The science of Tajweed can be divided into three main areas;
- Knowledge and correct application of the articulation points of the Arabic letters (known as makhaarij)
- Knowledge and correct application of the characteristics of the letters (known as sifaat)
- And knowledge of the rules to be applied to each letter when reciting based on the letter/s that precede it or come after it.
Therefore we can see that two thirds of Tajweed is based on perfecting the pronunciation of the letters of the Arabic alphabet. Even if someone doesn’t know the rules of recitation, understanding the knowledge of makhaarij and sifaat goes a long way towards improving your recitation and dramatically changes it. The only way to really acquire and master this knowledge is to study it under someone who is qualified (i.e. has an ijaazah in tajweed) as you can hear from them exactly how it should sound and they can listen to you and pinpoint the exact errors you are making on an individual basis and can direct you to how to rectify your mistakes. Native Arab speakers who have not studied Tajweed still make many mistakes in articulating the letters.
Perfecting makhaarij can take longer for some than others and most people find themselves struggling repeatedly with certain letters such as the letter ض which is without a doubt the most trouble-some letter for the majority of Qur’aan students. The key is to not give up and to practice as often as possible. Listen attentively to the qualified recitors we mentioned in a previous post, and pay attention to the sound of the letters. With time, hard work and du’aa, it will become easy for you InshaaAllaah.
We are currently working on a project to produce a poster in the English language that demonstrates visually the articulation points of the letters. We’re also working on translating a series of videos by the Eminent Shaykh Ayman Rushdi Swayd in which he discusses extensively the topic of makhaarij. We hope to make these available for all the readers of this blog InshaaAllaah very soon.
In the meantime, we have found some good material online that can help start you off. The first is a set of visual images similar to the ones we are working on for the poster.
Secondly, there is an excellent series of podcasts online by Khaled Bouchafaa on the makhaarij of the letters in English. These can all be downloaded and viewed from his website at the following link:
http://tajweedinenglish.com/watch-the-video/watch-the-video/watch-makharij-videos.html
There is also a good video on youtube that you can listen to and hear what the Arabic letters should sound like. Please note the order in which the letters have been recited in the video is not what you normally see and has been deliberately ordered in this way to group togethers of similar articulation points together.
Finally, here is a useful flash application designed by a brother. Please note though that the illustrations are incorrect for the following letters; ج , ح , د , ر , ش , ص , ض , ط , ظ , ع , ك