Correct reading and its performative delivery – the opening verses of Surah Al-‘Alaq as a model

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reveal one aspect of the impact of correct Qur’anic recitation and its effect on the listener. It also highlights some distinctions between tajwīd (rules of recitation) and tarteel (measured recitation), as well as the principles of proper performance in reading and the ways to achieve harmony between the Qur’an’s melodic structure and its recitation.

In this contribution, I seek to shed light on one dimension of Qur’anic recitation and its rules, namely the performative aspect and how to properly articulate the letters from their points of articulation and give each word its due in pronunciation and delivery.