Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim,
Many Muslims know how to read the Quran. We’re taught in our childhood the alphabet of Arabic, and we go through the whole Quran once with a teacher. We memorize a few surahs from the last part of the Quran, and we leave it at that. Our excuses:
- I have done the minimum, I am not required to be an alem.
- I don’t have to read the Quran like an Arab, I read it in my own accent.
- If I am making a few mistakes in my reading, what does it matter? Allah said:
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
So fear Allah as much as you are able. [64:16]
So why should I study tajweed? Here are a few reasons:
- When Allah Azza wa Jall said, ‘Fear Allah as much as you are able’, He meant just that. Now we need to ask ourselves: how much are we able? Are we really, truly unable to make 15 minutes to learn how to read Allah’s Book properly?
- Consider the danger of mispronouncing words, and how heavy a matter it is. Have a look at the following:
| Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning |
| تِين | fig | طِين | clay |
| ذَليل | despicable | ظَليل | shadowy |
| سَبَّحَ | Swim, glorify | صَبَّحَ | come in the morning |
| أكْل | eating | عَقْل | intellect |
| قَلْب | heart | كَلْب | dog |
| سَبَّ | insult | صَبَّ | pour |
| رَكَدَ | stagnate | رَقَدَ | rest |
| قَصَدَ | intend | كَسَدَ | stagnate |
| دَرْب | path | ضَرْب | Beating |
| دَلَّ | guide | ضَلَّ | Be misguided |
| حَلَقَ | have a haircut | هَلَكَ | Be destroyed |
| بَعْد | after | بَعْض | some |
- Quran is not just any book in any language. It’s not like reading a book in English for a non-reader, where it doesn’t matter if you can pronounce the world in the English accent. Quran is the Word of Allah. It’s extremely precise, and must be handled with care.
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand. [12:2]
The Quran is in precise Arabic, and it must be read as it was read by the Prophet s.a.w.s.
- Learning tajweed in our times is much easier than it would have been if you were born in 1920. You can download apps on your phones and virtually carry your tajweed teacher around in your pocket. Understand Quran has made it even easier than that: After years of research our team of specialists came up with a scientific approach for you to learn to read the Quran in the most complete way. Check it out!
Consider it seriously, after Allah Azza wa Jall has made it so easy and accessible to us, do we still have any excuse?
- It might be scary to look at, but in fact tajweed is extremely easy. Who said so?
Allah Azza wa Jall Himself has said so, in no less than four places in the Quran:
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ
And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? [54:17]
Will you answer this call from Allah? Will you be among those who remember?
- If your answer to the above question is yes, congratulations! You have become the student of, not your tajweed teacher, not Understand Quran, but a student of ar-Rahman.
الرَّحْمَٰنُ o عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
The Most Merciful taught the Qur’an. [55:1-2]
People are proud to study at a renowned university. We flaunt our degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, we are overwhelmed when Harvard accepts our application. Consider this: is there any student in the world who is luckier than a student of Allah?
- It is extremely rewarding.
Imagine a beautiful, sparkling crystal jar. Now imagine you’re pouring some marvelous diamonds in it, how much more beautiful, sparkling, radiant does it get? Now imagine that precious piece of you – your heart, and how much more beautiful will it become by filling it up with Allah’s words, not rough stones but exquisite, refined diamonds.
There are many hadiths which highlight the lofty status of a student of the Quran. This is one of the most appealing:
The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others. [Bukhari]
Have a look at this article for more.
Tabassum Mosleh
