The Quran is not an ordinary book. Every word of the Quran is a living reality. It is, therefore, necessary to read the Quran with the correct pronunciation so that the meanings of the words are not altered in any way. Proper tajweed is obligatory while reading Quran.
Tajweed is an Arabic language word and refers to the art of recitation of the Quran. It is a set of rules which govern how the Quran should be read and recited. The Quran must be recited with the proper pronunciation of the words, proper articulation and modulation of the words, proper inflection, proper Arabic accent, emphasis on letters and words at the proper time and place, and most important of all, the recitation should be at the proper pace.
The word Tajweed is derived from the trilateral root word j-w-d, which means to make something better, or to improve something. There are ten schools – called Tawatur in Arabic – of recitation. The most prevalent of style of reciting the Quran is the recitation of the eminent Qari*, Imam Aasim, as has been transmitted by Imam Hafs.
(*A Qari is Reciter of Quran who has introduced one or more unique styles of recitation)