Question

assalamua'alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuht,

I would like to know what is the best approach to teach children tajweed? Shall I follow the same syllabus we used to teach adult but by simplifying the words? (For eg, the syllabus like the one in the book Tajweed Rules Of The Quran,).

 Do I need to give complete definition as in 'Istilah', not only in language? (for all rules)

What is the minimum year to introduce tajweed lesson?

JazakumuLLahu khairan katheera

 Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh,

Your idea is correct, we should teach children the same tajweed rules, but with simpler terms.  The complete applied definition in simple terms would be needed for them to understand how to apply it, the linguistic definition is just what the word means in the language and often times does not convey much of the applied meaning.

A general rule would be that under nine years of age should just be taught Qur’an by copying the teacher.  The teacher can explain how to say a rule without going into the definitions before that age.  In the idghaam of the  saakinah into the , for example, the teacher can explain that we don’t pronounce the  but say the  and hold it while we let sound come from our nose, and demonstrate to the children the proper sound.  The important thing is to use terms that the children can understand. 

Once they are around nine, and this depends on the students and their cognitive abilities, the rules can be taught as lessons.   The most important thing is the application of what they learn; the rules are taught so the student can understand why we read a letter combination in a certain way.  The teacher should be careful not to focus on the theory and not the application.  It is much better that a student apply the tajweed rules through learning by ear than knowing them on paper and not applying them. 

Wa iyyakum wa-l-muslimeen.