Shadowing Practice: TOO MANY Tajweed Rules? Here's the ultimate solution - Arabic101 - Tajweed series - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Tajweed is an Arabic word and it literally means to make better, beautify or to embellish.
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But Islamically speaking, Tajweed means to pronounce every letter, every word correctly with all its qualities as it was revealed to the Prophet.
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Peace be upon him.
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And when you start learning Tajweed, you'll be confronted with what seems to you like hundreds and hundreds of rules like
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And this for many people especially who don't speak Arabic as their first language
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could be very disheartening and might even drive them away from learning to read or even worse
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drive them away from reading Quran altogether.
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And this can make them think, I'm not good enough to learn the Holy Quran.
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And this, of course, is the last thing we want.
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So, if you want to learn the Tajweed properly, these are the things that you should not do.
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First, starting too quickly and too enthusiastically by learning everything simultaneously and intensely, because, well, you want to get it right,
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but by doing so and going headfirst into rules will probably result in negative effects
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because it will become too much and too overwhelming.
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Number two, using transliteration mushaf.
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Sure, it might be a great help for those who can't read or speak Arabic, especially if you're learning your very first verse in the Holy Quran.
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Or it might be a good help for you to learn how you pronounce a difficult word once in a while.
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But that is not the proper way for you to read the Holy Quran systematically, especially if you are planning to develop your Tajweed skills.
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So, how then?
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Well, you should learn using the CMYK method.
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But what is this method?
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Do you know that printing press machines don't print pictures in one single step, but rather in four steps.
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They print cyan, then magenta, and then yellow, and last black.
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And this gives a perfect complete picture at the end, since each color got 100% attention.
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We'll try to do the same when we learn Tejweed.
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To produce a high quality recitation,
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you will not learn all the rules in one go simultaneously and try to apply them all at the same time,
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but rather in many different steps according to your ability.
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So you can make it in five steps, others will do it in six or ten steps.
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You know what you're capable of, so don't burden yourself more than what you can take,
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because that is the most important key to get it right and get the perfect picture at the end of the day.
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And this is how you apply this method in practice.
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For this method, you can use any Arabic mushaf.
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But I recommend using a tajweed mushaf that has colors, guiding colors in them, that indicate certain rules of tajweed.
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I gave it away in a previous lesson of mine.
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You can find its link in the description of this video.
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So for this method, you will choose one rule at a time, and you will focus on it,
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use it, and work with it until you master it and it becomes second nature to you, that you can perform it automatically without thinking.
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Afterwards, you'll move on to the next rule, and you'll master it beside the previous one that you've just got the hang of,
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and so on and so on.
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As an example for this method, you can start with the rules of mad.
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You don't have to start with all of the rules of mad at the same time, but you can start with the rules of mad muttasil and mad mutfasil.
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To learn more about these rules, you can check out this video.
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Now, to visualize the example, if you're using the Tajweed Mus'haf with guiding colors,
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you will be focusing on anything with a red color or
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if you're using a normal moshaf just focus on the med only
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so you'll be focusing on this sign and
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that is the only thing you should be looking at
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and paying attention to anything else don't worry about it for
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now take it step by step after you've worked with the med for a good amount of time
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and you can do it naturally without thinking I I recommend
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that you try and apply this knowledge in your own mushaf without colors, that is, if you were using the mushaf with colors in the first place,
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so that you don't get too dependent on the colors of the tajweed mushaf.
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After being done with med, you should proceed to the next rule, which might be nunsakina, or echoing letters, for example.
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So you will be focusing on everything that has a blue color according to the mushaf of tajweed.
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And then you will work on your echoing letters rules while applying what you've learned in step one, until you have mastered step two.
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And then you will take what you've learned and mastered so far to the next step.
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And you will keep going like this until you have mastered all the Tajweed rules one after the other.
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Now let's have a look at an example from the Quran and how you're supposed to do this.
