Tajweed and the correct pronunciaton of each letter of The Qur’aan will always give preference over the vocal aspect of recitation. Yes, to beautify one’s Qiraa’ah is important but does not overpower the importance of reciting The Qur’aan correctly.
Wallahi (this is a statement coming from experience) it takes years of hard work and constant struggle, determination and effort to better and improve one’s recital of The Qur’aan. It’s sad that many of the young and upcoming reciters especially focus more on their voice rather than making an effort to recite Qur’aan correctly. There is also lack of sincerity and correct intentions when we are reciting The Qur’aan, whether it is private or public recitations.
There is a huge difference between a reciter who recites Qur’aan correctly with Tajweed and someone who recites Qur’aan with a beautiful voice but incorrectly. We have become so lazy that we struggle to find time to sit with a qualified Ustaadh/Qari to improve and perfect our Qur’aanic recitation. Watching YouTube videos is motivating and good for practice (especially those reciters who are qualified in the field of Qiraa’ah) but finding time to learn how to recite Qur’aan correctly face to face is extremely essential. This is how the Sahabah learnt Qur’aan.
We cannot recite the Qur’aan how we wish to recite it, rather we should recite the Qur’aan in the correct manner, in the way that is befitting and pleases Allah. This only comes from sacrificing time and effort to learn. Also, reflecting and pondering over the verses is just as important as reciting The Qur’aan correctly. Many of us struggle to understand the meanings of the majority of the verses of The Qur’aan. Arabic is an important language to grasp and learn, especially if one wants to understand the messages that Allah is giving to us in The Qur’aan.
May The Almighty enable us to respect, honour and promote The Qur’aan in a way that please Allah and is befitting for His Pleasure only.
Aameen.
Inspiration for Qur'an Memorization 