When you read the Qur’an, it’s important to read it correctly so that you understand its true meaning and significance. There are two types of mistakes people can make while reading, called Al-Lahn: Lahn Jalli and Lahn Khafi.
- Lahn Jalli [Clear Errors]:
Lahn Jalli are obvious mistakes in how you say the words. These mistakes can change the meaning of the verses, even if just a little bit. They happen when you say the wrong letters or change the way you say them.
Lahn Jalli with Letters:
- Changing Letters: For example, if you change the letter س (seen) to ص (saad) in the word عسى, you say it wrong as عصى.
- Adding Letters: If you add an extra alif in the word ولتسألن, you say it wrong as ولا تسألن.
- Dropping Letters: If you forget to say the alif in the word لا in ولا تموتن, you say it wrong as ولتموتن.
Lahn Jalli with Vowels:
- Changing Vowels: If you change the way you say the vowels, like saying كَتُبَ (katuba) instead of كَتَبَ (kataba), you make a mistake.
- Other Vowel Mistakes: Any time you change how you say a vowel, like changing a word with a vowel (like ت in كَتَبَ) to a word without a vowel (كَتْبَ), it’s also a mistake.
In short, any time you change a letter or a vowel when reading, it’s a clear mistake, and we call it Lahn Jalli. These mistakes are not good and should be fixed as soon as you can.
- Lahn Khafi [Hidden Errors]:
Lahn Khafi are mistakes that are a bit harder to notice. These mistakes don’t change the grammar or meaning of the words, but they affect the beauty of how it sounds when you read it.
An example of Lahn Khafi is when you don’t follow the rules of Tajweed correctly. This could be forgetting to make a sound longer (madd) or merging sounds (idghaam).
All Lahn Khafi mistakes are not preferred (makrooh), because they make the reading sound less nice, even though they don’t change the main message.
To sum up, it’s important to read the Qur’an correctly. Al-Lahn mistakes are split into Lahn Jalli, which are clear mistakes with letters and vowels, and Lahn Khafi, which are harder-to-notice mistakes that affect how it sounds. Fixing these mistakes is important to make sure the true meaning and beauty of the Qur’an are preserved when you read it.
