ٔ

Praise be to Allah who sent the Qur’an, and prayers and peace upon the Prophet
‫ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﯿﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ‬who said, “Your best are those who learn and teach the Qur’an.”

This is a translation of an important primer in tajwid, the art of reciting the Qur’an
correctly, written by Sulaiman al-Jamzuri. It consists of sixty one lines of poetry
covering some of the foundational rules you will need to recite the Qur’an
correctly. For that reason, I translated it: to give budding students the foundations
needed for Qur’anic studies and Qur’anic reading.

This is the first text in the SWISS series on tajwid, which I present here to facilitate
memorizing it. If you want to take this class with its explanation, sign up at
suhaibwebb.com

There is no success without Allah!

Suhaib Webb
Brooklyn, New York
Dhu al-Hijjah, 2019

‫ا‬
Author’s Introduction
 ‫ُ َ ْ َ نُ ُ َ ا َ ُورِي‬ ً ‫ل ر َا ِ ر َ ْ َ ِ ا ْ َ ُ رِ د َ ْو‬
ُ َُ
“I, Soliman al-Jamzuri, who constantly hopes in the His lord’s
mercy, say

Explanation​:
Sulaymān al-Jamazūri was born 1163 Ah in the village of
Jamzur, a village residing a few miles outside of Tanta, Egypt.

Sheikh al-Jamazūri was a follower of the Shāfi’ school of

jurisprudence and he studied with a number of teachers,
including Sh. Nūr al-Dīn al-Mihīyi.

Sheikh al-Jamzūri wrote a few texts that focused on the Qur’an,

especially its recitation. The exact date of his death is unknown.
Allah bless him.

َ َ ْ َ َ ‫ُ َ ّ ٍ و َآ ِ و‬ َ َ ً ِّ َ ُ ِ ّ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ا‬
Praise is due to Allah, constant prayers upon Muhammad, (sa)
his community and who recites (the Qur’an)

The sheikh begins with praising Allah, while sending prayers and
salutations upon the messenger of Allah. That because both are
important when seeking Allah’s blessing for such an undertaking.
 ِ‫ن وا ّ ْ ِ ِ و َا ْ ُ ُود‬
ِ ّ ‫ِ ا‬ ِ ِ ُ ْ ِ ُ ْ ّ ‫و َ َ ْ ُ َ َا ا‬
To proceed, this poem is (composed) for the one who desires to
learn tajwīd
Explanation
In this line, Sheikh al-Jamzūri identifies the purpose of his text:
to teach beginners the foundations of tajwiīd. That word comes
from a word which means to improve something - to make it
better.

Thus, your relationship with reciting the Qur’an is one that will
last your entire life; It is an attempt to constantly get better.

The sheikh composed the poem in sixty one lines to introduce

the essential foundation of tajwīd that every muslim should
know

‫َ ْ َ ْ ِ َ ا ْ ِ ِ ِّ ذى ا ل‬ ‫ل‬
ِ َ ْ ‫َ ّ ْ ُ ُ ِ ُْ َ ِ ا‬
I named it, T
​ uhfa al-Atfal​, based on what I learned from our
competent Sheikh, a​ l-Mihiyi1
Explanation
The name of the book is tuhfa, which means something valuable
and hard to find, and Atfāl means children. The idea here is that
this book is for beginners who are like children in their

1
Sheikh Nur al-Din al-Mihii. He was one of the great scholars of Qur’an from Egypt. He died 1229 AH.
knowledge or need to be like children in their humility and
trust.

It is a treasure (Ar. T
​ uhfa​) because it is invaluable. But in order
for you to benefit from it, you will need to search, to dig and to
be patient. Ponder!

He notes that the information he presents in this poem is what

he learned from his teacher, Sheikh Nur al-Dīn al-Kamāli.

َ ‫ل و َا ّ َا‬
َ ُ َ ْ ‫و َا ْ َ و َا‬ َ ّ ّ ‫أ ْر ُ ِ ِ أ ْن َ ْ َ َ ا‬
I hope that it will benefit students, it brings great rewards,
acceptance, and blessings.

The sheikh closes the introductiong by stating that his hope rests
soely on Allah, who he asks to benefit those who study the text
and himself, the author.

