Ghayat al-Murid fi Ilm al-Tajwid
- Author died
- 1424 AH
- Editions
- القاهرة
Ghayat al-Murid fi Ilm al-Tajwid (The Seeker's Goal in the Science of Tajwid) is a manual on Quranic recitation rules authored by the Egyptian scholar and reciter Atiyya Qabil Nasr (d. 1424 AH / 2003–2004 CE) . The book presents a structured presentation of the rules of tajwid according to the recitation of Hafs 'an 'Asim via the transmission path of Al-Shatibiyya .
Background and Purpose
The author composed the work drawing upon his years of teaching experience at the Institute of Qira'at in Cairo and the Department of Quranic Studies at the Teachers' College in Riyadh . Nasr intended to write a comprehensive yet accessible textbook tailored to meet the educational curricula of intermediate teacher colleges and specialized institutes of tajwid and qira'at . He aimed for a middle path that avoided both tedious verbosity and detrimental brevity, adopting clear phrasing, organized layout, and pedagogical conciseness .
Structure and Contents
The book opens with an introductory section covering the virtues of the Quran, its recitation, learning, and teaching, as well as the etiquette and methods of recitation, the pillars of a sound recitation, and the tiers of recitation speed . It provides a historical overview of the compilation of tajwid and qira'at, the origins of variant readings, the seven ahruf, the mutawatir readings, and biographical profiles of Asim ibn Abi al-Najud and Hafs ibn Sulayman . It also defines tajwid, distinguishes between theoretical knowledge (al-tajwid al-ilmi) and practical application (al-tajwid al-amali), and explains the types of reciting errors (al-lahn) .
The body of the book systematically details the core rules of Quranic phonetics and recitation, including:
- Isti'adha and Basmala: Formulas, legal rulings, and operational modes at the beginning of chapters and between successive surahs .
- Rules of Unvocalized Consonants: The rules governing nun sakina and tanwin (manifestation, assimilation, conversion, and hiding), meem sakina, ghunnah and its levels, as well as the five types of lam sakina (the definite article lam, verbal lam, particle lam, nominal lam, and imperative lam) .
- Madd and Qasr: Original prolongation (al-madd al-asli) and secondary prolongation (al-madd al-far'i), covering connected, separated, substitute, accidental, and necessary prolongations, as well as shortening the separated prolongation via the route of Tayyibat al-Nashr .
- Letter Articulation and Attributes: The articulation points of Arabic letters (makharij al-huruf), their intrinsic and conditional characteristics (sifat al-huruf), heavy and light pronunciation (tafkhim and tarqiq), and relationships between adjacent letters (mithlayn, mutaqaribayn, mutajanisayn, and mutaba'idayn) .
- Orthography and Special Rules: Stopping and starting (al-waqf wa-al-ibtida'), connective and disjunctive hamzas (hamzat al-wasl and hamzat al-qat'), connected and separated script (al-maqtu' wa-al-mawsul), the feminine ta' written open (ta' maftuha) versus tied (ta' marbuta), and an enumeration of twenty-one specific words requiring distinct attention when reciting according to Hafs .
The chapters conclude with review questions and pedagogical exercises to test comprehension and practical application .
Editions and Reception
The book went through multiple printings during the author's lifetime. In the preface to the third edition, dated 1 Dhu al-Qi'da 1412 AH (May 1992 CE) in Riyadh, Nasr noted that he revised the text, corrected typographical errors, and added new discussions, including the ruling on consecutive unvocalized letters (iltiqa' al-sakinayn) . Later editions include a fourth edition published by Dar al-Haramayn in Cairo (1413 AH) and a seventh edition published in Riyadh (1420 AH / 2000 CE) .
The work is frequently cited as a standard modern reference in academic studies on Quranic phonetics and recitation . It is also recommended by contemporary scholars and instructional fatwas as a clear, systematic introductory manual for students of tajwid .
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