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Now notice how I will be focusing only in my first recitation on the rules of Mad.
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And every time I read the same surah, I will be focusing on a different type of rules.
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Eventually, I'll have a full picture of the whole surah, and I'll be reciting it properly.
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Now in my next recitation,
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I'll be focusing on the med and the noon second.
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Next I'll
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be focusing on the rules of Meme Sekina.
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Next I'll be focusing on the rules of echoing letters.
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And this is going to be the final version of this surah.
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And this is what it should sound like.
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لِإِلَافِ قُرَيشِ إِلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ
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فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي
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أَطَعَنَهُمْ مِّنْ جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُمْ مِّنْ خَوْفٍ So as you've just seen,
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when you learn Tajweed, only focus on one rule at a time until you've mastered it, and don't go to the next rule until you have mastered the first one.
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Then move to the next one, and so on, until you've covered all the Tajweed rules perfectly.
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One last question.
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Which order should I follow to learn the Tajweed rules?
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You are supposed to make your own priority list of rules.
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You should start with the ones that you find easier.
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But in my opinion, this is the most logical division for Tajweed rules.
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You start with learning the symbols of the Quran to make sure
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that you are making the right stops and that you're not changing any meanings of ayahs.
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Second, you will learn how to make proper stops.
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Third, you will learn how to deal with naturalment.
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Fourth, you will learn how to deal with مد متصل and مد منفصل.
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Next, you will learn how to deal with همزة الوصل and همزة القطع.
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Afterwards, you will learn how to deal with the word الله.
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Next, you will learn how to deal with نون ساكنا.
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With إظهار, إقلاب, إضغام, إخفاء.
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Afterwards, you will learn how to deal with ميم ساكنا.
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Next, you will learn how to pronounce رأ.
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Next is learning how to echo letters or القلقل.
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Before last is learning mouthful letters and last learning empty mouth letters.
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And again, to be sure, this is just a recommendation.
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You can make your own list of rules that you find more convenient.
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So, to recap, the do's and don'ts for learning Tajweed.
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What you shouldn't do is learn many rules at the same time.
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And start too fast.
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And use transliteration Mos'haf systematically.
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What you should do, learn one single rule at a time.
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Move to the next rule only if you mastered the first.
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Train with Tajweed Mus'haf or just a normal Mus'haf in Arabic.
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Make a priority list for the rules and how you will learn them.
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Read the Qur'an regularly.
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Because practice makes perfect.
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you next time.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will immerse yourself in the art of Tajweed, an essential skill for correctly pronouncing Arabic letters and words as revealed in the Holy Quran. You will learn about the overwhelming nature of Tajweed rules and how to systematically approach them to avoid frustration. Through our video’s content, you will discover the CMYK method, a step-by-step strategy for mastering Tajweed that is applicable to enhancing your English comprehension and pronunciation, particularly through the shadowspeak technique. This method emphasizes gradual learning, allowing you to build a solid foundation without the pressure of mastering everything at once.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Tajweed: The art of recitation and pronunciation of the Quran.
  • Transliteration Moshaf: A text that provides English letters to pronounce Arabic words.
  • CMYK Method: A systematic approach to learning, inspired by printing colors, where each rule is mastered sequentially.
  • Mad: A specific rule in Tajweed that pertains to elongation of sounds.
  • Mutissami: A term referring to specific rules within the Mad category.
  • Overwhelming: A feeling of being overloaded, particularly with too much information.
  • Mus'haf: The physical copy of the Quran.
  • Second Nature: A skill or action that has become automatic or habitual.

Practice Tips

To effectively enhance your English pronunciation using the techniques taught in this lesson, incorporate shadowing into your practice regimen. Begin by watching the video at a slower pace. Focus on the pronunciation of these Tajweed rules while simultaneously trying to imitate them. Utilize the shadowing technique to echo the speaker's rhythm and intonation. This method is particularly effective when attempting to improve English pronunciation.

Here are some steps to implement this practice:

  • Play the video slowly, pausing after short segments to repeat what you hear.
  • Focus on imitating not just the sounds but also the speaker's intonation and emphasis—this will enrich your speaking ability.
  • Once you feel comfortable, try shadowing at normal speed, challenging yourself to keep up.
  • As you advance, pick out individual words or phrases related to Tajweed and practice them separately.
  • Engage in repeated sessions until you naturally incorporate these pronunciations into your speech.

Using this technique alongside engaging video content is an effective way to learn English with YouTube, deepening your understanding while boosting your confidence in speaking. Remember: practice consistently, and you will see notable improvements in your English pronunciation!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.