical and Practical Tajweed:

• Theoretical Tajweed: This refers to the knowledge of the rules and principles that regulate the correct performance of Qur'anic words. Learning this aspect is a collective obligation (Fard Kifayah). If some members of the Muslim community undertake it, the obligation is lifted from the rest, and those who do not learn it are not sinful.
• Practical Tajweed: This refers to applying the rules of Tajweed while reciting the Qur'an. The ruling on this depends on the definition of 'lahn' (errors) in Qur’anic recitation, as follows:

First: Major Lahn (Clear Error):

Definition: A mistake that affects the letters or vowel marks of the word.

Examples of Major Lahn include the following:

• 1. تبديل حرف بحرف كأن يجعل السين صادًا في كلمة: ﴿يَسۡطُونَ﴾ فتصير (يَصۡطُونَ)، ويجعل الزاي سينًا في كلمة يَصۡطُونَ ﴿ٱلرِّجۡزَ﴾ فتصير (ٱلرِّجۡسَ).
• 2. Omitting one or more letters,such as:
  • Omitting the ‘(و)’ from the beginning of ﴿وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ﴾ and reciting it as (إذ قال ربك).
  • Softening a doubled letter, like reading ﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ﴾ with a single ‘ي’.
  • ج. ‌حذف حرف المد كحذف الألف آخر كلمة ﴿مُوسَىٰٓ﴾ في قوله تعالى: ﴿رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ﴾ فيقرؤها: (رَبِّ مُوسَ وَهَٰرُونَ).
  • د. ‌إدغام اللام في بعض الحروف القمرية كالجيم، كما في الكلمات الآتية: ﴿ٱلۡجَنَّةَ﴾، ﴿ٱلۡجَمَلُ﴾، ﴿ٱلۡجَحِيمِ﴾. فيقرؤها خطأً هكذا: ﴿ٱلۡجَنَّةَ﴾، ﴿ٱلۡجَمَلُ﴾، ﴿ٱلۡجَحِيمِ﴾.
• 3. Adding extra letters,such as:
  • Adding a ‘(و)’ to the start of ﴿إِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا﴾ to read it as (وإن للمتقين مفازاً).
  • Prolonging a vowel until it becomes a madd letter, e.g., lengthening ﴿ثُمَّ﴾ to sound like (ثومَّ).
  • ج. ‌تشديد المخفف كأن يقرأ كلمة ﴿لَٰغِيَةٗ﴾ في قوله تعالى: ﴿لَّا تَسۡمَعُ فِيهَا لَٰغِيَةٗ﴾ بتشديد الياء، هكذا: (لاغيَّة).
• 4. Changing vowel marks, such as:
  • أ. ‌إبدال حركة بحركة، كضم التاء في كلمة: ﴿أَنۡعَمۡتَ﴾ في قوله تعالى: ﴿صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ﴾ فيقرؤها هكذا: (أَنۡعَمۡتُ).
  • ب. ‌تحريك الساكن، كتحريك ميم كلمة ﴿يَعۡلَمۡهُ﴾ في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَمَا تَفۡعَلُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ يَعۡلَمۡهُ ٱللَّهُ﴾ فيقرؤها هكذا: (يَعلمُه).

Ruling: It is strictly forbidden (haram) to intentionally commit this type of error. The reciter must learn Tajweed to correct such errors, and this becomes an individual obligation (Fard ‘Ayn). This is agreed upon by scholars.

Second: Minor Lahn (Hidden Error):

Definition: An error in recitation that affects the completeness of pronunciation or established norms of recitation, without affecting the structure, meaning, or grammar. It includes mistakes in rules such as nasalization (ghunnah), prolongation (madd), and nun sakinah rules.

Examples of Minor Lahn include the following:

• 1. ترك الغنة في حرف الميم المشدد حالة الوقف، كما في كلمة ﴿ٱلۡيَمّ﴾ من قوله تعالى: ﴿فَإِذَا خِفۡتِ عَلَيۡهِ فَأَلۡقِيهِ فِي ٱلۡيَمّ﴾. فتقرأ بدون غنة هكذا: ﴿ٱلۡيَمّ﴾.
• 2. ترك زيادة المدّ، كترك المد المتصل في كلمة: ﴿لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ﴾ في قوله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ﴾ فتقرأ هكذا: (لِلفُقَرَاءِ).
• 3. إظهار النون في موضع الإدغام، كما في قوله تعالى: ﴿فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ﴾ فتقرأ خطأً هكذا: (فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ).

Ruling: Scholars differ in opinion:

• - Forbidden: According to most early scholars, as it affects correct performance. Learning Tajweed to correct such errors is an individual obligation.
• - Disliked (Makruh): According to some scholars, since it does not affect meaning or structure but impacts the completeness of recitation. Thus, learning Tajweed to avoid such errors is obligatory for those who take a leading role in Quranic narration and performance but recommended for the public.

- Some scholars further differentiated: Clear and apparent errors in rules like ghunnah, madd and vibration in letter of qalqalah warrant accountability, while finer nuances known only to specialists—such as advanced pause rules and degrees of merging—are excused for the public but mandatory for experts.