‫وا‬ ‫أ ما نا‬
Section One: The Rules of ‫ ن‬with sukun and tanwin

ِ ِ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ‫أ ْر َ ُ أ ْ َ ٍم‬ ِ ِ ْ ّ ِ َ ‫ن إ ْن َ ْ ُ ْ و‬
ِ ّ ِ
There are four rules for nun with sukun and tanwin, so take this
explanation

‫ِف‬
ِ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ِ ّ ُ ‫ُف ِ ْ َ ْ ِ ِ ّ ر‬
ِ ْ ‫ل ا ْ َ رُ َ ْ َ أ‬
ُ ‫ّو‬ َ
The first is idhar before the throat letters, six organized (for
you) so know them

ُ‫ن ُ ّ َ ْ ٌ َ ء‬
ِ َ َ َ ُْ ُ‫َ ْ ٌ َ َ ءٌ ُ ّ َ ْ ٌ َ ء‬
The letters hamza, ‫ه‬a, then ‘ayn and ‫ح‬a, with no dots,
Then the last are ghayn and kha

ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ِ ‫ِ َ ْ َ ُن‬ ْ َ ‫ن إ ْد َ م ٌ ِ ِ ّ ٍ أ‬
ِ ّ ‫وا‬
The second rule is idgham. Six letters in the acronym y​ armalun

َ ُِ ُ َْ ِ ٍ ّ ُ ِ ِ ِ َ َ ُْ ٌ ْ ِ ‫ن‬
ِ َ ْ ِ َِّ َ
However, it has two types. The first accepts ghuna, known in the
acronym yanmu

َ َ ‫ن‬
ٍ ‫إ ّ إذ َا َ َ ِ ِ ْ َ ٍ َ َ ُ ْ ِ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ّ ِ ْ َا‬
Except in a few words - don’t use ghuna, like dunya and sinwan

ْ ّ َ ‫ِ ا ّ ِم و َا ّا ُ ّ َ ِ ّر‬ ْ ّ ُ ِ ْ َ ِ ٌ ‫ن إ ْد َ م‬
ِ ّ ‫و َا‬
The second type of idgham has no ghuna
With lam or ra, the repeated letter

ِ‫ْ َ ء‬ ‫ُِ ّ ٍ َ َا‬ ً ِ ِ ‫ْ َبُ ِ ْ َ ا ْ َ ء‬ ‫ُ ا‬ ّ ‫و َا‬

 The third is iqlab with ba: mim with ghuna and ikhfa

ِ ِ َ ْ ِ ٌ ِ ‫ُوف و َا‬
ِ ُ ‫و َا ّا ِ ُ ا ْ َ ء ُ ِ ْ َ ا ْ َ ِ ِ ِ َ ا‬
The fourth is ikhfā with the remaining letters

َ ُ ْ ّ ّ َ ِ ْ َ ‫ِ ِ ْ ِ َ َا ا‬ َ ُ ْ َ‫ِ َ ْ َ ٍ ِ ْ َ ْ ِ َ ْ ٍ ر‬
They are fifteen letters; In an acronym, I’ve organized in the
following line

َ ِ َ ْ َ ً ُ ِ ‫ِ ْ ذ َا َ َ َ ْ َ د َ َ ْ ٌ َ ْ َ َ د ُ ْم َ ِّ ً زِ ْد‬
Praise one who is deserving; rarely is a generous person
recognized; be good; increase in piety and avoid injustice

‫أ م ا ن وا ا د‬
The Rules of Nun and Mim with Shadda

‫ْف ُ ّ ٍ َ َا‬
َ َ ً ُ ّ ِ َ َ ‫و َ ُ ّ ِ ً ُ ّ ُ ً ُ ِّد َا و‬
Make ghuna with mim and nun when either has shadda Name,
each of those letters, ghuna

‫أ ما ا‬
The Rules of Mim with Sukun

َ ِ ْ ‫َ أ ِ ٍ َ ِّ َ ٍ ِ ِي ا‬ َ ِ ْ ‫َْ َ ا‬ ِ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫و َا ِ ُ إ ْن‬
 Mim, if it is sakin, appears before the arabic letters Except the
an alif mud or the other mudd letter (it is ikhfa)

ْ َ َ ٌ ‫إ ْ َ ء ٌ ا ْد َ م ٌ و َ ْ َ ر‬ ْ َ َ ْ َ ِ ٌ ََ َ َُ َ ْ ‫أ‬

Its rules are three for one who wants to master the Qur’an Ikhfa,
idgham and ithar only

ِ ‫ل ا ْ َ ء ِ ْ َ ا ْ َ ء ِ و َ َ ِّ ِ ا ّ ْ ِيّ ِ ْ ُ ّاء‬
ُ ‫ّو‬ َ
ُ
The first is ikfhfa with ba It is called al-Shafawiyya by the
reciters

