بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
What is the Ruling on Learning and Teaching Tajweed?
By Shaykh Musaa’id
bin Sulaymaan bin Naasir at Tayyaar
Tajweed generally means to improve the recitation and not
make the recitation leave the limits of the Arabic language in pronunciation.
It can also be said: Tajweed is the description of the Prophetic recitation
where the way to recite and the memorization of it originates through the
Imaams of Recitation such as Imaam Naafi’, Imaam ‘Aasim, Imaam Kisaa’ee and
others.
These noble figures transmited these letters of the Qur’aan
and how to pronounce them (i.e. tajweed). There are two matters which are
closely bound and cannot be separated from each other. So whoever accepts the
letters from these Imaams also accepts the way they said them (i.e. tajweed).
So if this introduction is correct, then what these Imaams related to us
regarding the recitation of the Qur’aan and the way it was done is a Sunnah
that must be adhered to. It is not correct to differ in this or leave it except
if there is strong proof that goes against the sciences of Tajweed.
There has been a lot of talk about this Science (of Tajweed)
so I am going to mention something I see of benefit if Allaah Wills regarding
the origins of this Science which some of the the students of knowledge have
neglected and few have researched into the origins from the specialists. I say
the following, and with Allaah is success:
The Qur’aan was revealed in the Arabic language and there is a specific
way to pronounce the letters. There is no evidence that the Qur’aan differed in
pronouncing these letters. So whoever recites
الحمد as
الهمد is said to have
committed a major mistake because he has not pronounced it as the Revelation
was revealed. Whoever recites
أنعمتَ as
أنعمتُ has made a major mistake which changes the
meaning and he has not recited it as it was revealed. Therefore, a person who
recites the Qur’aan must know how to pronounce the Arabic letters in order not
to fall short in anything regarding the recitation of the Qur’aan. Perfecting
the letters from this angle is obtained by knowing the origins and
characteristics of the letters (makhaarij and sifaat). What is learned more
specifically in terms of the characteristics of the letters which have an
effect on pronunciation are the characteristics of whispering and audibility;
hardness, inbetween and softness; raised and lowered and shaking. As for the
other characteristics which do not affect pronunciation such as fluidity and
heaviness, they do not come into pronunciation and do not affect it. It should
be known that studying the origins and characteristics of letters are not only
specific to the Science of Tajweed but they are also studied in Grammar and
Linguistics. This is because any Arabic speech from the speech of the Arabs, or
the speech of the Messenger
صلى الله عليه وسلم or the Speech of Allaah, Subhaanahu, falls
within these two subjects. This is why you find that the greatest book on
grammar, Sibawayh’s
‘al Kitaab’ has a chapter on this issue. So someone who talks about the origins
of letters and their characteristics and what is linked to that regarding
merging letters (idghaam) they are dependent upon it. And those who try to
belittle this we say, ‘studying the origins and characteristics of the letters
is a must for all Arabic speech in order to pronounce it according to the
Arabic language.’
2.
Formal Written
Record
This Science of Tajweed is like all the Islamic Sciences in terms of the
first appearance of a written record on the subject. Not all questions relating
to the Islamic sciences appeared during the generation of the Sahaabah,
Taabi’een or their followers. Some sciences only appeared later and were
written down much later. Even if the fundamentals were known and preserved at
the time of the Salaf (Pious Predecessers) be it a part of their innate nature
and characteristic of their language like the science of Balaaghah (Rhetoric)
or some general matters where the science was formally recorded afterwards such
as the Science of Islamic Rulings. The Science of Tajweed was something which
was part of their innate nature and also something they learned. ‘Innate nature’
due to them being pure Arabs and ‘learned’ due to the saying of the Prophet
صلى الله عليه وسلم "Learn the recitation of Qur'an from four
peope: Ibn Mas`ud, Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Ubai and Mu`adh bin
Jabal."
