
How to understand the Quran?
In today’s article, we will learn how to understand the Quran as a beginner, and how to learn the Tajweed rules, let’s get started.
Now we will learn the manners and rules of reading the Holy Quran, then we will discuss How to understand the Quran as a beginner and how to learn tajweed rules. In addition to many other helpful tips.
What are the rules to read Quran?
There are some manners and rules that you should follow before you start reading the Quran, here they are:
1- Perform Wudu.
Before you hold the Quran, you should first perform Wudu (ablution), unless you are going to read from your smartphone or memory, but in both cases, it’s also better to perform Wudu.
2- Sit in a Respectable way.
Quran was sent to us by Allah, when reading it you should sit properly and in a respectful way.
3- Put the Quran in a high place.
Some people use the wooden book rest that is made for this purpose, while others use a pillow, do whichever suits you.
4- Hold the holy Quran with your right hand.
Don’t hold the Quran with your left hand, always hold it with your right hand, as it is a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to do any good work with the right hand.
5- Recite Istiaazah and Basmalah.
The first thing you should do before you start reading the Quran is to say the Istiaazah and then the Basmalah.
Istiaazah is said as follows: “I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the Accursed.”
And the Basmalah is: “In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.”
6- Recite the Quran slowly.
Beginners tend to fall into the mistake of reading the Quran fast, however, reading Quran fast won’t help at all. The purpose of reciting the Quran is to understand its words and message, if you read fast, you will only be focusing on finishing the surah while neglecting the meaning of the verses.
7- Read Quran with the Tajweed rules.
To recite the Quran correctly without any mistakes it’s better if you read with tajweed. This is how you will pronounce each letter and word right according to the rules of Tajweed. This will also help you understand the meaning of the words because the pronunciation of the word differs and so as the meaning.
8- Avoid talking while reciting the Holy Quran.
To focus on the meaning of the verses and understand the words you should sit in a calm place where no one can distract you. if you can’t do this or if there is no calm place to sit then it’s okay, just try to focus on the Quran and not your surroundings.
How can I understand the Quran easily?
The first thing you should do is to Read Quran slowly. The main goal of reciting the Quran is to understand it, read it slowly with care, and if you don’t understand the meaning of a verse or word then search for it, don’t skip it.
So, you need to recite slowly and pay attention to every word and search for the meaning of what you don’t understand. Sit in a quiet and clean place so that no one distracts you.
You should also know that It’s okay to make mistakes while reading Quran. Reading the Quran correctly is not an easy task, especially for people who don’t speak Arabic; it’s not a sin to misread a word. Allah rewards us for trying, so you won’t be judged for not reading right, so don’t be afraid of making mistakes, keep trying and with time you will excel at it. It was narrated that the prophet peace and blessing be upon him said:
“The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.”
When starting with one of the big surahs you will find it hard to continue or feel stressed, so always start with small shuras to encourage yourself. Plus, it will be easier to apply the Tajweed rules you have learned.
Try your best to understand each verse you are reading, read the translation of the Quran, and search for what you don’t understand.
And to read Quran correctly you could listen to your favorite reciter. To learn the tajweed rules better and be able to read without making any mistakes you should listen to a reciter and read after him. Pay attention to how he reads, when he raises his voice, and when he lowers it.
Listen to how he pronounces each letter and word, the more you listen the better you get. There are many reciters that you could choose from like Saad El Ghamidi, Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy, and Abdul Basit Abdus Samad.
How to learn Quran with Tajweed rules at home?
You should first know that The Quran Tajweed rules depend on four main issues and they are:
- The articulation points of each letter.
- The characteristics of each letter.
- The change of rules is based on the order of the letters.
- Exercising the tongue and repeating a lot.
Tajweed are the rules that are made to make the recitation of the holy Quran easy, it helps you read the verses correctly without making any mistakes. The word Tajweed itself means “doing something well”. Therefore, Quran Tajweed will help you read the Quranic verses with the correct pronunciation.
There are many Tajweed rules but here are the basic rules according to how the Islamic scholars divided it.
- Noon and Meem Moshaddadah: From its name this rules apply when finding any of the two letter noon (ن) and meem (م) with a shaddah on it to be written as (نً / مً ) while including Ghunnah of 2 beats.
- Al Qalqalah: tajweed rules qalqalah refers to making a vibration sound at the end of pronunciation of the following letters: Qaaf (ق), Ttaa(ت), Baa(ب), Jiim(ج) or Daal(د). And you apply this rule when you find sukoon or shaddah on the letter and the rule include minor, medium, and major.