َ َ َ ‫َ ِ ًا‬ ً َ ‫و َ َ ِ ّ إ ْد‬ َ ‫ن إ ْد َ م ٌ ِ ِ ْ ِ َ أ‬
ِ ّ ‫و َا‬
The second is idgham like the above, it is called idgham saghirin,
dear student

ْ ّ ِ َْ َ ِّ َ َ ‫ُف و‬
ٍ ْ ‫ِ ْ أ‬ ْ ّ ِ َ ْ ‫و َا ّ ِ ُ ا ْ َ ر ُ ِ ا‬
The rest of the letter (with mim in sukun) are idhar And it call
it idhar shafawiyain piety and avoid oppression’

‫ِف‬
ِ ْ َ ِ‫ِ ُ ْ ِ َ و َ ّ ِ َ د‬ ِ َ ْ َ ‫و َا ْ َ ْر َ َى و َا ٍو و َ َ أ ْن‬
Be careful with (the letters) ‫ واو‬and that you don’t hide it
due to nearness and exact (makhraj) so pay attention
 ‫م أل و م ا‬ ‫أ‬
The Rules of Lam and The Verbal lam

‫ِف‬
ِ ْ َ ْ َ َ ُ ‫ُف أو َ ُ َ إ ْ َ ر‬
ِ ْ ‫ن َْ َ ا‬
َِ َ ْ‫ِ َ ِم أل‬
The letter lam falls under two situations before letters
The first is idhar, so know it well

ُ َ ِ َ ْ َ َ ‫َ ْ َ ا ْر َ ٍ َ ْ َ ْ َة ٍ ُ ْ ِ ْ َ ُ ِ ِ ا ْ ِ َ ّ َ و‬
Before fourteen letter take its acronym:

ِ َ َ َ ْ َ ‫َ ِ ِ َ إ ْد َ ُ َ ِ أ ْر َ ِ و َ َ ْ َة ٍ أ ْ ً وَر‬
The second rule is idgham in fourteen
letters, also that i’ve acronymed here:

‫د َ ْع ُ ء َ َ ّ ٍ ز ُ ْر َ ِ ً ِ ْ َ َ ْم‬ ْ َ ِ ‫ُ ّ ِ ْ ر ُ ْ ً َ ُ ْ ِ ْ ذ َا‬
Be good, keep family ties, succeed, and praise the benevolent,
avoid bad suspicions, visit the Ahl-Bayt seeking blessings

ْ ّ ِ َْ َ ِّ َ ‫و َا ّم ُ ا ُو َ َ ِّ َ َ َ ِ ّ ْ و َا ّم ُ ا ُ ْ َى‬
The first type of lam is called the moon lam;
the second type is called the sun lam.

َ َ ْ ‫ِ َ ْ ِ ُ ْ َ َ ْ و َ ُ ْ َ و َا‬ َ َ ْ ُ ٍ ْ ِ َ ‫ن َم‬
ّ َ ِ ْ ‫وأ‬
Always, pronounce the lam of verbs clearly
Like the words and , and and ‫ا‬
 ‫وا ر وا‬ ‫ا‬
The Rules of Mithalayn, Mutaqribayn and Mutajanisayn

ْ َ ّ ‫ِج ا‬
ِ ‫ت و َا َ َ ر‬ ِ َ ِّ ‫إ ْن ِ ا‬
ْ َ ‫ن ِ َِ أ‬ ِ َ ِْ ْ َ ‫ن‬
ِ َ َْ
If the shape and point of articulation of two letters agree,
they are known as mithalyan

َ َ‫َ َ ر‬ ً َ ْ َ َ ُ َ ‫و َ ْن‬
َ َُّ َ َ َ ْ ‫ت ا‬ ِ َ ِّ ‫و َ ِ ا‬
And when the point of articulation is close
and the shape of the letter differ,
they are called

َ َ ّ ‫ُ َ َ رِ َ ْ ِ أ ْو َ ُ َ ا‬
َ ِّ ُ ‫ت‬ ِ َ ِّ ‫ِ َ ْ ٍَج د ُونَ ا‬
Mutaqaribayn. And if the point of articulation agrees,
without the shape occurs

