Al-Rawm and Al-Ishmam between Classical Tajwid Studies and Modern Phonetics: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study aims to explore the phonetic explanations provided by scholars of Tajwīd and Qur’ānic readings regarding the phenomena of al-rawm and al-ishmam, and to analyze them phonetically in light of modern phonetic studies, in order to show the extent of their correspondence with the findings of contemporary phoneticians. The importance of this research lies in the fact that classical Tajwīd studies, established by scholars of Qur’anic recitation, were not merely descriptive accounts of Qur’anic performance; rather, they offered explanations distinguished by high precision and based on a profound awareness of phonetic concepts in articulation, audition, and visual observation. Indeed, in many aspects, these explanations parallel what modern phoneticians have reached. This study focuses on analyzing the explanations of Tajwid and Qur’anic scholars concerning the concepts of al-rawm and al-ishmām, their conditions, functions, and manifestations, while comparing them with what is found in modern phonetic studies, in addition to the contributions of orientalists in phonetic research.