Tajweed for beginners: the first five rules to learn

Tajweed means reciting the Quran with each letter given its proper right: pronounced from its correct place, with its correct qualities, and following the rules that apply when letters meet. It is how the Quran has been recited and passed down from teacher to student.

If you can already read Arabic script slowly, you are ready to start. Below are the five areas most teachers cover first. Learn them in this order and your recitation will improve noticeably within weeks.

Rule 1: Makharij – where each letter comes from

The makharij (articulation points) are the places in the mouth and throat where each letter is produced. Getting these right comes before every other rule, because a wrongly pronounced letter can change a word's meaning.

Scholars group the articulation points into five main areas:

1. Al-Jawf (the empty space of the mouth and throat) – the madd letters.
2. Al-Halq (the throat) – ء ه ع ح غ خ.
3. Al-Lisan (the tongue) – the largest group, including ق ك ج ش ي ل ن ر ط د ت and more.
4. Ash-Shafatan (the lips) – ف ب م و.
5. Al-Khayshum (the nasal passage) – where ghunnah (nasal sound) is produced.

Beginners often confuse pairs such as ح and ه, ع and ء, ق and ك, or س and ص. Practising these pairs slowly, with a teacher listening, is the fastest way to fix them.

Rule 2: Noon saakin and tanween

A noon saakin is a noon with a sukoon (نْ). Tanween is the double vowel at the end of a word (ـًـٍـٌ), which sounds like an extra noon. Both follow the same four rules, depending on the letter that comes next.

Izhar (clear pronunciation)

Before the six throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ, the noon is pronounced clearly, with no extra nasal sound. Example: مَنْ آمَنَ.

Idgham (merging)

Before the six letters ي ر م ل و ن (remembered as يَرْمَلُونَ), the noon merges into the next letter.

• With ghunnah before ي ن م و – for example مَن يَقُولُ.
• Without ghunnah before ل ر – for example مِن رَّبِّهِمْ.
• Exception: when the noon and the letter are in the same word, there is no idgham, as in دُنْيَا.

Iqlab (changing)

Before ب, the noon sound changes into a hidden meem with ghunnah. Many Mushafs mark this with a small meem. Example: مِنۢ بَعْدِ.

Ikhfa (hiding)

Before the remaining 15 letters, the noon is partly hidden: the tongue does not fully pronounce it, and a ghunnah of about two counts is made. Example: مِن قَبْلِ, أَنتُمْ.

Rule 3: Meem saakin

A meem saakin (مْ) has three rules, all involving the lips:

• Ikhfa shafawi before ب – the meem is lightly hidden with ghunnah, as in تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ.
• Idgham shafawi before another م – the two meems merge with ghunnah, as in لَهُم مَّا.
• Izhar shafawi before all other letters – the meem is pronounced clearly, as in هُمْ فِيهَا. Take extra care before و and ف, where beginners often hide it by mistake.

Rule 4: Qalqalah – the echoing letters

The five qalqalah letters are ق ط ب ج د, often remembered by the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ. When one of these letters has a sukoon, it is pronounced with a slight bounce or echo so the sound is not swallowed.

• Minor qalqalah – the letter is saakin in the middle of a word, such as يَقْطَعُونَ (the ق).
• Major qalqalah – the letter is at the end of a word where you stop, such as stopping on أَحَدْ or الْفَلَقْ. The echo is clearer here.

A common mistake is adding a full vowel, so أَحَدْ becomes "ahada". The bounce should be short and not lean towards any vowel sound.

Rule 5: Madd – lengthening the vowels

Madd means stretching a vowel sound. Length is measured in counts (harakat), roughly the time it takes to fold or unfold a finger at a steady pace.

Natural madd (madd tabi'i)

This is the base of all madd and lasts two counts. It happens with the three madd letters: alif after a fatha (بَا), waw saakin after a damma (بُو) and ya saakin after a kasra (بِي).

Longer madds to learn next

• Madd muttasil – a madd letter followed by a hamzah in the same word, such as جَاءَ. Lengthened to 4 or 5 counts in the common Hafs recitation.
• Madd munfasil – a madd letter at the end of one word and a hamzah at the start of the next, such as يَا أَيُّهَا. Lengthened according to the recitation style your teacher follows.
• Madd lazim – a madd letter followed by a permanent sukoon or shaddah, such as الضَّالِّينَ. Always six counts.
• Madd 'arid lis-sukoon – when you stop on a word after a madd letter, such as الْعَالَمِينْ. Two, four or six counts are allowed, kept consistent.

How to practise these rules effectively

1. Learn one rule at a time and find examples in Surah al-Fatiha and the short surahs of Juz Amma.
2. Listen to a well-known reciter and follow along in your Mushaf.
3. Read aloud daily, even for ten minutes, rather than once a week.
4. Recite to a qualified teacher who can correct you verse by verse.

That last point matters most. Tajweed is an oral tradition, and a teacher hears mistakes you cannot hear yourself. If you still need to build reading fluency first, start with our Quran reading course or read what Noorani Qaida is.

Learn Tajweed online, one-on-one

Our online Tajweed classes are live, one-on-one lessons on Zoom or Skype with male and female teachers, scheduled in your own time zone across the UK, USA and Australia. Adults returning to the Quran may also find our guide on learning Quran as an adult helpful.

Frequently asked questions