Quran Maqamat Training: Master Emotional Recitation Techniques

Quran Maqamat Training: Transform Your Recitation

Each of us has our favorite reciter, but have you ever felt deeply touched when you heard a specific verse or surah of the Quran recited by a particular reciter, to the extent that you love to listen to that surah by them and are affected by it whenever you hear their voice? Do the meanings of the verses come through to you just from their voice? Do you feel their sadness, fear, yearning, joy, and enthusiasm?

Many hadiths encourage Muslims to beautify their Quranic recitation skills and improve their tajweed. It was narrated from Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“The one who is proficient with the Qur’an will be with the noble and righteous scribes (the angels), and the one who reads it and stumbles over it, finding it difficult, will have two rewards.”

Abu Huraira said,

“Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, ‘Whoever does not recite Qur’an in a nice voice is not from us,’ and others said extra,” (that means) to recite it aloud.”

Once the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه),  

“If you were to see me, as I was listening to your recitation last night (you would have felt delighted). You have certainly been given a Mizmar (sweet melodious voice) out of the Mazamir of Prophet Dawud.”

All Muslims aspire to enhance the recitation of the Quran to reach the highest levels of reverence and contemplation. With Quran Maqamat training, you will succeed in making your recitation more expressive and capable of conveying emotions.

Many naturally use recitation maqamat when deeply contemplating the Quran and interacting with its verses. Our voices get influenced by verses about paradise, punishment, stories, and the experiences of the prophets when our hearts are present. But now, it’s time to do this professionally!

What are Quranic Maqamat & Tarannum?

What is  maqamat? The Quranic Maqamat are the traditional melodic modes that are used in the recitation of the Quran. Tarannum is an Arabic term for melody. The Arabic word maqam literally means place, location or position. It is a kind of scales or melodic modes that create a certain emotional and spiritual mood during reciting the Holy Quran. Those melodic modes introduce you to the vocal basics you need to improve and add expressiveness to your voice while reciting the Quran.

Quran maqamat training is about pinpointing which melodic scale you’re going to put your melodic phrases in, which will affect both the reciter and the listener. In old heritage books, its name was (character/tab’) or (sound), such as the (Hijaz tab’), which points to the link between maqamat and human nature.

The seven Maqamat are represented by the acronym صنع بسحرك: Saba (مقام صبا‎), Nahawand (مقام نهاوند), Ajam (مقام عجم), Bayat (مقام بیات‎), Sika (مقام سيکا), Hijaz (مقام حجاز), Rast (مقام رست) and Kurd (مقام کرد‎). The structure, tone, and rules of each of them are of its own.

What are the different types of Quranic Maqamat?

There are 7 different types of Quran maqamat training. Each maqam conveys a different emotional impact. Here is a closer look on them: 

– Maqam Saba: Saba is a very very sad melody. You can be sad when reciting verses about Jahannam. Or you can be sad, like happier sad when you’re reciting verses about Jannah. It’s all about the emotion that the verses bring out of you.

– Maqam Nahawand: That’s one of the maqamat that help listeners to contemplate. So, for example, it would be very effective to use in places where Allah (SWT) is emphasizing something, Allah (SWT) is talking about something that one of the prophets went through.

– Maqam Ajam: It’s called Ajam because it’s widely loved and recognized among non-Arabs. This maqam is a very happy melody, and it has a lot of escalations.

– Maqam Bayati: The most basic one and the most neutral one. With maqam bayati, you can go into the other maqamat, there are openings in the melody. That’s why a lot of reciters are inclined to start and end with it. 

– Maqam Sika: Sika means the third pitch, so kind of it reflects enjoyment and it fits perfectly with Jannah description verses. 

– Maqam Hijaz: It’s obviously stemming from Hijaz area. You can hear it a lot in the adhan, Salah eid to express excitement. It’s known for its quite high pitches (4 pitches). 

– Maqam Rast: Muslims are so familiar with it because it’s the most maqam that Imams of the Haram recite with a lot, such as sheikh Sudais, sheikh Shuraim, sheikh Juhany, and many more. It is a little fast-paced so you can, based on the story, use it while reciting some story-telling verses.

– Maqam Kurd: It’s known for how quick it can get your attention right away. It’s very soft, very melodious, and very heart touching.

This is not all! We tried to give you a quick overview, but if you want to dig more into this, you can enroll now in our Quran maqamat training course: Beautify your voice in Quran with Maqamat & Tarannum.

Applying Maqamat in Quranic Recitation

I can tell you that recitation of the Quran adds a dimension to the Quran experience for any believer that nothing else can replace. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) emphasized how rewarding it is to pronounce correctly and to beautify Quran recitation. And so comes the importance of Tajweed learning and Quran maqamat training.

Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to him, “You have been given a Mizmar (sweet melodious voice) out of the Mazamir of Prophet Dawud (David).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Allah (SWT) gifted us with our voices, and starting Quran maqamat training to use them in our daily recitation routine is a way to show appreciation for this blessing. You wouldn’t imagine the inspiration you can leave with your beautiful recitation when you recite the verses with measured and beautiful intonations, attracting the attention of Muslims and non-Muslims. 

The issue is when people start making the Quran about maqamat. The Quran is about the words of Allah, reciting, memorizing, contemplating and implementing them. And as long as you set your intentions right when starting to learn maqamat, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts in beautifying your recitation, inshallah.

Speaking of tajweed, we have a series of blog articles covering some basics you need to know. We recommend How to Read Quran with Tajweed for Beginners: Essential Steps & Tips to start with.

Practical Tips for Learning Quran Maqamat | Quran Maqamat Training

There are so many tips, including to start with listening, train your ears, use technological tools to learn Quran online like mobile apps, practice regularly, record and analyze your recitation, and so on. But if you don’t want to waste time and get confused going through the various maqamat, you need to seek guidance and feedback from a specialized tutor.

For a comprehensive and structured approach to Quran Maqamat Training, consider enrolling in a specialized course like the Maqamat Tarannum Course offered by Ulum Al-Azhar. This course provides one-to-one expert guidance and detailed lessons to help you master the art of Quranic Maqamat.

With Ulum Al-Azhar, your religious education is in safe hands!