Al-Quran: Tilawah and Tajwid
What this domain tests
Tilawah and tajwid questions check whether you can recite accurately and explain why a rule applies, not merely name it. Expect makharij al-huruf, sifat, nun and mim sakinah, mad, qalqalah, and waqf/ibtida'.
Core rules
- Makharij: five general zones - al-jawf, al-halq, al-lisan, al-shafatayn, al-khayshum. Learn the precise articulation of each letter asked.
- Sifat: hams/jahr, shiddah/tawassut/rakhawah, isti'la/istifal, itbaq/infitah, idhlaq/ismat, qalqalah, safeer, ghunnah. Sifat explain why a letter is heavy or light.
- Nun sakinah and tanwin: izhar, idgham (with or without ghunnah), iqlab, ikhfa; the following letter decides.
- Mim sakinah: izhar before all but ba and mim; idgham before mim; ikhfa before ba.
- Mad: tabi'i (2), wajib muttasil (4-5), ja'iz munfasil (4-5), lazim (6), 'arid lil-sukun (2, 4 or 6).
Worked example
In مِنْ بَعْدِ the nun sakinah is followed by ba. The rule is iqlab: the nun is pronounced as mim with ghunnah for two harakat, while the written nun stays. Reasoning: ba is labial, so the tongue articulation of nun is replaced by the lips for a smoother transition. Calling it idgham is wrong because ba is not one of the idgham letters يرملون.
Traps that cost marks
- Reciting iqlab as clear izhar or as full idgham.
- Counting mad for one harakah instead of two, or mixing muttasil and munfasil.
- Ignoring tafkhim and tarqiq when a ra or lam is near a heavy letter.
- Stopping at a place that changes the meaning, or starting at a pronoun without its referent.