So it appears that the Messenger صلى
الله عليه وسلم
did not restrict the matter to them knowing the Arabic language to read the
Qur’aan. He صلى الله عليه وسلم also directed them to read it according to
the way it was revealed and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever wants
to recite the Qur’aan freshly as it was revealed then recite it like Ibn Umm
‘Abd recites it.” (Meaning Ibn Mas’ood). This indicates that reciting the
Qur’aan was done in a specific way that some of the Companions were taught and
knew and others did not. This was in addition to them knowing the Arabic
language. If this was not the case then why were these four Companions along
with Ibn Mas’ood specifically singled out in the other hadeeth from the rest of
the Companions. Allaah Knows Best.
Whoever believes that you do not need to learn Tajweed and that the Arab
today is allowed to read in his natural Arabic (i.e. dialect) then he is like
someone who believes that people do not need to learn Arabic grammar and that
they can speak according to their natural knowledge of Arabic. So if someone says,
“the tongues of people (the Arabic language) have become corrupted after the
time of the Taabi’een and learning grammar has become a must for whoever wants
to know Arabic and that whoever believes today that he is an Arab and he does
not need to learn Arabic grammar then he is upon a baseless and false opinion.
If someone says, “the corruption of the Arabic language has led to the
corruption in them reading the Qur’aan”. This is a criticism of those who do
not see the need to study grammar and them being satisfied with their modern
Arabic language. This is also the case for those who think that he can read
Qur’aan according to modern day Arabic.
Then it can be said: “So where in your Arabic language does it say to
read according to the Riwaayah of Hafs ‘an ‘Aasim the word مجرها
with imaalah (fathah leaning towards yaa)?”
If he says, “Because this is according to the Riwaayah and I read
according to his Riwaayah.”
Then say, “Tajweed has been passed down from (Hafs ‘an ‘Aasim) which you
differ in and you do not see it as a science. So why do you accept part of his
Riwaayah (imaalah of the word مجرها) and leave the other tajweed rules? Isn’t
this as Tabaree said, “No one is incapable of it”.
3.
Oral Transmission
Some parts of the Science of Tajweed (the performance) cannot be learned
from books at all because it is an oral science. Oral means that one person
passes it verbally on to another and there is no room for opinions. It should
be known that what distinguishes the research of the skilled Qur’aan reciters
from what you find in the grammar books or the Arabic Language books is that
what the Qur’aan skilled reciters have is orally passed down to the present
day. As for what has been mentioned by Grammarians and Linguists in their
research regarding Arabic phonetics then we do not know how to pronounce it. As
it is something which is known by comparison and cannot be known except orally.
So a person can only pass on the written explanation of how to pronounce the
words.
4.
Ijtihaad
The Science of Tajweed is like the other Islamic Sciences where the
scholars of Islaam formally recorded and formulated the foundations of the
Islamic Sciences. This required research and discussion by the specialists in
that science. This occurred in two matters:
a.
Determining the lengths.
This means the lengths of ghunnah (nazalisation), mudood (lengthening the long
vowels), the pauses etc. These rules are measured according to vowel lengths,
counting on fingers or by any other means to measure a specific time period.
The fact that there is ijtihaad (independent reasoning) in this matter does not
mean that there is no origin for it. There is an origin for it but measuring
the lengths is something where differences occur due to different characters
and natures of the reciters and it is difficult to pinpoint. So someone
measures with this measure and someone else measures with that. This being the
case, all of them agree that there is an extra length beyond the natural
lengthening to pronounce a single letter. So their agreement upon the existence
of a cause for lengthening something is one issue and their differing in the
extent of its length is another. So a person should not use their differing in
the lengths of certain rules as a means for denying that there are additional
lengths of certain rules. The same way they should not make differing in
lengths binding upon the average person as long as they come with something
from the additional lengthening. Not every Muslim can reach perfection in
reciting the Qur’aan.
b.
Recording variations
(tahreeraat)
This means the permissible ways (awjuh) according to the reciters when
the different ‘Qiraa’aat’ Methods of Reciting are brought together; or when
reciting a surah and it is joined to the one after it. So what is mentioned
regarding the permissible variations occurs by way of qiyaas, analogical
reasoning and it does not meant that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
read with all these mentioned variations. For example, there are three ways
(awjuh) of joining Suratul Faatihah to Suratul Baqarah:
1.
