Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh!

Welcome back to BeQuranic!

Alhamdulillah, today is Tuesday, the 12th of Shaaban. Shaaban is a special month, one that Rasulullah ﷺ would fast in more than any other month outside of Ramadan. Why? Because this is the month when our deeds are lifted and presented to Allah annually.

We already have our daily presentation of deeds that happens after Fajr and after Asr, which is why Rasulullah ﷺ would dedicate those times for Qur’an recitation and dhikr. Then we have the weekly presentation on Mondays and Thursdays, which is why we are encouraged to fast on those days. Rasulullah ﷺ loved for his deeds to be lifted while he was in the state of worship.

And then there’s the annual presentation that happens in Shaaban. Saidatuna Aishah رضي الله عنها mentioned that Rasulullah ﷺ fasted the most in Shaaban, apart from Ramadan. And when asked why, he said, “I love for my deeds to be lifted while I am fasting.”

Powering Up Our Intentions!

Tomorrow is the 13th of Shaaban, which means we are entering the White Days—the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month, known as Ayyamul Beed (the White Days), because the nights are bright with the full moon.

These days are Sunnah to fast in every month except Ramadan, as it is obligatory to fast the whole month. And here’s the beautiful thing—you can combine multiple intentions when fasting these days!

✅ For Wednesday: Intend to fast for Shaaban and the White Days—you get double the reward.

✅ For Thursday: Intend to fast for Shaaban, the White Days, and the Sunnah fast of Thursday—that’s triple the reward for one single fast!

This is how we multiply our rewards with just one act of worship!

Tajweed Tuesday: Let’s Get into It!

Since today is Tuesday, that means it’s Tajweed Tuesday—the day we break down the rules of Qur’anic recitation so we can beautify and perfect our reading.

Let’s start with the basics of Tajweed before we dive into our practical session with Surah Ar-Rahman.

What is Tajweed?

The word Tajweed literally means “to beautify”. In the context of Qur’anic recitation, it means:

📌 Knowing how to pronounce each letter correctly

📌 Understanding what happens when letters interact with each other

📌 Learning where to stop and start so that we don’t change the meaning

For example, punctuation matters even in English. Think about these two sentences:

➡ Let’s eat, Grandma! (An invitation to dinner)

➡ Let’s eat Grandma! (A horror story!)

See the difference? That’s exactly why Tajweed is so important!

Types of Mistakes in Tajweed

There are two types of mistakes in Qur’anic recitation:

1️⃣ Major Mistakes (Lahn Jali - اللحن الجلي)

These are errors that change the meaning of an ayah. They include:

🔴 Mispronouncing letters (e.g. saying “Zal” instead of “Dhal”)

🔴 Changing vowel sounds (e.g. reciting a Fathah instead of a Kasrah)

🔴 Skipping or adding letters

If someone knows they are making these mistakes and doesn’t try to fix them, it becomes a sin. If these mistakes happen in Surah Al-Fatihah, they can invalidate the prayer.

2️⃣ Minor Mistakes (Lahn Khafi - اللحن الخفي)

These are errors that don’t change the meaning but affect the beauty of recitation. They include:

🟢 Not pronouncing letters fully or clearly

🟢 Incorrectly elongating vowels (Madd)

🟢 Not applying nasal sounds (Ghunna) properly

While these mistakes don’t invalidate the prayer, they take away from the beauty and precision of Qur’anic recitation.

Our First Tajweed Rule: Mad Asli (Foundational Madd)

Today, we are starting with Mad Asli (also called Mad Tabi’i).

📌 Mad means to elongate

📌 Asli means foundation

So, Mad Asli is the foundation of elongation in Tajweed.

How Do We Identify Mad Asli?

There are three letters of Mad (elongation):

1️⃣ Alif (ا) when preceded by a Fathah ( َ )

2️⃣ Waw (و) when preceded by a Dhammah ( ُ )

3️⃣ Ya (ي) when preceded by a Kasrah ( ِ )

A simple formula to remember this rule is:

“Nuhiha” (نُحِيهَا)

🔹 نُو (Nuh) → Waw preceded by Dhammah

🔹 حِي (Hi) → Ya preceded by Kasrah

🔹 هَا (Ha) → Alif preceded by Fathah

This is Mad Asli—it must be stretched for two harakat (two beats).

Why is Mad Asli Important?

Mispronouncing Mad Asli can completely change the meaning of a word.

For example:

🔹 لَا تَذْهَبْ → “Don’t go”

🔹 لَتَذْهَبُ → “Surely you will go”

One tiny change in elongation, and the meaning flips!

So, when reciting the Qur’an, we must be careful to apply Mad Asli properly.

Let’s Put It Into Practice!

Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s put it into practice by reciting Surah Ar-Rahman together.

Bismillah, let’s begin!

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