Is it permissible for the reciter to beautify his voice with embellishment and intonation to affect people?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. Is there a clarification to distinguish between beautifying the Qur'an with voice, intonation, and embellishment, and people intending something else by it? I mean, how does a person free himself from this and do what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded?
The Shaykh:
It depends on the intention. A person is judged by his intention. If he beautifies his voice for the sake of people and their praise, that is showing off (riya'). If he beautifies his voice seeking reward and recompense from Allah and caring for the Qur'an, then he is rewarded. This is according to the intention, and Allah is the One who knows intentions, Glorified and Exalted is He. However, one should not exaggerate in tajwid and elongation until the Qur'an becomes drawn out and resembles singing. This is not permissible. Exaggerating in tajwid turns the Qur'an into something resembling singing and melodies, and this is prohibited. Yes.
The questioner:
But if the imam or the reciter, whoever he is, intends to beautify the voice to complete this narration, or to do it himself, or to say it so as to affect the listener, for example, as a sermon?
The Shaykh:
He intends both matters.
The questioner:
These are good intentions.
The Shaykh:
Reciting the Qur'an in a beautiful manner, and intending to benefit the listeners and encourage them to listen, there is no doubt, this is good.
The questioner:
It does not harm his intention or his work.
The Shaykh:
It does harm, however, if he wants praise and commendation and wants people to gather behind him, then that is showing off (riya') and seeking fame. The imam must repent from it. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
May Allah reward you. Is there a clarification to distinguish between beautifying the Qur'an with voice, intonation, and embellishment, and people intending something else by it? I mean, how does a person free himself from this and do what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded?
The Shaykh:
It depends on the intention. A person is judged by his intention. If he beautifies his voice for the sake of people and their praise, that is showing off (riya'). If he beautifies his voice seeking reward and recompense from Allah and caring for the Qur'an, then he is rewarded. This is according to the intention, and Allah is the One who knows intentions, Glorified and Exalted is He. However, one should not exaggerate in tajwid and elongation until the Qur'an becomes drawn out and resembles singing. This is not permissible. Exaggerating in tajwid turns the Qur'an into something resembling singing and melodies, and this is prohibited. Yes.
The questioner:
But if the imam or the reciter, whoever he is, intends to beautify the voice to complete this narration, or to do it himself, or to say it so as to affect the listener, for example, as a sermon?
The Shaykh:
He intends both matters.
The questioner:
These are good intentions.
The Shaykh:
Reciting the Qur'an in a beautiful manner, and intending to benefit the listeners and encourage them to listen, there is no doubt, this is good.
The questioner:
It does not harm his intention or his work.
The Shaykh:
It does harm, however, if he wants praise and commendation and wants people to gather behind him, then that is showing off (riya') and seeking fame. The imam must repent from it. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز للقارئ أن يحسن من صوته بالتحبير والتنغيم ليؤثر في الناس؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.