ْ َ َ ‫ِ ْ ُ َ َ ِ َ ْ ِ ُ ّ إ ْن‬
ْ َ ِّ َ َ ِ ّ َ ٍ ّ ُ ‫ل‬ ُ ‫أ ّو‬
(They are called) mutananisayni. And if the first letter in any
Of the three has sukun, it is called saghir
 ْ ُ َ ٍّ ُ ِ ‫ن‬ ِ َ ْ َ ‫أ ْو ُ ِّك َ ا‬
ْ ُ ُ ْ ِ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ُ ّ َ ِ ٌ وا‬
Or, if both letters have vowel marks then say,
‘they are kabir, and understand this well with examples

‫أ ما‬
The Types of Mudd

ُ َ ‫و َا ْ َ ّ أ ْ ِ ّ و َ َ ْ ِ ّ َ ُ و َ َ ِ ّ أ ّو ً َ ِ ِ ّ و‬
Madd has a foundation and branches
The first is called tabi’yaa and it

ْ َ َ ْ ُ ‫ُوف‬
ُ ُ ‫َ َ َ ّ ٌ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ْ و َ ِ ُو ِ ِ ا‬ َ
is not the outcome of any cause
and without it, its letter cannot exist

‫َ ْ َ َ ٍّ َ ّ ِ ِ ّ َ ُ ْن‬ َ ‫ْف َ ْ ُ َ ْ ٍ أ ْو ُ ُ ْن‬

ٍ َ ّ‫ْ أي‬
Nay! Any letter besides hamza or sukum
That comes comes after madd, it is tab’iyi

َ ْ ُ ‫ن‬
ٍ ُ ُ ‫َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ٍ أ ْو‬ ََ ‫ف‬
ٌ ُ ْ َ ّ ِ ْ َ ْ ‫و َا َ ُ ا‬
The next is a branch mudd, and it rests on
a cause always, like hamza or sukun
 ( َ ِ ُ ) ِ َ ْ َ ‫َاي( و‬
ٍ ‫ِ ْ َ ْ ِ )و‬ َ ِ َ ٌ َ َ َ ُ ُ ‫ُ ُو‬
Its letters are three so know them well
Found in the words ‫ واي‬or ‫ و‬or

‫و َا َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ا ْ َ و َ َ ْ َ ا ْ اوِ َ ْ َ ٌْط و َ َ ْ ٌ َ ْ َ أ ْ ٍ ُ ْ َ َ ْم‬

So kasra before ya or doma before doma
Is a condition, as is fatha before alif always

َ ِ ْ ‫ح َ ْ َ ُ ٍّ أ‬
ٌ َِْ‫نا‬
ِ ‫و َا ّ ِ ُ ِ ْ َ ا ْ َ وَو َاو ٌ ُ ِّ َ إ‬
Madd layyin occurs when or ‫ واو‬has no vowel (sukun)
If they are preceded by fatha, then pronounce it

‫أ ما‬
The Rules for Mudd

‫ِ ْ َ ّ ِ أ ْ َ م ٌ َ َ َ ٌ َ ُو ْم و َ ْ َ ا ْ ُ ُ بُ و َا ْ َ َاز ُ و َا ّ ُو ْم‬
The rulings of mudd are only three: wujub, jawaz and lazim

ْ َ ُ ٍ ِ ّ ُ ِ ‫ِ ْ َ ٍ وَذ َا‬ ِ ْ َ َ ْ َ ٌ ْ َ َ ‫َ َا ِ ٌ إ ْن َ ء‬
Wajib is when hamza come connected to a madd
In a word, then it is called mutasil

ْ ِ َ ْ ُ ‫ُ ّ ِ ِ ْ َ ٍ و َ َ َا ا‬ ْ ِ ُ ‫و َ َ ِ ٌ َ ّ و َ َ ْ ٌ إ ْن‬
Jawaz is a shortened mudd when it is broken
between it and any word; it is called munfasil
 ُ ِ َ ْ َ َ‫َ َ ْ َ ُ ن‬ ً ْ َ ‫و َ ِ ْ ُ ذ َا إ ْن َ ََض ا ّ ُ نُ و‬
An example of munfasil is sudden sukun
when stopping, like ‫ن‬ and

‫ُ َا‬ ً َ َ ‫أ ْو ُ ِّم َ ا ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ا َ ّ ِ وَذ َا َ َلْ َ َ ُ ا و‬

or when hamza comes before a madd letter, and that
is badal, like ‫ آ ا‬and ‫ إ‬so learn them

