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Islamic Center of the East Valley

Tajweed Class Details

(Brothers only)

For Registration please go ICEV.ORG

Topics

- Introduction to Tajweed

- Noon Sakinah wa Tanween overview

- Mudd rules

-Makharj Haroof

- The Sifaat of the letters

- Comprehensive course followed by a review session and test

• One on one session with sheikh to learn right way to pronounce the letters ( Makharaj) and perfect

reading.

• learning material will be provided

Class Timing: Every Friday

• Maghreb to 7:00PM- Quran reading Tajweed Practice

• 7:00 pm Learn Tajweed rules with Imam

Sisters Fiqh and Tajweed classes offered separately every Friday, Maghrib to Isha.
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The Sifaat of the letters (‫اﻟﺤﺮوف‬ ‫)ﺻِﻔَﺎت‬

Sifaat refers to the characteristic(s) of the letter

Definition :the way in which a letter is articulated that differentiates it from others. The purpose of
these characteristics is to distinguish the letters that share the same articulation points (makhaarij).

But why do we need sifaat when we already know the origin of the letter ( makhraj)?

Makhaarij only provides information as to where the sound of the letter comes from, whereas sifaat
provides extra information with regards to the characteristics of the letter in order to produce the
correct sound.

This section will further explain this :

Sifaat is of two types:

1. Sifaat WITH opposite (complement)

2. Sifaat WITHOUT opposites (non-complement)

SIFAAT WITH OPPOSITES

Opposite
Hems Jahr

(whispered) (voiced)

Shiddah Rakhaawa

(softness)
(explosive)

INBETWEEN Tawassut
Itbaaq Infitaah

(closed) (opened)

Ithlaaq Ismaat

(flowing, ease of exit) (sharply pronounced)

Istalaa / Tafkheem Istifaal /Tarqeeq

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(elevated) (depressed, low)

Hems (whispered)
Definition: weak or slight continuation of breath (whispering, expulsion of air) upon pronunciation of
the letter when it carries a SUKOON

 The quality of hems is found in the following 10 letters which are called

mahmuusah ‫ﻣﻬﻣُﻮﺳَﺔ‬

Examples of Hems

 The whispering is also present when the letter has a harakaat (other than sukoon), but it is
not as strong (it is more of a natural hems whereas when it carries a sukoon you have to
emphasize the hems more)

E.g ‫ف‬
َ ‫ف‬
ِ ‫ف‬
ُ ( ) E.g َ ‫ث‬
‫ث‬ ُ
ِ ‫ث‬ ( )

 However, the letters and ONLY have hems when they carry a sukoon (as they carry
another characteristic, shiddah)

E.g ‫ت‬
َ ‫ت‬ ُ
ِ ‫ت‬ ( ) E.g ‫ُك ِك َك‬ ( )

 ALWAYS has strong hems, whatever the harakaat

E.g ‫س‬
َ ‫س ِس‬
ُ ( )

Practice example of Hems

Surah : Surah
Letter Extract from Verse Letter Extract from Verse
Verse :Verse

(2:17) (2:9)
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(2:56) (2:11)

(2:11) (2:5)

(2:9) (2:10)

(2:14) (2:15)

Jahr (Opposite of Hems)

Definition: the stoppage of breath upon pronunciation of a letter when it carries a SUKOON

 This is achieved by stopping the air flow at the makhraj of the letter
 The quality of jahr are found in the remaining letters which are called majhuurah

‫ﻣَﺠْﻬُﻮ َرة‬
( )

Practice Examples of Jahr

Extract from Surah Surah

Letter Letter Extract from Verse
Verse : Verse :Verse

(2:3) (2:20)

(2:4) (2:13)

(2:19) (2:15)

(2:23) (2:3)

(2:30) (2:2)

(2:6) (2:6)

(2:22) (2:25)

(2:60) (2:3)

(2:75) (2:2)
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Shiddah (Explosive/Strength)
This category has an in-between as well as an opposite

Definition: strong stoppage of the sound upon pronunciation of the letter when it carries a SAKOON

 This is achieved by relying strongly on the makhraj or by constricting it

 The quality of shiddah is found in the following letters which are called shadiidah ( ‫ﺷَﺪِﻳْﺪَة‬ )

 the quality of shiddah is to pronounce forcefully, that when pronounced, the sound of the
letter will be HARD, and the sound of the letter will end off in the makhraj

Rakhaawa (Opposite of Shiddah)

Definition: the continuation of sound upon pronunciation of the letter when it carries a SAKOON, in a
soft and gentle manner

 these letters are neither shiddah nor tawassut

 rakhaawa is the continuation of SOUND whereas hems is the continuation of BREATH

Tawassut (in-between Rakhaawa and Shiddah)

Definition: this is moderation between the previous two. The sound of the letter is not cut off nor
allowed to continue.