- Noon Sakinah and Tanween: Among the list of tajweed rules is the rule of Noon Sakinah and Tanween. When you find the mark of sukoon on the letter noon (ن) or when you find the tanween then this rule is applied. Notice that tanween refers to pronouncing noon Sakinah at the end of the word without writing it, it is written as (اً). The rule includes Izhaar, Idghaam, Iqlaab, and ikhfa rules tajweed.
- Meem Sakinah: When you find the letter meem (م) with the mark of sukoon on it then one of the following rules is applied, Ikhfaa Shafawy, Idghaam Shafawy, and Izhar Shafawy.
- Prolongation: This rule refers to pronouncing the letter by giving it from 2 to 6 beats based on its type.
- Heavy and light letters: The pronunciation of the Arabic letter is divided into heavy letters and light letters.
- Laam Shamsyiah & Qamaryiah: The tajweed rule of Laam Shamsyiah & Qamaryiah includes two rules and they are Izhar and Idgaam.
- Hamzah: There are two types of Hamzah one of them can be found at any place of the word and it’s called Hamza-tul Oata. While the other one is only found at the beginning of the word and is dropped when continuing the reading, its name is Hamzah-tul Wasl.
How to Learn the Quran
The key to learning Quran with Tajweed rules is to Learn slowly, learn each rule on its own, and take your time to understand and practice it. You don’t need to rush yourself out, learning Tajweed rules is not easy and if you put pressure on yourself, you are either going to lose hope and stop in the middle of the way or you will forget everything you learned. We don’t want any of this to happen, so learn each rule and give yourself time to master it.
Learning Quran reading with the Tajweed rules might seem hard but it’s not, and here are a few tips that will help you learn each rule in a second.
- Enroll yourself in a good online class to learn with a professional tutor.
- Ensure your understanding of each rule, if you still don’t understand it asks your teacher to explain it again and practice using it on your own.
- Listen to your favorite reciter and repeat after him, this will help you to memorize and understand the rule faster.
- Keep practicing and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because you will learn from them and no one will judge you.
- Don’t lose hope and keep learning, get rid of all the negative thoughts you have, it’s normal to take time in the beginning.
- Teach the rules that you learn to a friend or a family member, this will make you memorize the rule fast.
- Intentions are really important; every day make your intention to learn the tajweed rules and remind yourself that you’re doing this for Allah.
- Ask Allah to help you keep going and never lose hope.
- When you follow these few steps, you won’t find any problem learning to read Quran with tajweed rules.
How to understand the Quran in Arabic?
You can learn Arabic Quran and understand it easily by learning the Noorani Qaida. Norani Qaida is the simplest way to learn both, the Arabic language and the holy Quran recitation. It is suitable for teaching non-Arabic speakers whether kids or adults the right way to read the Quran in Arabic and the right rules of pronunciation.
How did it start? There’s a Sheikh from India called Noor Muhammed Haqqani, who compiled al Noorani Qaida, and it was named after him ‘Qaida Noorania’.
You will learn how to pronounce each letter and how to spell a whole word by connecting a bunch of letters. You will practice your Arabic reading by reading verses from the Holy Quran. Therefore, you will master your Quran recitation in no time.
The basics included in Noorani Qaida learning:
In it you will learn the right rules of pronunciation of the Holy Quran, here are some of the things you will learn:
- Learning the Arabic Alphabet and its different shapes.
- Consonants.
- Short vowels “sounds of Dammah, Fatha, and Kasrah”
- Long vowels, Tnween, Noon Sakenah.
- Soft vowels “Huroof Leenah”
- Raa and Laam rule.
- Where to pause and where to stop, which is called” Waqf Rules”
- Tashdid, Tashdid with Sukoon, Tashdid after Madd.
How to Study the Quran
From the Noorani Qaida book or course, you will learn the following:
1- Learn the Pronunciation of the Arabic alphabet.
The first step is learning the right pronunciation of the Arabic letters and how they change their shape according to their place in the word.
You can learn that online with a professional tutor by enrolling yourself in a Noorani Qaida online course, or you can learn it online, search for Arabic alphabet songs and pronunciation and repeat afterward. Once you master that you can move to the next step.
2- Mix letters together to make a word.
Once you learn the right pronunciation of the letters you can start learning how to combine them together to make a whole word. You will learn that also with the teacher if you are enrolled in an online course or you can learn it from Arabic learning tutorials.
Once you learn how to pronounce words correctly, you will move forward with the compound syllables. In this step, your teacher will teach you how to mix letters together to form a word with a
3- Learn vowels.
