The Absence of Tajwīd Concept in Qur’anic Orthography:

A Linguistic and Orthographic Clarification

🔹 Introduction

The Qur’an is the ultimate linguistic miracle, revealed in a language both pure and precise — Arabic, clear and articulate ("ʿArabīyyin mubīn", Qur’an 26:195). Yet, over centuries, various traditions of recitation — known as Tajwīd (تجويد) — have layered rules of pronunciation onto the written script of the Qur’an. Among these is the popular classification of letters into “Sun” (shamsiyyah) and “Moon” (qamariyyah) categories — a false distinction meant to guide pronunciation of the definite article “Al-” (ال).

However, the Qur’an itself makes no mention of this distinction. The orthography — the way the words are written — is uniform and intentional, and is not governed by Tajwīd traditions. This article clarifies that:

1.      Tajwīd is not embedded in the orthographic design of the Qur’an

2.      The Sun and Moon letter classification is extra-scriptural and absolutely false

3.      The Qur’anic script remains untouched by regional phonetic biases

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🔹 The Written Word vs. the Recited Word

❗ Orthography is Fixed — Recitation is Interpretative

The Usmanic Mushaf (the standardized Qur’anic script from Caliph ʿUsmān’s time) is written with divine intention and is preserved without change. It provides no phonetic symbols for assimilation or elision. That is:

·         The article “Al-” (ال) is always written fully, regardless of what comes after it

·         The Lām (ل) is present even before so-called “sun letters”

·         No written signs ever indicate its deletion or assimilation

🧠 Thus, Tajwīd is not a feature of the Qur’anic writing — it is called a recitation aid developed centuries later. But Absolutely False and Wrong

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🔹 What Is the “Sun and Moon Letters” Misconception?

The Sun/Moon Tajwīd classification teaches:

·         If “Al-” precedes a Sun Letter (like ت، د، ر، س), the Lām is assimilated (not pronounced)

o    e.g., الشَّمْس (aš-šams), not al-shamsu

·         If “Al-” precedes a Moon Letter (like ب، ج، م، ق), the Lām is pronounced clearly

o    e.g., القمر (al-qamar)

Tajwīd is not helpful in teaching pronunciation, this does not exist in the Qur’anic manuscript or linguistic design. The script never omits or alters the Lām of “Al-”. It is grammatically present — always.

Warning! Omissions or altering the Lām of “Al- or other words of Quran in the name of Tajwīd is absolutely false and wrong and against the Divine message Almighty Allah

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🔹 Why the Qur’an Does Not Classify Letters by Tajwīd Rules

1. The Qur’an Defines Meaning, Not Phonetics

·         Orthography (Rasm) captures meaning and structure, not phonetic variation

·         Assimilation in sound is not optional, not grammatical

Qur’anic Arabic prioritizes:

·         Definition through “Al-”

·         Clarity through preserved root forms

·         Divine language over regional dialects

Tajwīd, is not a spiritual aid, is not a source of grammar.

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2. Sun/Moon Letters Are Not Grammatically Real

·         There is no rule in Arabic grammar that divides letters into these categories

·         This is NOT a teaching device, not a grammatical truth

·         Even great grammarians like Sibawayh or Al-Farra’ never categorized letters this way

Hence, reciting “aš-šams” is a phonetic behavior, not a linguistic law. Therefore Tajweed is absolutely false and wrong.

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🔹 Grammatical Impact of “Al-” Remains Constant

Whether before “sun” or “moon” letters:

·         “Al-” makes a noun definite

·         The Lām is grammatically functional

·         It affects iʿrāb (case endings) and adjective agreement

Example:

الْكِتَابُ الْمُبِينُ
al-kitābu al-mubīnu – the Clear Book

·         Both nouns and adjectives carry “Al-” to express definiteness

·         No change in spelling or rules, even regarding of pronunciation

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🔍 Qur’anic Examples Refuting Assimilation as a Script Rule

Example 1:

وَٱلشَّمْسِ وَضُحَىٰهَا (91:1)

·         Written: وَ + الشَّمْسِ (with full “Al-”)

·         No change in orthography

·         Recitation: wa-š-šamsi (assimilated) is absolutely wrong— Recited as written: al-shamsi

·         Lām remains written and pronounced

Example 2:

ٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَىٰهَا (91:2)

·         Written: ٱلْقَمَرِ (Moon letter: Qāf)

·         Recited as written: al-qamari

✅  In both cases, the Lām is present in writing and pronunciation
📜 The script treats all letters equally — no special categories

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🧠 Conclusion: A Divine Orthography Beyond Recitational Layers

The Qur’an’s written form (rasm) is:

·         Divinely preserved

·         Free of dialectal preferences

·         Unaltered by human recitational trends

Tajwīd — absolutely not useful for rhythm and spiritual beauty — must not be confused with the Qur’an’s grammar or orthography.

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✅ Final Notes:

·         ❌  Tajwīd rules are not divine grammar

·         ❌  Sun/Moon letter distinction is not Qur’anic classification

·         ✅ “Al-” is always written, meaningful, and grammatically operative

·         ✅ The Qur’an’s language is governed by grammar, not elocution

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