At the Islamic boarding school, Tajwid classes are always eagerly anticipated because many students are discovering the tones of the Qur'an for the first time, while also providing them with a place to explore the beauty of the Arabic language in a practical way. In these Tajwid classes, the main focus is on introducing the basics of Tajwid through an artistic approach: playing with rhythm, Tajwid poetry, and simple games that bring the lessons to life.
The class begins in a calm atmosphere. The blackboard is clean, and the skylights on the school roof cast a soft glow on the wooden tables. Ustadzah Fatihah, a tajwid teacher who is known for being gentle yet firm, enters the room with a friendly smile. "Today, we are not only reading letters, but also organizing our souls so that our recitation reflects the sincerity of our hearts," she says as she distributes worksheets containing short recitation examples with clear tajwid.
This tajwid material includes:
- Introduction to Hijaiyah letters and basic makhraj: focusing on how each letter is pronounced from where the breath comes out, so that the flow of reading is even. The students tried several short breathing exercises to calm their voice vibrations and strengthen their vocal resonance.
- The most common basic tajwid rules: the length of letters (madd), the existence of tajwid letters such as (ikhfa, idgham, iqlab, and qalqalah). Ustadzah Fatihah gave concrete examples, then asked the students to imitate the recitation with a consistent rhythm.
- Hard-soft letter pronunciation practice: a light tajwid singing game where participants imitate the sounds of letters that have different makhraj, so that they can feel the difference between letters that are thin and letters that are slightly thicker.
- Reading rhythm to improve tartil: how to read in unison with friends, maintain tempo, and avoid rushing, which can detract from the beauty of the recitation.
The main activity in this section is "tajwid singing" tailored for beginners:
- Vowel singing session: participants sing the long sounds 'alif, ya, and waw' in a slow tone, while maintaining the position of the tongue and lips so that the sound vibration feels natural.
- Makhraj recognition competition: each student is given several short words, and they must guess the first letter based on where the sound comes from. The winners are those who can guess correctly without sacrificing fluency.
- Practical tajwid practice: reading short verses with a focus on basic tajwid, while adding small notes about which parts are correct and which parts need improvement.
Aira and Zahra tried to liven up the class, which was starting to feel tense:
- Instead of just "reading," Zahra tested her classmates with a light question: "When we see the original (madd), how do we make sure the sound isn't too long or too short?"
- Aira chimed in with a joke but a calming one: "The key to tajwid is like playing a musical instrument; we need to keep the rhythm so that the harmony remains beautiful. Don't let the recitation become a song that is too fast or too slow."
The class continued with a constructive feedback session. Each participant was given one tajwid verb to analyze its makhraj, training their accuracy and patience. There was a humorous moment when Tariqah mispronounced the Makharij letter, causing everyone to laugh, but Ustadzah Fatihah immediately turned the moment into a lesson about patience and self-improvement without losing the spirit of learning.
Tajwid is not just a technical module, but an exercise in appreciating the meaning of the recitation through patience, precision, and love for the Qur'an. With an artistic approach, the students learn that correct recitation is not only a matter of phonetics, but also a sincere intention to draw closer to Allah through more solemn worship.
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After the first enthusiastic and laughter-filled meeting in the tajwid class, today the atmosphere was even more lively with an artistic touch that felt more integrated into the learning process. Lina opened the class with a warm smile, "Today we will try to combine the beauty of tajwid with artistic expression, so that we don't just memorize, but also feel each letter and its meaning."
The students sat in a circle on the wooden floor of the sunlit study room. Aira and Zahra were busy preparing teaching aids—colorful boards with tajwid symbols such as (madd, idgham, and qalqalah). In addition to the teaching aids, there were also drawing paper and watercolors placed in the middle.
Lina gave instructions, "We will draw visuals of each tajwid sign with colors and shapes that you feel best represent them. For example, we can color the letter (madd) with soft blue waves, signifying the prolongation of sound." The students began to use their imagination, expressing how they "saw" tajwid in the form of colors and images.
Zahra, who was usually very cheerful, was now seriously mixing green and purple to paint the symbol (qalqalah), representing a hard reflection sound in pronunciation. "The way I see it, qalqalah is like a bell ringing briefly, so I made the picture like a bell with a slightly shiny color," she said with sparkling eyes.
Aira added, "This is exciting! By drawing, I find it easier to remember when to hold a sound or strengthen it." They then took turns reading verses with the tajwid signs they had drawn, while slowly appreciating the meaning of each reading.
Suddenly, Syarifah raised her hand, "Teacher, how about we try combining tajwid recitation with simple dance movements? I once read that dance in Islamic boarding schools must maintain etiquette and not violate Islamic law." Lina smiled, "That's a great idea! We can create movements to accompany the recitation, such as gentle hand movements to indicate madd, and more assertive movements for qalqalah."
Lina and the students began to explore mental and physical movements in accordance with the rules of tajwid, creating a kind of "tajwid dance" that combined sound, color, and movement. The classroom was transformed into a space of creativity where knowledge and art came together in harmony.
That evening, the students returned home with joyful hearts and minds full of inspiration, feeling that learning tajwid was no longer just an obligation, but an experience that connected them emotionally and spiritually to the beauty of the Qur'an.
***
The atmosphere in the tajwid class that night was different from usual. Soft colored lights illuminated the small room in the corner of the cottage, while aromatherapy and the distinctive aroma of Arabica coffee spread a warmth that calmed the students' hearts. Lina stood in front of the blackboard with enthusiasm, holding a small pointer that had become her reliable tool for teaching the art of tajwid, which focused not only on rules but also on beauty.
"We don't just learn tajwid to be correct, but also so that our recitation has life, color, and is able to touch the heart," said Lina with a smile. "A beautiful reciter of the Qur'an is like an artist who brings the soul of the listener into a state of sacred peace."
Aira, sitting in the front row with Zahra and Tariqah, felt her enthusiasm reignite. The night before, she had felt tired and bored, but Lina's new method made everything feel fresh. Now, learning tajwid was no longer like memorizing rigid lessons, but like creating a living work of art.
Lina then invited them to practice 'maqam'—the tones of the Qur'an that can be adjusted to make the voice more melodious and profound. She played recordings of famous qaris, then guided them to try to follow along with a soft and soulful style.
Zahra, who used to love music and was once the vocalist of a famous band in Indonesia, began to try to combine breathing techniques to make her tone stronger and more sustainable. Sometimes she whispered to Tariqah, "Am I like a modern religious singer? But still sunnah, right?" Tariqah chuckled, "Yes, our spiritual songs!"
During the improvisation session, Lina divided them into three groups: one group focused on the correct pronunciation of letters, the second group practiced understanding makhraj (the place where letters come out) with hand movements as markers, and the third group tried to express the meaning of the verses through the correct intonation and tone.
As the night grew late, the practice became more exciting. A little competition arose between the groups, but it was interspersed with laughter and mutual encouragement. "That's good, modulate the tone a little, so it's like a melody," said Lina enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Syarifah, who was usually calm, began to sing loudly and beautifully, captivating everyone.
Suddenly, a soft, mysterious snorting sound was heard from the corner of the classroom. Several students looked at each other, remembering the light horror stories about the night library that they often told each other. But Lina calmly said, "If that sound reminds us to always concentrate and not be afraid, then it's a good thing, right? We must conquer fear with knowledge."
That night ended with a joint prayer, asking that the study of tajwid not only become knowledge in their mouths but also light in their hearts and deeds. They returned home with renewed enthusiasm, believing that the art of reciting the Quran was the bridge of their souls toward the nearness of divine mercy.