Types of Mistakes in Tajweed The study of tajweed is important because it safeguards the reciter from lahn (mistakes) in the

recitation. These mistakes include those involving mispronunciation of letters due to reading against the rules of tajweed, by either not fulfilling the obligatory properties (sifaat) of the letters , or by not being aware of the rulings for certain letters (like when to pronounce the raa heavy or light). These mistakes are divided into two broad categories, each with several sub-categories. These broad categories are lahn jali and lahn khafi . This part of the lesson will elaborate on lahn jali and its sub-categories. (Lesson 2B will elaborate on lahn khafi and its sub-categories, inshaAllah). 1. Lahn Jali : This is the mistake that is so obvious, or big that both a novice in tajweed and the expert in it can identify it. This category of mistake in the recitation is haram (forbidden) to commit as it may completely change the meaning of the verse(s) being recited. Committing this kind of mistake in the recitation during prayer makes the prayer invalid, and such a prayer has to be repeated with a correct recitation. Were someone to intentionally and purposefully commit these mistakes, they would be regarded as having committed kufr. The categories of Lahn Jali are as follows: Changing (substituting) one letter for another e.g. letters of the Arabic alphabet which may sound close to one another, but nonetheless have different makharij (articulation points). An example of this could be substituting a saad ( )for a seen ( )or substituting a kaaf( )for a qaaf (). This can alter a word into a completely different word (and meaning). Extending (elongating) the sound of a letter in a word, such that it implies that there is an extra letter there. An example of this could be extending the length of a fatha sound (one of the short vowels) on a letter so it sounds like an alif is after that letter (i.e. making it sound like a long vowel sound), or elongating the sound of a kasra (another short vowel) on a letter so that it implies that there is a yaa after that letter. An example of this would be saying the word ( ( i )incorrectly as ( ( i ( i ), and this would affect the meaning of the verse which contains this word. Shortening the sound, such that a long vowel sound is made into a short vowel sound. An example of this could be making the long vowel sound of a fatha followed by an alif into a short vowel sound of just the fatha. This is, in effect, the opposite of the previous sub-category. An example would be saying the word ( ( i ) incorrectly as ( ( i ) Changing one harakah or vowel for another. For example, in the following verse, if the fatha on the letter haa in the word Allah were to be mistakenly read as a damma, it would change the meaning of the verse into an opposite (and forbidden) meaning. { ( i ( i }

[...Those truly fear Allah, among His servants, who have knowledge...] Surah Fatir (35:28)