The Holy Qur’an is the most revered book for Muslims. It is the word of Allah Subha na wa Ta’ala which guides us to the right path. Our Merciful Lord sent it and protected it from forgeries Himself. Hence, the book is in its original form without any amendments at all.
Apart from understanding the Noble Book, Allah has set rewards for its mere recitation as well. It can be thought of as a bonus!
Correct Quran Recitation is important because:
- it is Allah’s message to His creations and must be held in the highest esteem,
- Arabic is a technical language; you mispronounce a word and the meaning alters drastically, and
- The rewards are great!
We have compiled a few tips which will help enhance your recitation skills by manifolds, inshaa Allah.
Recite!
The first revelation upon Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) meant “Read.” Hence, we must start reciting the Qur’an, even if we are not very good at it. When you are beginning, you cannot expect yourself to be a pro. “Every journey begins with a single step.” Gather your courage and take the first step.
Start small but be regular:
Do not overburden yourself or you will give up soon. Decide on a practical and small amount of passage from Qur’an which you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle and read regularly. The key here is to be regular. You may decide on ten ayahs a day but try your best never to skip.
Learn Tajweed:
Take help from a tutor. You may sit in front of the tutor or approach someone online who can point out and rectify your errors. Learning correct pronunciations and punctuation are important to avoid changing the meanings of the words and sentences. Also, tajweed beautifies the recitation greatly.
Repetition:
When you decide on a specific amount of passage to recite daily, try to recite the same passage multiple times each day. For example, if you plan to recite, say, ten ayahs every day, with or without a tutor, recite the same ten ayahs three to four times a day. You may repeat them in a single sitting or open the Qur’an multiple times a day, as per your preference and lifestyle.
Incorporate into your routine:
Make Qur’an recitation a part of your everyday life. You may specify a time immediately after any of your prayers and make it a habit to recite at that time daily. Reciting after salah also helps because you will not have to make ablutions for Qur’an again. This can help us get over our laziness.
Learn some vocabulary:
Take help from your tutor or look for an authentic source online and make a list of some words which are repeated regularly in Qur’an. Roughly, a list of 300 words would help you understand 70% of the Qur’an. When you understand what you are reading, it becomes interesting and easier.
Listening helps:
Use your iPod, mp3 player, or smartphone to download Qur’an recitation of any of your favorite reciters. Listen to it while reading the Qur’an yourself. Observe the pronunciations and pauses and try to copy him/her. It also helps develop an attachment to the Qur’an.