For those of us whose first language is not Arabic, learning the proper pronunciation of Arabic words can be difficult.
Tajweed helps understand the Qur’an. It teaches us how to use and pronounce Arabic words so we can perfectly recite the Qur’an.
While tajweed can be intimidating for a beginner, it doesn’t have to be.
I didn’t expect to learn tajweed so quickly when I started less than a year ago, so I’m sharing the tips that helped me.
Pray sincerely
Your intention matters when you seek knowledge as a Muslim. I think you want to learn tajweed so you can recite the Qur’an better.
When you know your intention, pray to the one who gave us the Qur’an to understand His words. As a Muslim, I must say this is the first step anyone learning tajweed should take. If Allah (swt) doesn’t grant you understanding, who will?
Before compiling a hadith, Imam Bukhari would pray two rakahs and seek Allah’s guidance (swt). You can see why we should seek knowledge from Him first.
Choose a Trustworthy Quran Teacher For Kids
Learning tajweed from a Muslim scholar has helped me. Like reading the Qur’an, you need someone to teach you tajweed, how to pronounce words, identify letter articulation, differentiate sounds, etc.
An instructor evaluates your progress, corrects your mistakes, and teaches you Arabic.
Instead of learning a foreign language on your own, enrol in an online tajweed course. A good course should be like having a teacher.
Read Slowly
You think English has many rules until you learn Arabic, where the rules are fewer but the phonology is complex.
Don’t try to master too much at once because of time or money. Too much information can be overwhelming, especially for non-native speakers.
My tajweed instructor had me recite Arabic alphabets to test my knowledge and pronunciation. I spent weeks perfecting my pronunciation of kha, ha, and (dha).
The beauty of learn Quran with tajweed rules one by one? It’s faster than learning everything at once.
After practising these alphabets, I could pronounce them correctly in the Qur’an. It also helped me understand tajweed’s articulation points and letter characteristics.
If you’re a tajweed beginner, don’t be shy. It’s the fastest way to learn tajweed.
Some Quran and Sunnah duas for protection
Learning with Arabic
When learning tajweed or Arabic in isolation, you need to hear how native speakers pronounce words.
As a non-Arab, I’ve had to find ways to hear Arabic speakers often. I listen to online Arabic radio stations.
Hearing an expert pronounce the alphabets will help you perfect your pronunciation. Because hearing something spoken is better than reading it.
Always practise with Tajweed in Kids Quran Classes
Practice makes tajweed classes and radio listening meaningful. Practice improves tajweed and Qur’an recitation with Quran classes for kids. After learning tajweed, use it in everyday conversation.
Try pronouncing “JazakAllah Khayran” with instead of “a” or “k” Use what you’ve learned as often as possible so you can get used to it.
Qur’an Learning For kids
I learned this from my teachers and an Arabic native speaker. Non-Arabs outside the Arab world practise tajweed with the Qur’an. The more you read the Qur’an, the better you pronounce its words.
Get a mus’haf with tajweed markings. In this mus’haf, the tajweed rules in each verse of the Qur’an are color-coded for beginners.
So, places where you should elongate an alphabet’s pronunciation are written in blue, while joining two alphabets is written in red.
These help you learn and practise tajweed rules.
Conclusion
Understanding tajweed to improve your Arabic and Qur’an recitation may seem daunting as a beginner, but you must remind yourself that it will earn you immense rewards, in sh’a Allah, and that what seems daunting becomes easy when you take the right steps in your quest for knowledge.