 The quality of tawassut is found in the following 5 letters which are called mutawassitah

(‫ﻣُﺘَﻮَﺳِّﻄَﺔ‬ )

E.g (97:1) E.g (1:7)

Itbaaq (closed)
Definition: contact between the back of the tongue and the upper palate of the mouth.

 This characteristic is necessary no matter what harakaat (not just when it carries a sakoon)
 The quality of itbaaq is to pronounce in a closed and covered manner. That is, during
pronunciation, the tongue is elevated to such an extent that it covers the palate and the
mouth remains nearly closed
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 The quality of itbaaq is found in the following letters which are called mutbaqah ( ‫ﻣُﻄْﺒَﻘّﺔ‬ )

E.g ‫ص‬
َ ‫ص‬
ِ ‫ص‬
ُ ( ) E.g ‫ط‬ ُ
َ ‫ط ِط‬ ( )

Infitaah (Opposite to Itbaaq)

Definition: separation of the tongue from the upper palate, thus pronouncing in an opened manner.

 The quality of infitaah is to pronounce in an opened manner. That is, during pronunciation, the
tongue does not cover the palate and the mouth remains open
 The quality of infitaah are found in the remaining letters and are called munfatihah

(‫ﻣُﻨْﻔَﺘِﺤَﺔ‬ )

E.g ‫ب‬
َ ‫ب‬
ِ ‫ب‬
ُ ( ) E.g ‫ُن ِن َن‬ ( )

 for some of these letters, the tongue may be raised, but actual contactwill not occur (refer
to ista'ala)

Ithlaaq
Definition: the speed of which the letters are pronounced because of the ease of the makhraj.

 The quality of ithlaaq is to pronounce in a smooth and easy manner

 The quality of ithlaaq is found in the following letters which are called mudhlaqah ( ‫ﻣُﺬْﻟَﻘَﺔ‬ )

 The area of pronunciation of these letters, that is, the edge of the tongue or the edge of the
mouth namely the lips, can be considered as factors contributing to the smooth and easy
manner of pronunciation
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Ismaat (opposite to ithlaaq)
Definition: to pronounce in a heavy manner.

 During pronunciation, a certain amount of effort is required.

 The quality of ismaat is found in the remaining letters which are called musmatah

‫ﻣُﺼﻤَﺘَﺔ‬
( )

Ista'ala / tafkheem (elevated)

Definition: the elevation of the back of the tongue to the back roof of the mouth upon pronunciation
of the letter, no matter what harakaat.

 During pronunciation, the back of the tongue is raised towards the upper palate. This will
produce a thick, round sound
 These are known as full mouth / thick letters and are thus pronounced with a full mouth
 The quality of ist'ala is found in the following seven letters which are called musta'liyah

‫ﻣُﺴْﺘَﻌْﻠِﻴَﺔ‬
( )

 For ista'ala the tongue is just RAISED, whereas for itbaaq it actually makes CONTACT
 The elevation is less when these letters carry a

E.g ِ ‫ُق‬
َ‫ق ق‬ ( ) E.g ‫غ‬ ُ
َ ِ‫غ غ‬ ( )

Examples of Ista'la /Tafkheem

Practice Example of Ista'ala / Tafkheem

Lette Surah : Lette Surah

Extract from Verse Extract from Verse
r Verse r :Verse

(89:27
(88:4)
)

(88:22 (89:11
) )

(88:20
(88:3)
)
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(87:18 (79:16
) )

(83:24 (85:22
) )

(84:10
(88:6)
)

(89:28 (83:33
) )

(89:21 (88:17
) )

(89:8) (88:7)

(89:11
(90:4)
)

(87:17 (88:11
) )

(89:30
(87:5)
)

(90:1)

(89:5)

(98:5)

(89:15
)

Tarqeeq (opposite to Tafkheem)

Definition: the lowering or depressing of the back of the tongue away from the roof of the mouth
upon pronunciation of the letter.

 During pronunciation, the tongue is not raised, but kept downward in its normal position. This
downward position will cause a flat sound
 These are also known as empty-mouth / thin letters and are thus pronounced with an empty
mouth
 The quality of istifaal is found in the remaining letters which are called mustafilah

(‫ﻣُﺴْﺘَﻔِﻠَﺔ‬ )
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SIFAAT WITHOUT OPPOSITES

1 Safeer (whistling sound)

(‫ﺻَﻔِﻴﺮ‬ )

2
Qalqalah (echoing /
bouncing sound) (‫ﻗَﻠﻘَﻠﺔ‬ )

3 Leen (soft sound)

(‫ﻟِﻴْﻦ‬ )

4 Inhiraaf (inclined sound)

(‫ِإﻧْﺤِﺮاف‬ )

5 Takreer (repeated sound)

(‫ﺗَﻜْﺮِﻳﺮ‬ )

