Rules of Tajweed in Prayer

Question

Is it true that the rules of Tajweed when reciting Surahs in prayer are recommended, such as Idgham and Iqlab? I understand that it is not obligatory to observe these Tajweed rules.

Answer 1

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

Ayatollah Al-Sistani (may God protect him):

It is obligatory to read correctly by articulating the letters and pronouncing them from their proper places as required in the Arabic language. The structure of the word must also conform to the Arabic style, including the movements and pauses, as well as the grammatical and structural inflections. As for deletion, inversion, merging, elongation, and others, they are as follows:

- The Hamzat al-Wasl (connecting hamza) must be omitted in cases like the Hamza in (Allah), (Ar-Rahman), (Ar-Rahim), (Ihdina), etc. The Hamzat al-Qat' (cutting hamza) must be affirmed in words like (Iyyaka) and (An'amta). If the first is omitted or the second is affirmed, the word becomes invalid, and it must be corrected.

- It is permissible to pause with a movement and to connect with a pause, although it is recommended to avoid them. Additionally, it is permissible to disregard other rules of pausing as they are considered embellishments.

- Elongation is obligatory according to Tajweed scholars in two cases:

1. When a Dhamma (the vowel sound 'u') precedes a Waw, or a Kasra (the vowel sound 'i') precedes a Ya, or a Fatha (the vowel sound 'a') precedes an Alif with a necessary pause in one word, such as (Atuhajjuni) and the opening letters of Surahs like (Sad).

2. When one of those letters is followed by a Hamza in one word, such as (Ja'a) and (Ji'a) and (Su'a), and the correctness of the reading does not depend on the elongation in either case, although it is recommended to observe it, especially in the first case. However, if the performance of the word depends on the elongation, as in (Ad-Dal-lin), where the preservation of the emphasis and Alif depends on a certain amount of elongation, then this amount is obligatory, but not more.

- The Lam of the definite article must be merged when it precedes the letters Ta, Tha, Dal, Dh, Ra, Za, Seen, Sheen, Sad, Dad, Ta, Dh, Lam, and Noon, and it must be pronounced clearly with the remaining letters. For example, in (Allah) - the Lam in the name of God, even if it is not for definition but part of the word, shares the same ruling - and (Ar-Rahman) and (Ar-Rahim) and (As-Sirat) and (Ad-Dal-lin) through merging, while in (Al-Hamd) and (Al-Alamin) and (Al-Mustaqim) it is pronounced clearly.

- Merging is obligatory in words like (Madd) and (Radd) where two similar letters meet in one word, except in cases where reading is permitted in two ways, such as in the verse: (من يرتد منكم عن دينه). Merging is not obligatory in cases like (اذهب بكتابي) where two similar letters meet in two words and the first is silent, although merging is recommended.

Source: Minhaj Al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Reading, Article 606 and beyond

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Ayatollah Al-Khamenei (may God protect him):

The correctness of the reading depends on observing the movements and pauses of the letters and articulating them from their proper places in a manner that is considered correct by the Arabic language experts. The observance of Tajweed embellishments is not obligatory.

Source: A Treatise on Prayer and Fasting, Prayer, Obligations of Prayer, Reading, Article 202

May you be successful in all good.