What Tajweed means? Is it Mandatory?

Tajweed means ‘proficiency‘ or ‘doing something well.’

What Tajweed means  When applied to the Qur’an, it means giving every letter of the Qur’an its rights and dues of characteristics when we recite the Qur’an and observing the rules that apply to those letters in
different situations.

We give the letters their rights by observing the essential characteristics of each letter that never leaves it. And we deliver them their dues by following the features of each letter that are present in them sometimes and not at other times.

The Qur’an was revealed with Tajweed rules applied to it.

In other words, when the angel Jibreel ((AS)) recited the words of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he repeated them in a certain way, and he showed the Prophet (SAW) how it was permissible to recite the Qur’an.

So it is upon us to observe those rules to recite them in the way it was revealed.

Definition The science concerned with the rules of reciting

the Quran correctly in the manner it was revealed to and repeated by Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Each science has two sections:

1. Theoretical: the written rules.
2. Applied: practicing these rules.

Theoretical section:

The theory has been transferred to us through books of certified scholars who have formulated the way of recitation of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The scholars have mentioned the articulation points and the characteristics of every single Arabic letter as well as the pronunciation rules based on the juxtaposition of letters, as in making clear sounds and merging letters, the lengthening and shortening, and the heaviness and lightness of particular letters, extending to the more lavish core of the Tajweed subjects.

Applied section

This pertains to the practice of the theory. It is an obligation to take knowledge from skillful teachers and listen directly to them to learn the correct pronunciations. 

Therefore, it is mandatory to know that the proficient reciter cannot forgo the two sections of tajweed, theoretical and applied, in any way. When the theory is well known to the reciter, they will
recognize errors in recitation.

The practical, verbal, and auditory application through the proficient people of knowledge helps one to correct those recitation errors. You cannot be amongst the proficient reciters unless you frequently practice recitation until the proper pronunciation becomes your temperament which would then safeguard you from Quran solecism (laḥn).

What is the purpose of Tajweed?

The Qur’an is Allah’s word, and every syllable is from Allah.

Its recitation must be taken very seriously. The Science of Tajweed means aims to make the reciter proficient in reciting the Qur’an, observing the correct pronunciation of every letter with the rulings and characteristics that apply to each letter without exaggeration or deficiency.

And so through this, the reciter can recite the Qur’an upon the way of the Prophet PBUH.

He received it from Jibreel, who received it from Allah (SWT) in the Classical Arabic dialect it came down in.

Arabic letters each have a Makhraj – an exit or articulation point – in the mouth or throat from which they originate, and they also each have Sifaat – attributes or characteristics.

Particularly to them. Knowing the Makhraj and Sifaat of each letter is an essential part of Tajweed. Sometimes two letters have very similar exits, which makes mixing them up easy.
So if a person does not know the attributes of each letter, there is a danger that he will change the meaning of the words in Qur’an recitation. Observing the rules of Tajweed means in reciting protects the reciter from making mistakes in reciting the Qur’an.