Qur'anic Recitation: Tajwid

The Qur'an is the most precious and holy book of Islam. It is universally accepted by the Muslim ummah and often looked upon as the source of guidance, both religiously and materially. In many Muslim communities, it is very important to memorize the Qur'an at an early age. However, Sells emphasizes the importance of Qur'anic recitation in order to fully experience the holy text. Tajwid, or Qur'anic recitation allows the reader to connect to the text in an emotional way through its rhythm and methods of recitation. "Two of the most important effects governed by the rules of tajwid are extension (madd) and humming or nasalization (ghunna)" (Sells 163). These effects produce an emotion in the reader and help one emotionally connect with the words. (Sells 164). In the movie Koran by Heart when Nabiollah recited the verses from the Qur'an, one of the judges got very emotional showing the effect of the powerful text and tajwid. Hearing some of the verses was personally very touching. However, the Qur'an teaches to live a balanced material and spiritual life. Some of the children in the movie did not receive a proper education due to the time spent on memorizing the Qur'an. Another issue that I find with this practice is that many Muslims only memorize the Qur'an without knowing the meaning. Focusing on tajwid is important but one also has to gain an understanding of its meaning. Also, I found the film a bit irritating since it was making the beautiful art of tajwid a competition. Personally, I think that tajwid is extremely important; however, it is not something that should be practiced because of a competition or for glory. It is a personal connection that one has with the divine. Well, this is just my opinion.