Tajweed – or the practice of breaking down the pronunciations and nuances in the Quran – is an art that upholds the true meaning of the text for Amin Quadri, a fourth-year biochemistry student.
The lessons are part of the Muslim Student Association’s winter quarter campaign to direct its commitments and energies to the religion, academics and intellectual cultivation in the Quran. This is the second year in a row the Muslim Student Association has hosted tajweed studies during winter quarter.
Quadri started off a Friday tajweed class by reviewing all 30 Arabic letters, rules of recitation and the pronunciation of the letters with a group of about 20 students in the Student Activities Center.
The Muslim Student Association holds tajweed lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays, but organizers added an extra Friday class last week in response to student demand. All students can attend the group’s programs, Quadri said.
“The focus this quarter is centered on uplifting ourselves, nurturing our spirituality, religiosity and academia,” said UCLA Muslim Student Association President Neyamatullah Akbar, a fourth-year biology student.
Asma Sayeed, an assistant professor of Islamic studies, said in an email that tajweed offers the framework for proper recitation of the Quran according to transmitted practice from the time of Prophet Muhammad and the earliest generations of Muslims.
Sayeed said Muslims believe the Quran is the word of God and tajweed is a way people can come to appreciate it as an aural text because of its distinct and subtle variations in pronunciation.
“Tajweed is important to study because not having the correct pronunciation can change the meaning of what’s being said in the Quran,” said Quadri, who is one of four student instructors for the tajweed class.
For example, saying “Qalb” instead of “Kalb” in Arabic could mean the difference between a heart or a dog, said Wali Kamal, a second-year computational and systems biology student who attended the class.
“Studying tajweed is important to me because it’s considered to be greatly encouraged – just short of obligatory – for people to learn the proper recitation of the Quran,” Kamal said.
Before starting the tajweed lessons, members of the Muslim Student Association gathered behind Kerckhoff Hall to pray, as they do multiple times a day to adhere to Islamic customs. After praying, the students scout for a room anywhere on campus to study tajweed.
The location of the next tajweed lesson changes regularly.
Sarah Kanee, a first-year chemistry/materials science studentand club member, said she is an Arabic speaker who understands the subtleties of the language’s pronunciation.
“Recitation with tajweed makes sure that the Quran is read how it is supposed to be read without confusion,” Kanee said.
Quadri said he taught men and women of all ages how to read the Quran and insists people with no background in tajweed or Arabic can learn. He added that he wants to share the way he learned tajweed with others, and he is excited about the large interest students have shown.
“I’m overwhelmed in many ways that a lot of people want to learn how to read the Quran because it’s a huge part of our religion,” Quadri said.
Akbar said it is uncertain if the Muslim Student Association will continue its meetings in the spring because of the time commitment required for student instructors and the lack of a set meeting space.