Tuhfat Al-Atfal

Tuhfat Al-Atfal wal-Ghilman fi Tajweed Al-Qur'an ("The Gift for Children and Young Boys in the Tajweed of the Quran"), by Shaykh Sulayman ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Shalabi Al-Jamzuri, known as Al-Afandi, is one of the most widely memorized introductory poems in the science of Tajweed, especially popular as a first text for young students due to its clarity and manageable length (about 61 verses).

The poem opens with praise of Allah and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, before the author explains that this poem addresses the rules of the Noon Sakenah, Tanween, and Madd — naming it after his own teacher, Al-Mayhi.

Structure of the Poem

Tuhfat Al-Atfal covers three main topics, each already treated in full detail on this site's dedicated pages:

1. The Rules of the Silent Noon and Tanween

The poem states there are four rulings for the silent Noon and Tanween:

• Al-Idhar (clear pronunciation): before the six throat letters (Hamzah, Haa, 'Ayn, Haa-heavy, Ghayn, Khaa) — see the dedicated Idhar page.
• Al-Idgham (merging): before the six letters of "Yarmaloon," divided into merging with ghunnah (Yaa, Noon, Meem, Waw) and without ghunnah (Lam, Raa) — see the Idgham of Noon Sakenah page.
• Al-Iqlab (conversion): before Baa, converting the Noon into a hidden Meem — see the Iqlab page.
• Al-Ikhfa (hiding): before the remaining fifteen letters — see the Ikhfa page.

2. The Rules of the Silent Meem

The poem covers the three rulings of the silent Meem — labial Idgham, labial Ikhfa, and labial Idhar — detailed on the Rules of the Silent Meem page and its sub-pages.

3. The Categories of Madd

The poem closes with a summary of the natural Madd and the branching Madd (caused by Hamzah or Sukoon), and their respective durations — covered in full on the Categories of Madd page and its dedicated sub-pages on each type of Madd.

Because each of these rulings already has its own complete, dedicated page on this site — with definitions, categories, and Quranic examples in full — this page presents the poem's structure and topics rather than a verse-by-verse rendering, following the traditional practice of studying such poems directly with a qualified teacher.