6
Tafsh-shee (spreading
sound) (‫ﺗَﻔَﺸِّﻲ‬ )

7 Istitaalah (elongated sound)

(‫ِإﺳْﺘِﻄﺎﻟﺔ‬ )

Safeer (whistling sound)

Definition: It is a sound similar to that of a bird, bee which can be described as either a buzzing or
whistling sound

 The letter always has this sound no matter what harakaat, though
thesafeer becomes stronger when it carries a SAKOON

 ‫ﺻَﻔِﻴﺮة‬
The quality of safeer is found in the following 3 letters which are calledsafeerah ( )

Examples of Safeer

Practice exercise of Safeer

Surah :
Letter Extract from Verse
Verse

(94:2)

(104:1)

(101:6)
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(102:2)

(107:3)

(111:2)

(105:4)

(114:5)

(111:3)

(112:2)

(100:10)

(114:5)

Qalqalah (bouncing / echoing sound)

Definition: to pronounce with an echoing or bouncing sound when the letter carries a SUKOON only.

 A characteristic of this sifa is the quick movement of the tongue or lips upon articulation
 The quality of qalqalah is found in the five following letters when they carry a sukoon and are

called muqalqalah ( ‫ﻣُﻘَﻠﻘَﻠﺔ‬ )

 This letter can either be in the middle or end of a word (as a result of a stop)
 Since an additional sound is being made, care must be taken that the saakin letter should
not sound doubled (mushaddad) or vowelled (mutaharrik)

E.g (111:1)

 The qalqalah is necessary for these letters because they have the attributes of jahr (stoppage
of the flow of breath) and shiddah (stoppage of the flow of sound), so without qalqalah, there
would be no sound!

There are 2 types :

a. Sughrah (minor)
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b. Kubrah (major)

Sughrah (minor)

The qalqalah letter will appear either in the middle or end of a word, but the reader will continue the
recitation and will not stop on it

E.g (108:3)

Kubrah (major)

If the qalaqalah letter appears at the end of a word and the reader stops on it (for whatever reason),
the qalqalah sound is at its clearest / strongest

E.g (109:3)

Examples of Qalqalah

Practrice Exercise of Qalqalah

SUGHRAH KUBRAH
Lette Surah:Vers Surah:Vers
Extract from Verse Extract from Verse
r e e

(100:4) (113:1)

(106:4) (85:20)

(111:5) (113:3)

(105:2) (85:1)

(110:2) (112:1)

Leen (dipthong / easiness)

Definition: A manner of articulation that seeks an easy pronunciation.

 The quality of leen is found in the following 2 letters when they carry a sakoon and the letter

before it carries a fathah. They are called layyinah ( ‫ﻟﻴِّﻨَﺔ‬ )

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'Ay' sound 'Ow' sound



 The pronunciation has to be for the duration of 2 counts

Examples of Leen

Practrice Exercise of Leen

Surah : Extract from Surah

Letter Extract from Verse
Verse Verse :Verse

(110:2) (108:1)

(106:4) (108:1)

Inhiraaf (inclined sound)

Definition: the leaning of the tongue away from its makhraj until it nears another makhraj.

 This quality is found in 2 letters and are called munharifah ( ‫ﻣُﻨْﺤَﺮِﻓَﺔ‬ )

 Therefore, the is pronounced with an inclination towards the makhraj of the and vice
versa
 This is more of a caution than a rule

Examples of Inhiraaf

Practrice Exercise of Inhiraaf

Surah : Surah
Letter Extract from Verse Extract from Verse
Verse :Verse

(99:1) (110:1)

(105:3) (105:4)
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Takreer (to repeat)
Definition: the quality of takreer is to pronounce in a repeated manner

 The quality of takreer is found in one letter and it is called mukarrarah ( ‫ﻣُﻜَﺮّ َرة‬ )

 Therefore, while the is being pronounced from its makhraj, naturally the tongue makes a
slight vibration producing a repeated sound (i.e. rolling of the tongue). Care must be taken to
avoid exaggeration of the vibration, otherwise instead of a single there may be 2 or
instead of a double (mushaddad ),there may be many
 This is more of a caution than a rule - takreer should be avoided

Examples of Takreer

Practrice Exercise of Istitaalah

Surah
Surah
Letter Extract from Verse : Extract from Verse
:Verse
Verse

(1:7) (105:2)

Tafash-shee (spreading sound)

Definition: to pronounce a letter with the filling of the mouth with air allowing the sound to spread
greatly over the mouth.

 The quality o tafash-shee is found in the letter and it is called mutafash-shiyah

‫ﻣُﺘَﻔَﺸِّﻴَﺔ‬
( )

 This is actually a natural characteristic of the , and the filling of the mouth with air applies
whatever the harakaat. However, it is stronger when it carries a sukoon

 Practrice Exercise of Tafash-shee

Surah :
Letter Extract from Verse
Verse

(83:21)

(81:4)

(81:5)

(81:5)