Halawat al-Tilawah Textbook
Halawat al-Tilawah - 'The Sweetness of Recitation' - is a comprehensive textbook, that caters for students of all ages and all stages in their Qur'an journeys. The book consists of 4 meticulously designed levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. The book begins with the Arabic alphabet and vowels, gradually progressing to connecting words and sentences. The book covers Tajweed in a systematic manner, tailored to offer a clear understanding of the recitation rules without overwhelming the student. With hundreds of exercises, examples, and thorough explanations, students steadily build their reading and recitation skills. The book's structured approach ensures that students advance confidently from beginner and intermediate levels to proficiency, ultimately enabling them to recite confidently, fluently, and correctly from actual Qur'anic pages in the final levels of the book. It is a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their Qur'anic recitation abilities.
It is important to note that this is a teacher-led book and cannot be self-studied by a complete beginner. The early stages of learning to recite the Qur’an, require the guidance and supervision of a qualified teacher until the student develops the ability to recite correctly and independently. The science of Tajweed, due to its oratory nature, necessitates the direct guidance and expertise of a teacher, in order to grasp the correct pronunciations and rulings.
The chapters in this book consist of exercises and intricate concepts, which require the explanations, demonstrations, and assistance of a teacher. The presence of a teacher is crucial to facilitate mistake detection and correction, to explain each chapter, demonstrate concepts, provide personalised feedback and answer any questions the student may have.
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After more than 30 years of teaching the Arabic language and the Qur’an, we have finally arrived at a comprehensive guide to learning the correct recitation of the Qur’an.
The need for this book became clear as we witnessed, time and time again, weaknesses that persisted in the recitations of so many students. Three to four years pass with students remaining on the traditional Qa’idah, unable to progress and incapable of reciting fluently, even after completing it.
Amongst the many common issues that students face when learning to recite, which we felt were severely neglected and not addressed in most syllabuses, books and resources were; the problem of stretching shorts vowels unnecessarily, the lack of fluency in recitation caused by hesitating and abrupt-stopping whilst reading, inability to connect words and verses confidently and independently, as well as incorporating the rules of Tajweed in a gradual and systematic manner, without compromising the fluency.
This book incorporates tried and tested methods and lessons specifically meant to remedy these common and persistent flaws. This book has emphasised certain aspects that we found to be largely missing in other resources aimed at students. Namely issues arising from breath control, vowel lengthening and shortening, and word connectivity.
Alhamdulillah, all the methods in this book are based on 30+ years of teaching experience, as well as teaching this very book for the past three years to students who have completed it, cover to cover, and have gone on to excel in further Qur’anic studies, including the memorisation of the Qur’an. Students who have embraced the methodologies and lessons in this book have found immediate and permanent improvements in their recitations.
This book serves the perfect tool for the student of the Qur’an, as well as the teacher, to navigate the learning of the correct recitation, without compromising on quality of Tajweed and fluency, so that all seekers of the Qur’an may discover the sweetness of recitation (Halawat al-Tilawah).
