Tajweed rules for beginners, with examples

The first Tajweed rules most beginners learn are the four rules of Noon Sakinah and Tanween, the three rules of Meem Sakinah, Qalqalah, Ghunnah and the natural Madd. Each one describes how a sound changes in a particular position. They are learned best by listening to a teacher, reciting, and being corrected one rule at a time.

1. Noon Sakinah and Tanween

A Noon with a sukoon (نْ) or a Tanween (ً ٍ ٌ) is pronounced in one of four ways, depending on the letter that follows it.

• Izhar (clear): before the six throat letters ء ه ع ح غ خ the Noon is pronounced clearly, as in مَنْ آمَنَ.
• Idgham (merging): before the letters ي ر م ل و ن the Noon merges into the next letter. With ي ن م و it merges with a nasal sound (ghunnah), as in مَن يَقُولُ; with ل ر it merges without ghunnah, as in مِن رَّبِّهِمْ.
• Iqlab (changing): before ب the Noon changes to a light Meem sound with ghunnah, as in مِنۢ بَعْدِ.
• Ikhfa (hiding): before the remaining fifteen letters the Noon is hidden in a nasal sound, as in مِنْ قَبْلِ and أَنتُمْ.

2. Meem Sakinah

• Ikhfa Shafawi: before ب the Meem is hidden with ghunnah, as in تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ.
• Idgham Shafawi: before another م the two merge with ghunnah, as in لَهُم مَّا.
• Izhar Shafawi: before every other letter the Meem is pronounced clearly, as in لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ.

3. Qalqalah

The letters ق ط ب ج د make a slight echo when they carry a sukoon, remembered by the phrase قُطْبُ جَدٍّ. The echo is strongest when you stop on the letter, as at the end of قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ, read as أَحَدْ.

4. Ghunnah

A Noon or Meem with a shaddah (نّ مّ) is held with a nasal sound for about two counts, as in إِنَّ and ثُمَّ.

5. The natural Madd

A long vowel (ا after a fatha, و after a damma, ي after a kasra) is stretched for two counts when no hamza or sukoon follows, as in قَالَ. Longer Madd types come later, once this one is steady.

How to practise

1. Learn one rule at a time and find it in the passage you are already reading.
2. Listen to your teacher recite the example, then recite it back.
3. Ask for one correction per lesson and practise only that before the next one.
4. Record yourself and compare with the teacher's recitation, but let the teacher confirm the correction.

If letters and vowels are still unsure, Noorani Qaida comes first. When reading is steady, Quran reading with Tajweed applies these rules lesson by lesson. The Tajweed guide explains how feedback works, and this article shows how to turn a correction into practice.