How to Recite the Three Quls With Tajweed (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas)

Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas — often called the three Quls — are among the first surahs every Muslim learns. We recite them in prayer, before sleep and for protection. Because we say them so often, they are also the best place to practise tajweed.

This guide goes through each surah verse by verse and shows which rules appear and how to apply them. We follow the recitation of Hafs from ‘Asim.

Rules you will meet in these three surahs

Surah Al-Ikhlas (112)

1. قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (112:1)

• قُلْ: the qaf is a heavy letter. Start with a full, deep sound.
• اللَّهُ: the lam of Allah is heavy here, because the word before (huwa) ends with a fatha.
• أَحَدٌ: if you stop here, the dal gets a clear qalqalah (bounce): ahad.

2. اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (112:2)

• If you start this verse on its own, the lam of Allah is heavy.
• الصَّمَدُ: ص is a sun letter, so the lam is silent: as-samad. The ص is also a heavy letter.
• Stopping on الصَّمَدُ gives qalqalah on the dal.

3. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (112:3)

• لَمْ يَلِدْ: the meem sakinah before ي is read clearly (izhar shafawi).
• يَلِدْ: the dal has a sukoon in the middle of the verse, so it gets a light qalqalah.
• يُولَدْ: stopping here gives a clearer qalqalah.

4. وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (112:4)

• يَكُن لَّهُ: the noon sakinah merges into the lam without ghunnah (idgham). You say yakul-lahu, not yakun lahu.
• كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ: the tanween before hamza is read clearly (izhar).
• أَحَدٌ: qalqalah when stopping.

Surah Al-Falaq (113)

1. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ (113:1)

• أَعُوذُ: make the ع from the middle of the throat. Don't turn it into a plain "a".
• بِرَبِّ: the ra has a kasra, so it is light.
• الْفَلَقِ: ف is a moon letter, so the lam is heard: al-falaq. Stopping gives qalqalah on the qaf.

2. مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ (113:2)

• مِن شَرِّ: noon sakinah before ش is ikhfa: partly hide the noon with a ghunnah of about two counts.
• شَرِّ: the ra has a kasra, so it is light. Hold the shaddah.
• خَلَقَ: kha is heavy; stopping gives qalqalah on the qaf.

3. وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ (113:3)

• غَاسِقٍ إِذَا: tanween before hamza is read clearly (izhar).
• وَقَبَ: stopping gives qalqalah on the ba.

4. وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ (113:4)

• النَّفَّاثَاتِ: ن is a sun letter, so the lam is silent. The noon has a shaddah, so give it a ghunnah of two counts.
• الْعُقَدِ: ع is a moon letter. Stopping gives qalqalah on the dal.

5. وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ (113:5)

• حَاسِدٍ إِذَا: izhar of the tanween before hamza.
• حَسَدَ: make the ح deep from the throat, not a normal "h". Stopping gives qalqalah on the dal.

Surah An-Nas (114)

1. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ (114:1)

• النَّاسِ: ن is a sun letter, so the lam is silent. The noon has a shaddah, so hold a ghunnah of two counts: an-nnas.
• When you stop on an-nas, the alif before the last letter can be lengthened to 2, 4 or 6 counts (madd ‘arid lis-sukun). Choose one length and keep it the same in every verse.

2. مَلِكِ النَّاسِ and 3. إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ (114:2–3)

• The same ghunnah and stopping madd on an-nas.
• إِلَٰهِ: the small alif over the lam is a natural madd of two counts: ilahi.

4. مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ (114:4)

• مِن شَرِّ: ikhfa, as in Al-Falaq.
• الْوَسْوَاسِ and الْخَنَّاسِ: و and خ are moon letters, so the lam is heard. The noon of al-khannas has a shaddah, so give it a ghunnah.

5. الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ (114:5)

• صُدُورِ: the ص is heavy, and the waw is a natural madd of two counts.

6. مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ (114:6)

• الْجِنَّةِ: ج is a moon letter, so the lam is heard. The noon has a shaddah, so give it a ghunnah.
• وَالنَّاسِ: ghunnah, and the stopping madd.

Common mistakes in the three Quls

• No qalqalah at the end of the verses of Al-Ikhlas, or adding a vowel (ahada).
• A light qaf in qul and al-falaq, so it sounds like a k.
• Saying al-nas instead of an-nas, or forgetting the ghunnah on the noon.
• Different madd lengths on an-nas in each verse.
• A plain h instead of a deep ح in hasid and hasad.

How to practise

1. Take one surah per day: Al-Ikhlas on day 1, Al-Falaq on day 2, An-Nas on day 3.
1. Read each verse slowly while looking at this guide, then read the whole surah without it.
1. Listen to a well-known reciter reading slowly (murattal) and repeat after each verse.
1. Record yourself on day 4 and compare.

Once you are comfortable, try the same method with Surah Al-Fatiha and Surah Al-Mulk. For the rules behind this guide, see qalqalah, ghunnah and the sun and moon letters. For live correction, see our online Tajweed course.