Al-Jazariyyah

Al-Muqaddimah fima 'ala Qari'i-l-Qur'ani an Ya'lamah (commonly known as Al-Jazariyyah), by Imam Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad Ibn Al-Jazari, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 833 AH), is the single most influential didactic poem in the science of Tajweed, memorized by students of Quranic recitation across the Muslim world for over six centuries.

Composed in the Rajaz meter as a series of rhyming couplets, the poem opens with praise of Allah and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, before Ibn Al-Jazari states his purpose: to summarize everything a reciter of the Quran must know.

Structure of the Poem

Al-Jazariyyah is organized into a series of chapters (Abwab), each addressing a core topic of Tajweed. The main chapters include:

• Bab Makharij Al-Huroof (Chapter of Articulation Points): opening with the famous line "Makharij al-huroofi sab'ata 'ashar" (the articulation points of the letters are seventeen), detailing the five main and seventeen detailed articulation points — covered in depth on the Detailed Articulation Points page.
• Bab Sifat Al-Huroof (Chapter of Letter Qualities): opening with "Sifatuha jahrun warikhwun mustafil" (their qualities are voicedness, softness, lowering...), listing the essential qualities and their mnemonic phrases — covered on the Letter Qualities and related pages.
• Bab At-Tajweed (Chapter on Tajweed): containing the famous couplet "Wal-akhdhu bit-tajweedi hatmun lazimu, man lam yujawwidi-l-Qur'ana athimu" (adhering to Tajweed is a firm obligation; whoever does not apply it to the Quran is sinning) — a line whose precise legal implication scholars have long debated, as discussed on the Science of Tajweed page.
• Bab At-Tarqiqat (Chapter on Light Pronunciations): detailing which letters and specific words require Tarqeeq, and warning against common errors of over-Tafkheem.
• Bab Ar-Ra'at (Chapter on the Rulings of Raa): summarizing when Raa is given Tarqeeq or Tafkheem — detailed fully on the dedicated Rulings of Raa page.
• Bab Al-Lamat (Chapter on the Rulings of Lam): the famous line on the Lam of the word "Allah": "Wafakhkhimi-l-lama mini-smi Allahi, 'an fathin aw dammin ka'abdillahi" — covered on the Rules of Lam page.
• Bab Ahkam Mutafarriqah (Chapter of Miscellaneous Rulings): covering various specific words requiring particular care in pronunciation.
• Bab Ad-Dad wa-zh-Zha (Chapter on Distinguishing Ddaad from Zhaa): addressing a famously difficult distinction for reciters, given the letters' similar articulation points.
• Further chapters cover Idgham, the letters of Qalqalah, Madd and its categories (already detailed on the dedicated Categories of Madd page and its sub-pages), the rules of Waqf and Ibtida', the writing of the Mushaf, and the etiquette of reciting the Quran.

Because nearly every ruling in Al-Jazariyyah is already treated in full detail — with complete definitions, categories, and Quranic examples — on this site's dedicated pages for each topic, this page presents the poem's overall structure and significance rather than a verse-by-verse rendering. Students wishing to memorize the poem's Arabic verses themselves are encouraged to consult a specialized print edition or a qualified teacher, as is traditional for works of this kind.