A substantial modern commentary on Imām Ibn al-Jazarī’s (751–833 AH) celebrated al-Muqaddimah fīmā yajibu ʿalā qāriʾ al-Qurʾān an yaʿlamuh, by the eminent Iraqi scholar of Qurʾānic studies and Arabic phonetics Prof. Dr. Ghānim Qaddūrī al-Ḥamad. While firmly rooted in the classical Tajwīd tradition, this commentary is distinctive for bringing the explanations of the early scholars into conversation with the findings and terminology of modern phonetics (ʿilm al-aṣwāt).
The author draws extensively upon the earlier commentators on the Jazariyyah and the foundational writings of the classical scholars of Tajwīd, while adding the results of modern linguistic and phonetic research. His aim is not to replace the traditional understanding of Tajwīd with modern phonetics, but to use contemporary knowledge of speech production and the articulation of sounds to illuminate the remarkably precise observations made by the early scholars. The book thus forms a bridge between the classical Arabic phonetic heritage and contemporary linguistic study.
Rather than simply placing a paragraph beneath each verse of Ibn al-Jazarī’s poem, Dr. al-Ḥamad reorganises the commentary into a modern systematic textbook while preserving the original sequence of the verses. The work is divided into four broad sections: introductory principles of Tajwīd; the production and classification of speech sounds; the articulation of the Arabic letters and their phonetic rules; and supplementary subjects connected with Tajwīd which Ibn al-Jazarī incorporated into his poem. This allows the reader to study the Jazariyyah as both a classical didactic text and a coherent scientific treatment of Qurʾānic pronunciation.
Throughout the commentary, the author explains difficult vocabulary, parses grammatically difficult phrases, notes poetic necessities and variant wordings of the Muqaddimah, and carefully unpacks the rules contained within each verse. Particular attention is given to the phonetic reasoning behind rules of Tajwīd, with Qurʾānic examples supplied for the various principles. Where the reciters differ in matters affecting Tajwīd, the primary presentation generally follows Ḥafṣ ʿan ʿĀṣim, while other readings are mentioned where necessary.
A particularly valuable feature is the author’s detailed treatment of makhārij and ṣifāt al-ḥurūf in light of both classical descriptions and the physical mechanism of speech. Explanatory diagrams of the vocal apparatus are employed to illustrate the articulation points, characteristics of letters and other phonetic phenomena. The author deliberately retains the terminology of the classical scholars of Tajwīd while noting equivalent terminology used by modern phoneticians where this genuinely assists understanding.
The book goes beyond the immediate contents of Ibn al-Jazarī’s poem by including supplementary discussions of modern phonetic subjects such as speech defects, the syllable (al-maqṭaʿ), stress (nabr) and intonation (tanghīm). These additions are especially useful for readers interested in the linguistic foundations of correct Qurʾānic pronunciation and demonstrate why the subtitle Dirāsah Ṣawtiyyah Lughawiyyah—“A Phonetic and Linguistic Study”—is integral to the nature of the work rather than merely descriptive.
This is therefore considerably more advanced than a basic explanation of the Jazariyyah. It is particularly suited to advanced students and teachers of Tajwīd, Qirāʾāt students, and readers interested in Arabic phonetics and the linguistic foundations of Qurʾānic recitation. The publisher itself describes it as a commentary intended for advanced students, combining detailed explanation of the poem with access to the earliest sources of Tajwīd and the findings of modern phonetic science.
The current Dār al-Ghawthānī issue is the fourth edition, 2023, published in one large hardback volume of 718 pages
