Advanced Tajweed Topics

Characteristics of letters (sifaat)

Each letter has permanent characteristics that distinguish it from letters sharing the same articulation point, for example:

• Hams (breath) vs jahr (voice): ت has hams, د has jahr.
• Shiddah (stopped sound) vs rakhawah (flowing sound): ب vs ف.
• Isti'la (raised tongue, heavy letters خ ص ض غ ط ق ظ) vs istifal (light letters).
• Itbaq (tongue pressed to palate: ص ض ط ظ) vs infitah.

Heavy and light (tafkheem and tarqeeq)

• The seven isti'la letters are always heavy.
• The letter ر is heavy when it carries fatha or damma, or has sukoon after fatha or damma; light when it carries kasra or has sukoon after an original kasra. There are further conditions your teacher will cover.
• The lam of the name الله is heavy when preceded by fatha or damma (قَالَ اللهُ) and light when preceded by kasra (بِسْمِ اللهِ).
• The alif follows the letter before it: heavy after a heavy letter, light after a light one.

Merging similar letters

• Mutamathilayn (identical letters): اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي, the first ب merges into the second.
• Mutajanisayn (same articulation point, different characteristics): قَد تَّبَيَّنَ, the د merges into the ت.
• Mutaqaribayn (nearby articulation points): قُل رَّبِّ, the ل merges into the ر.

Exceptional cases in Hafs

• Sakt (a silent pause without breath) in four places, including عِوَجَا ۜ قَيِّمًا at Al-Kahf 18:1–2.
• Imalah (leaning the fatha towards kasra) in one word, مَجْرَاهَا, at Hud 11:41.
• Tas-heel (softening the second hamzah) in ءَأَعْجَمِيٌّ at Fussilat 41:44.
• Ishmam and rawm when stopping, and the ishmam in تَأْمَنَّا at Yusuf 12:11.

Where this leads

Learners who complete these topics and recite the whole Quran with consistent Tajweed to a qualified teacher may pursue an Ijazah, a certified chain of transmission. Virtual Quran Center only offers an Ijazah track where a teacher holding a valid chain is available, and will state clearly whether that is the case.