Separate both – Read
Suratul Faatihah then stop. Read Suratul Baqarah.
ولا الضالينْ بسم
الله الرحمن الرحيمْ ألم
2.
Join both - Read Suratul
Faatihah without stopping and continue with Suratul Baqarah.
ولا الضالينَ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمِ ألم
3.
Separate Suratul Faatihah
and stop. Then join the basmalah with Suratul Baqarah.
ولا الضالينْ بسم
الله الرحمن الرحيمِ ألم
This is an example of Recording the
permissible ways of reciting which does not come from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Shaykh Dr. ‘Abdul Azeez bin ‘Abd al
Fattaah Qaaree in his great book “Hadeeth of the seven Ahruf Dialects”
(p129-130) indicated these two matters of ijtihad (tahreeraat and taqdeeraat).
5.
Total Global
Consensus about Tajweed Rules
Something to reflect and ponder upon regarding the continuous passing
down of this Science through the centuries is the total consensus from East to
West without any differing. This even includes how to lengthen the letters
which mostly falls under the realm of ijtihad. This consensus strongly shows
that this Science of Tajweed has a firm basis of being passed down generation
after generation from the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم until our present day. If the Science of Tajweed were from the
innovated matters it would have been split into many groups like the clearly
innovated Soofee Tareeqahs and differing texts. So because the Science of
Tajweed did not fall into this innovated differing it is known that the source
from which it originated was one and that from it the letters of the Qur’aan
were passed down from generation to generation.
6.
Extremist Elements
regarding Tajweed
Some people criticise the Science of Tajweed as a whole because of
certain extremist elements who go beyond the bounds in reciting, following the
teacher strictly or in proclaiming people to be sinful if they do not read with
the tajweed rules. This extremism should not cast doubts upon the foundations
of this Science, nor should it turn the Science into an innovated science with
no basis. These extremist types of people exist in every age and in every
country. They have been criticised by the founding scholars of recitation such
as ad Daanee (d. 444), Abul ‘Alaa’ al Hamdhaanee (d. 569) along with others.
We do not measure or judge the Science of Tajweed by these extremist elements.
Otherwise the other sciences of Grammar, Rhetoric, Fundamental Principles and
some matters of Fiqh, if we took the word of some of the extremist elements
within these sciences or some of the blind followers of their Madhhab, Schools
of Thought, very little of the Sciences would be safe and some of the Sciences
would no longer be considered a science. No student of knowledge would say this,
neither would any scholar who has practised his science and learned and taught
it.
7.
Following the Sunnah
of Reciting Qur’aan according to Ability
Based upon what has been said we can say that learning tajweed is a way
(sunan) which the Muslims have passed down from generation to generation and
whoever does not learn it when they have the ability has fallen short in
something of the way of recitation (sunan al qiraa’ah) and this is something
shameful in itself (‘ayb). As for leaving tajweed rules out being a mistake,
then mistakes fall into two well known categories among the specialists:
1.
Major Mistakes (Lahn Jalee)
where the mistake affects the structure of the word and takes it out of the
Arabic language. Whoever makes this type of mistake is not considered a reciter
of the Qur’aan and if he is someone who is able to learn and correct the
mistake he is sinful. As for someone who is not able to correct it then he is
not sinful due to the hadeeth of Aa’ishah who narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Such a person as recites the
Qur'an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in
Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur'an by heart, and
recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward." (Bukhaaree Vol.
6, Book 60, Hadith 459).
2.
Minor Mistakes (lahn
Khafee) are connected to perfecting the performance such as not holding the
ghunnah (nazalisation) or the number of stretching the long vowels. Saying that
someone is sinful for not practising these types of tajweed rules is difficult.
In conclusion, whoever recognises the validity of this
science and the correctness of its transfer from the Imaams of Recitation, then
how can he not learn it and practise it according to this way?
Footnotes:
