Question

Assalamu'alaykum,
I was asked, what's the difference between tarteel and tajweed? I know that the word 'tarteel has been used in Al Quran, but the word tajweed, IMHO, is nowhere to be found. Can you throw some light into this?

JazakAllahu khairan.

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh.

There is no difference in the two words when it comes to applying the rules of recitation to the Qur’an.  Some use the term “tarteel” to denote the speed of recitation, but this is not the way the term was used by the early scholars of tajweed. There is a commonly used definition of tarteel used by many scholars of tajweed which is: Tarteel is tajweed of the letters and knowledge of stops (wuqoof). This statement is an acceptable definition, but not traceable back to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who is named as the source.

The word tajweed is not in the Qur’an, but the words jayyid, jawwad or ajwad, are all well known words of the Arabic language at the time of the Prophet  and tajweed is a derivative of the same word, and means to make better or enhance. 

In the end though, the science of tajweed was developed later when the tongue of the Arabs started to corrupt and the need for writing down the rules that were natural to the Arabs at the time of the Prophet, , became necessary.  The use of the word tajweed was used from the early scholars, so this is the word we use today. 

See also our answer to a similar question (question one): http://www.abouttajweed.com/040803.htm

 Wa iyyakum,

Wa assalaam alaikum