َ ّ ِ ُ ٍّ َ َ ْ َ ً ْ َ ‫َ و َ ْ ً وَو‬ ِ ّ ‫ن ا ّ ُ نُ أ‬
ِ ‫و َ َزِم ٌ إ‬
Lazim is when sukun is part of a words foundation
either connecting or stopping, you must elongate it

‫أ م ا ا زم‬
The Types of Mudd Lazim

ْ َ َ ّ ِ ْ َ َ ‫أ ْ َ م ُ َزِ ٍم َ َ ْ ِ ْ أ ْر َ َ ْ و َ ِ ْ َ ِ ْ ِ ّ و‬
The type of lazim with the scholars are four,
broken into k​ ilmi​ and h​ arfi​ together

ُ ّ َ ُ ٌ َ َ ‫َ َ ِه ِ أ ْر‬ ُ َّ ُ ٌ ّ َ ُ َ َُ ِ
Both can be lite and heavy
 So together there total is four in detail

ْ َ َ ‫ْف َ ٍّ َ ْ َ ِ ْ ِ ّ و‬
ِ َ َْ ْ َ َ ْ ‫نا‬
ٌ ُ ُ ٍ َ ْ ِ ِ ‫َ ْن‬
If in a work, sukun joins a madd, a kilmi has occurred

‫ُوف و ُ ِ َا و َا َ ّ و َ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ْ ِ ّ َ َا‬
ِ ُ ‫أ ْو ِ ُ َ ِ ِ ّ ا‬
or if a word is made up of three letter and in its
middle is a mudd, then harfi has appeared

َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫َ َ ّ ٌ ُ ّ إذ َا‬ َ ِ ‫ِ َ ُ َ ُ َ ّ ٌ إ ْن أ ْد‬
Both types are heavy if a lite, when a lite letter
is followed by a heavy one without idgham

ْ َ َ ْ ‫نا‬
ٍ َ َ ِ َ ‫ل ا ّ َ ْر و ُ ُ دُه ُ و‬
َ ‫و َا ّزِم ُ ا ْ َ ْ ِ ّ أ ّو‬
Lazim harfi appears at the beginning of some chapters
and it is restricted to eight letters

ُ ّ ‫ُوف ) َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ( و َ َ ْ ُ ذ ُو و َ ْ َ ْ ِ وا‬
ْ َ ‫لأ‬ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َْ
brought together in
And there are two ways to read , but the longer is prefered

ْ ِ ‫َ َ ّه ُ َ ّا َ ِ ِ ّ أ‬ ْ ِ ‫َأ‬ ِ َ ّ ‫ْف ا‬
ِ َ ‫و َ َ ِ َى ا‬
along with those three all letters, except alif
its mudd is a natural mudd agreed upon
 ْ َ َ ْ ‫ِ َ ْ ِ ) َ ٍ ّ َ ِ ٍ( َ ِ ا‬ ‫وَذ َاك َ أ ْ ً ِ َ َا ِ ِ ا ّ َ ْر‬
And that applies to the opening chapters
In the letters and only

ْ َ َ ْ ‫) ِ ْ ُ ُ َ ْ ًا َ ْ َ َ ْ َ( ذ َا ا‬ ْ َ َ ْ َ ‫و َ َ ْ َ ُ ا ْ َ َا ِ َ ا ْر‬
The number of letters that open chapters are fourteen
And are well known by the phrase ‫ا‬

‫ا‬
The Conclusion

ِ َ َ َ ِ ِ ِ َ َ َ َ ِ ّ ‫و َ َ ّ ذ َا ا ّ ْ ُ ِ َ ْ ِ ا‬
This poem is finished by the blessing of praising Allah
for its completion without hardship

َ ُ ِ ْ ُ ْ َ ِ ‫َ رِ ُ َ ُ ْ َى‬ َ ّ ‫أ ْ َ ُ ُ َ ّ َ اَ ِ ِ ا‬
The lines here will be a source of pleasure and happiness
To the intelligent person who masters them

‫ُ ّ ا ّ َة ُ و َا ّ َم ُ أ َ َا َ َ ِ َ ِم ا ْ ِ َ ء ِ أ ْ َ َا‬
And now prayers and peace always
on the seal of the prophets, Ahmed

ِ ِ َ ِّ ُ ‫ئ و‬ٍ ِ‫ل و َا ّ ْ ِ و َ ُ ّ ِ َ ِ ِ و َ ُ ّ ِ َ ر‬
ِ ‫و َا‬
his family, his companions and every one of their followers,
every reciter and all who listen to the Qur’an.”