Al-Qaa’idah Al-Qur’aaniyah (An Introduction to Tajweed)

This is a guide for studying tajweed. The student who uses this book is expected to have a basic grasp of Arabic before starting this course. The student should know all the Arabic letters and vowels and be able to read at an elementary level.

This book is either for an English-speaking student studying the Qur’an in an Arabic environment, but needing explanation of the Arabic terms in English, or a student studying the explanations of tajweed in English, but learning the basic concepts in Arabic so they may integrate into the Arabic terms and definitions throughout the book, since the science of tajweed is an Arabic science. This book explains the articulation points of the Arabic letters, the rules of noon saakinah, meem saakinah, and lam saakinah. It explains all of the different lengths (mudood), and how voweled, and non-voweled letters are formed. The qalaqah mechanism is explained in the last chapter. Terms are introduced in Arabic, and the translated into English. Explanations are done in English, but with integration of Arabic terms, as they are learned.

A student of the Qur’an cannot expert to learn tajweed simply by studying this book. The learning of proper Qur’anic recitation can only be done by listening to a qualified Qur’an teacher recite, then reciting to them and receiving corrections from the teacher.