By Muhammad Akid Bin Abdul Rahim

My journey with the Quran began in late primary school.

Every week, my brother and I would sit at our dining table for one to two hours, reciting in front of our Quran teacher.

At that time, I didn’t think deeply about what I was doing, nor did I realise its importance.

My heart was set on music – I was training as a classical pianist, and I thought music was my true calling.

Later, when my parents arranged for a relative, who was an Ustaz, to come weekly for talaqqi (one-to-one Quran learning), I felt even more weighed down.

An hour of pure concentration, in a language foreign to me and with little understanding – it seemed meaningful in theory, but I could not yet feel its benefit.

Yet looking back, it was the foundation. Weekend madrasahs had given me a broad understanding of Quran recitation, but my tajwīd was shallow.

Under my Ustaz, I began to realise the depth of tajwīd, the science that safeguards the Quran’s sound.

Slowly, I became a more confident and accurate reciter.

One day, my Ustaz shared that after we reached Juz 5, we could begin learning tarannum (melodic recitation). This sparked something inside me.

With my natural love for music, I looked forward to this more than anything else. It became a motivation to practise more diligently, to polish my tajwīd so that I could unlock the beauty of melody.

WHEN THAT TIME CAME, MY USTAZ TAUGHT US HOW TO BEAUTIFY OUR RECITATION AND INCREASE THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I FELT MY TWO WORLDS – MUSIC AND QURAN – COME TOGETHER.

I later came across the hadith:

The Messenger of Allah s.w.t. said:

“Allah has not granted permission for anything as He has granted permission for a Prophet to recite the Qur’an in a melodious voice.”

Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

And another hadith:

“He is not one of us who does not recite the Quran in a pleasant voice.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

These narrations opened my heart. Allah not only commands us to recite correctly, but He loves when His words are recited with beauty. It is not mere decoration – it is worship. Melody can make meanings penetrate hearts.

Fueled by this, I immersed myself in listening to online reciters, copying their styles. I sought feedback, trying to sound “beautiful.”

But I soon learned important lessons:

Tajwid comes first

Without tajwīd, no melody is valid. The beauty of Quran begins with preserving its exact letters, as revealed to the Prophet s.a.w..

Beautify for Allah, not people

At times, I realised I was chasing praise for my voice.

But Quran is not performance—it is an offering to Allah. The intention matters more than the melody.

Melody must serve meaning

Maqamat are not about showing vocal skills; they should reflect the emotional tone of the verses—mercy, warning, awe, sorrow.

This transformed the way I approached recitation: the goal was not to sound impressive, but to let the Qur’an itself speak through me.

Looking back, my journey with the Quran has been about balance. Tajwid gives the recitation structure, ensuring I honour the words exactly as they were revealed. Tarannum gives the recitation soul, allowing me to express the meanings and connect deeply to the verses.

Together, they mirror life itself: discipline and beauty, structure and expression, rules and freedom.

I pray that Allah allows me to continue refining both my tajwid and my tarannum —not for my ego, but so that every recitation is an act of devotion that pleases Him and brings His words alive in my heart.

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