# Tajweed in six stages

- Link: https://elquranonline.com/en/tajweed/
- Published: 2026-10-10T01:40:53+03:00
- Author: Ismail

## In what order should I learn Tajweed?

We teach six stages, each building on the one before:

Stage 1

### Points of articulation (makharij)

The hard letters for non-Arabs: ḥ, ʿ, q, ḍ, ẓ

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/makharij-al-huruf/)

Stage 2

### Noon sakinah and tanween

Iẓhār, idghām, iqlāb and ikhfāʾ

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/noon-sakinah-tanween/)

Stage 3

### Meem sakinah

Ikhfāʾ shafawī, idghām and iẓhār shafawī

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/meem-sakinah/)

Stage 4

### Qalqalah

The echoing letters «qutb jad» and their levels

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/qalqalah/)

Stage 5

### Heavy and light letters

Tafkhīm and tarqīq: the letter rāʾ and the lām of Allah

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/tafkheem-tarqeeq/)

Stage 6

### Madd (lengthening)

Natural, connected, separated and necessary madd, and their counts

[الشرح بالعربية](https://elquranonline.com/articles/madd/)

The detailed lessons are in Arabic for now. In class, the teacher explains every
rule in English.

## How long are the madd lengths in Hafs?

 Madd lengths in counts (ḥarakāt), Hafs ʿan ʿAsim via ash-Shatibiyyah  |  Type of madd |  Length |  
   |  Natural madd |  2 |  
 |  Connected madd (muttaṣil) |  4 or 5 |  
 |  Separated madd (munfaṣil) |  4 or 5 |  
 |  Necessary madd (lāzim) |  6 |  
 |  Madd before a pause (ʿāriḍ) |  2, 4 or 6 |  
 |  Badal madd |  2 |

In the connected and separated madd, four counts is the more common choice. Whatever
length you choose, keep it the same throughout your recitation.

## How long does it take to learn Tajweed?

It depends on how well you read and how many classes you take. A student who already
reads the Mushaf correctly usually covers the six core stages in a few months with
two or three classes a week, then needs longer to apply them confidently in recitation.
The teacher sets an estimate after the free trial.

## Which mistakes does the teacher fix first?

 * Throat and heavy letters: ḥ and h, ʿ and ʾ, q and k, ḍ, ẓ and d
 * Stretching short vowels into madd, or cutting the natural madd below two counts
 * Dropping the ghunnah on a doubled noon or meem
 * Missing qalqalah on a sākin letter of «qutb jad»
 * Making the rāʾ light where it should be heavy

## Can I learn this with a teacher?

Yes. A written guide explains the rule with examples, but correct recitation is 
learned by reading to a teacher with ijazah who hears you and corrects you in the
same class. The first class is a free trial, and packages then start at $25 a month
for two classes a week. [Book the free class](https://elquranonline.com/en/book-trial/)·
[All courses](https://elquranonline.com/en/courses/)