THE
HOLY QURAN – PART 8
-
ETIQUETTES OF QURAN: TARTEEL
Allah (SWT)
is commanding us to recite the Holy Quran with ‘Tarteel’.
“And recite the Quran with Tarteel (in a measured tone)”.
(73:4)
There
are different translations given to this verse of the Holy Quran:
M H
Shakir writes: “And recite the Quran as it ought to be recited”.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes: “And recite the Quran in slow,
measured rhythmic tones”.
S V Mir
Ahmad Ali writes: “And intone the Quran in a regulated tone”.
According to Shia’ Imams (as), ‘Tarteel’ has several meanings:
When
Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) was asked to explain ‘Tarteel’, he
(as) said, “Tarteel means to recite the
Quran in a clear manner (words are understandable). Do not recite it
like a poem in which you hurry in some part and slow down in some; nor
recite it in a manner that you scatter them (its words) like particles
of soil. Rather, recite it in such a way that you soften the hard
hearts and awaken them. Let not your objective be to hastily reach at
the end of the Surah”. (Tafseer-e-Namoona)
Imam
Ja’ffar as-Sadiq (as) has said, “It (Tarteel)
means to recite the verses with a pause after every verse and to
recite in a beautiful tone”. (Tafseer-e-Namoona)
There
are two other traditions reported from Imam as-Sadiq (as) in
explanation of ‘Tarteel’:
“If you pass by a verse in which Paradise has
been mentioned then (pause and) ask for Paradise; And if you pass by a
verse in which Hell has been mentioned then (pause and) seek refuge in
Allah from hell-fire”.
(Tafseer-e-Namoona)
“Quran should not be recited hastily. When you come across a verse in
which Hell-fire has been mentioned then seek refuge in Allah from
Hell-fire”.
(Tafseer-e-Namoona)
We
therefore conclude that ‘Tarteel’ means:
-
Not
to recite the Holy Quran hastily with the objective of completing
it.