they end up dropping certain letters. That is not how it was revealed; every letter must be articulated. The discipline known in the manuals of tajwīd is not obligatory in itself; it is simply a way to perfect and beautify one’s voice. What is binding is that you do not omit a single letter, nor any doubled consonant indicated by a shaddah. The well-known rules of tajwīd, therefore, belong to the realm of embellishment and completion, not to that of obligation. Hence, the claim that tajwīd is compulsory and that whoever fails to apply it is sinful is exceedingly weak. Rather, one should say—praise be to Allah—that the Qur’an is plain and clear: do not drop any of its letters. As for observing the detailed rules of tajwīd, they are not required; they only enhance the beauty of recitation.

Know also that when the Qur’an was first sent down, it was revealed in seven aḥruf (modes of recitation), because the Arabs belonged to many tribes and spoke a variety of dialects. You are aware that when someone tries to speak in a dialect other than his own, it is difficult and taxing. Out of His mercy, therefore, Allah allowed the Qur’an to be recited in seven aḥruf so that everyone could read it in his own speech. This remained the case throughout the lifetime of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and during the caliphates of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. By the time of ʿUthmān, however, people were still reading in their respective dialects, and this led to disagreements. Meanwhile the Qurayshi dialect had come to dominate all others; as the language evolved and every caliph of the state was from Quraysh, their dialect prevailed.