Vowels refer to the small marks written above the letters; it shows the reader how the letter is pronounced in this word. Once you learn this step you will master your Arabic reading and can recite the Holy Quran without facing any struggles.
Those easy steps are your key to learning the Noorani Qaida on your own.
Finally, you can be proficient in the Quran with IqraOnline courses that provide you with the following courses:
Quran Recitation
Quran Memorization
Islamic Studies Course
How should a beginner start the Quran?
Here is a step-by-step guide to learning Quran.
Start with Noorani Qaida.
The book is made for kids, beginners, and adults to teach them the right pronunciation of the Arabic alphabet and how to spell words and alphabets when they are combined. You will be able to tell which is the 13th letter of the alphabet without looking at the chart.
The book focuses on teaching you the Arabic language so that you can read the Quran easily. So, this is the first step to take in your learning journey.
From this book, you will learn the alphabet, the right pronunciation of each letter, the rules of pronunciation, short vowels, and long vowels. If you don’t want to learn just from books you can enroll yourself in a Noorani Qaida course that will teach you the basics and guide you throughout the course.
Learn Quran Reading.
After you have finished learning how to read Arabic, the right pronunciation of each letter, and the right reading of Arabic words, then comes the next step, which is to start reading Quran. Now what you will focus on is how to read the verses and not just a single word or each word of the verse on its own. So that you can gain an understanding of the verse as a whole.
What you will do in this step is to start reading each verse of the Holy Quran slowly. Keep practicing reading each verse until you read it correctly with no mistakes. Then go to the next verse and repeat the process. In this step, you got to listen to the recitation of your favorite reciter and repeat after him. Then try to read the verse on your own and see if you manage to do it right.
Also, if you don’t prefer self-study then no worries there are many courses out there, online and offline just decide if you want to study from home or go to a school, then enroll yourself in the course that you find best for you.
Start with Easy Chapters.
Here the goal is to start reading the short surahs first to encourage yourself to keep going especially for beginners. When you manage to read a full surah on your own you will get excited and eager to continue, unlike starting with long surahs.
So, start with the last chapter of the Holy Quran and don’t rush yourself learn slowly and be patient, when you finish the short surahs and you are able to read them correctly this means that you will manage to read the long surahs easily.
Learn your Favorite Verses.
When you read the Holy Quran sometimes you feel that the verse you are reading is talking to you, answering your questions and concerns, or making you feel relieved. And some verses have many benefits to the reciter, like Ayat ul Kursi. This verse is from surah al Baqarah which holds a special place in every Muslim’s heart. So, you can start by reading this verse and other verses that you love reading, you don’t have to wait until you finish the whole Quran.
Try to Find Your Favorite surah.
Another thing that will encourage you is to read your favorite surah. Some people prefer to read Surah Rahman, al Kahf and Surah Yaseen, and other surahs for their many benefits. You can also start by reading those surahs or any other surah you love. And you don’t have to wait until you finish the whole Quran, read it at any time.
Learn the rules and tajweed to read the Quran correctly.
To learn how to read the Quran without mistakes the first thing you should do is to learn what is called tajweed rules. It is the rule used to read each letter correctly. The word tajweed itself means beautification, the act of perfecting something.
With tajweed you will learn how to pronounce the words in their right form, as each letter comes out from a part of the mouth, tajweed will help you do so.
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
Take each rule one at a time.
Don’t learn all the Tajweed rules at the same time and then try to apply them because this will be a disaster. Give time to learn each rule at a time then apply the rule that you have learned.
By doing so you will give the required time for your brain to process and learn correctly instead of rushing things off.
Listen to your favorite Quran reciter.
To learn the tajweed rules better and be able to read without making any mistakes you should listen to a reciter and read after him. Pay attention to how he reads, when he raises his voice, and when he lowers it.
Listen to how he pronounces each letter and word, the more you listen the better you get. There are many reciters that you could choose from like Saad El Ghamidi, Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy, and Abdul Basit Abdus Samad.
Learn the meaning of what you read.
Try your best to understand each verse you are reading, read the translation of the Quran, and search for what you don’t understand.
Recite Quran slowly.
The main goal of reciting the Quran is to understand it, read it slowly with care, and if you don’t understand the meaning of a verse or word then search for it, don’t skip it.
So, you need to recite slowly and pay attention to every word and search for the meaning of what you don’t understand. Sit in a quiet and clean place so that no one distracts you.
Now if you still have some questions on your mind or if you are wondering what to do next, then visit our website, muslimtutorspot.com, and find what you are looking for.