Articulation · Letter qualities · Rules · Recitation
Online tajweed lessons for kids and adults
We teach the student to pronounce each letter from its correct point of articulation (where its sound is made) and to give it the qualities and rules it calls for, through hands-on practice with the parts of the Quran they recite. One-to-one lessons online for families in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: your son or daughter recites to the teacher, and each mistake is corrected on the spot, before repetition makes it stick.
- All our Quran teachers hold ijazah with a connected chain
- A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject
- Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women
- Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student
Who this program is for
For anyone who can read the Quran from the page and wants to improve their recitation, young or old.
Someone who has finished learning to read
They've mastered reading, with Noor Al-Bayan or another reading method, and want to take the next step: reciting with tajweed and applying its rules.
A reader who wants to correct their recitation
They've been reading for years but notice mistakes in how they say some letters, or in long vowels and ghunnah (the nasal sound), and want to correct them at the root.
Someone memorizing, or about to start
They want what they memorize to be recited with tajweed from the start, so mistakes don't become fixed in their memorization through repetition.
Someone aiming for an ijazah
They want to recite the whole Quran to their teacher with mastery. An ijazah is the certificate a qualified Quran teacher (sheikh) grants once a student has done so, and a connected chain (sanad) is the unbroken line of teachers, each of whom learned the recitation from the one before, back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Students who complete their recitation to a licensed sheikh can receive an ijazah with a connected chain, under its recognized conditions.
What students learn in tajweed
Each rule is explained through the verses the student recites, and practiced until it becomes part of how they read.
Points of articulation
Where each letter's sound is made, called its makhraj: the open space of the mouth and throat (where the long vowels come from), the throat, the tongue, the lips and the nasal passage. The student also learns to tell apart letters made close together, such as the two Arabic h sounds, or dh (as in “this”) and z.
Letter qualities
What sets one letter apart from another, called its sifat: voiced or whispered, the back of the tongue raised or lowered, the slight echo of qalqalah and the whistling sound of some letters. These qualities explain the difference between two letters made in the same place, such as the light s (sin) and the heavy s (sad).
Noon and meem with sukun
The rules for noon (n) with sukun (no vowel) and for tanween (an -n ending): izhar (saying it clearly), idgham (merging it into the next letter), iqlab (turning it into an m sound, with ghunnah, before the letter ba) and ikhfa (partly hiding it). The rules for meem (m) with sukun: ikhfa at the lips, idgham and izhar. Also the nasal sound (ghunnah) of a doubled noon or meem.
Long vowels (madd)
The natural madd, or lengthening a vowel, and the secondary types that come from a hamza or a sukun, such as the connected madd (muttasil: a hamza after the long vowel in the same word), the separated madd (munfasil: a hamza at the start of the next word), the necessary madd (lazim: a permanent sukun after it) and the madd before a pause (arid lil-sukun: a sukun that comes from stopping), and how long each one is held in recitation.
Heavy and light letters
When a letter is pronounced heavy (tafkheem) and when light (tarqeeq): the raised-tongue letters, the different cases of the letter ra and the l in the name Allah.
Stopping and starting
Where it's good to stop and how, and where to start again afterward so the meaning stays sound, along with learning the stop marks printed in the Quran.
How the student progresses in tajweed
We start from the student's own recitation and build on it, one rule at a time.
We listen to their recitation
At the start, the student recites to the teacher, so we can see what they've mastered and where mistakes keep coming up in their pronunciation and their use of the rules.
We correct pronunciation first
We begin with points of articulation and letter qualities, because pronouncing each letter correctly is the foundation that all the other rules rest on.
We teach the rules and apply them
The rules of noon with sukun, tanween and meem with sukun, then madd, heavy and light letters, and stopping and starting. Each rule is explained and applied to verses the student recites in the same lesson.
We keep going and make it stick
The student keeps reciting to their teacher and reviewing what they've learned, until correct recitation becomes a habit. This can go hand in hand with memorization.
How lessons work
- 1
Reciting to a teacher
Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student, so the student recites for the whole lesson without waiting for a turn, and the teacher corrects their pronunciation and use of the rules as they go.
- 2
Hands-on practice, with theory if you want it
Every student learns the rules by applying them to what they recite. Those who want to can also study them in theory, with their definitions, categories and examples.
- 3
Male and female teachers
All our Quran teachers hold ijazah with a connected chain, and the student learns the recitation directly from their teacher, by hearing and repeating it. Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women.
- 4
From home, at a time that suits you
Lessons run on whichever available online platform is easiest for the student. Lesson times are flexible for each student and set in their country's time zone, during the school term or over the summer break.
Questions about learning tajweed
What is tajweed?
Tajweed means pronouncing each letter from its correct point of articulation, giving it the qualities that always belong to it, such as being voiced or whispered, and applying the rules that affect it in context, such as merging (idgham), partial hiding (ikhfa), lengthening (madd) and heavy pronunciation (tafkheem). Its aim is to recite the Quran correctly, just as it has been passed down to us through talaqqi (learning directly from a teacher).
Does the student need to read well before starting tajweed?
They need to be able to read from the Quran correctly, even if slowly. If they still sound out words or mix up short and long vowels, it's better to start with Noor Al-Bayan and then move on to tajweed. We'll decide this with you once the teacher has listened to them read.
Are lessons theoretical or practical?
Mainly practical: the rules are explained through the verses the student recites, and they practice them until they've mastered them. Those who want to go deeper also study the rules in theory, with their definitions and categories. We'll agree with you on what suits the student's goal.
Is tajweed useful for someone who has read the Quran for years?
Yes. Some mistakes become fixed through repetition without the reader noticing, such as saying a letter from the wrong place or cutting short a vowel that should be lengthened. The teacher listens to their recitation, picks out these mistakes, then corrects them with the reader step by step.
Is tajweed suitable for children?
Yes. We explain the rules to children in a simple way that suits their age, and focus on applying them in the surahs (chapters of the Quran) they read and memorize. We'll agree with you on what suits your child's age and level.
Does learning tajweed qualify the student for an ijazah?
Learning tajweed alone doesn't mean receiving an ijazah, but it's the foundation for one. Students who complete their recitation to a licensed sheikh can receive an ijazah with a connected chain, under its recognized conditions. The decision rests with whoever grants the ijazah, after hearing the student recite: it's awarded for mastery, not for the number of lessons.
Are female teachers available?
Yes. Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women. If you'd like a female teacher for your daughter or for yourself, mention it in your WhatsApp booking message.
Is there a trial lesson?
A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject. If the same teacher teaches the student more than one subject, such as the Quran and Noor Al-Bayan, that is one trial lesson; subjects taught by different teachers each get their own. The trial lesson lasts 30 minutes.
In the first lesson, we listen, then we correct
Tell us the student's age and how they read today. In the free trial lesson, the teacher listens to their recitation, and we decide with you where they should start.