Abolfazl Chamani, a Quran reciter and teacher, outlined his approach in an interview with IQNA. He described soundness as the foundation on which beauty and impact are built.

“I believe a professional and impactful recitation has three pillars: soundness, beauty and impact,” Chamani said.

Soundness, he explained, means reciting the Quran correctly in terms of reading, Tajweed (the rules of recitation), proper Waqf and Ibtida (pausing and resuming), and correct pronunciation of words. Fluency and appropriate accent also fall under this category, he noted.  

Beauty, he said, means applying melodic patterns correctly to the words so that the recitation is pleasant to hear. “Impact occurs when the recitation connects with the meaning and the qari’s inner state and reaches the listener’s heart.”

Chamani emphasized that the qari must first understand something from his own recitation and then convey what he has understood to the listener.

He used a building analogy to emphasize that soundness must precede vocal beauty. “Imagine a house whose structure, foundation and framework are faulty. In such a situation, no beauty or decoration on its walls will be visible, and even if decorations are added, everyone will notice the fundamental problem in the building.”

Chamani, who teaches the Quran and serves as a qari at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, also addressed whether a professional reciter should be able to deliver high-quality recitation regardless of his emotional state.

“A professional reciter is one whose quality of work should not depend on his mood, but in Quranic recitation this cannot be treated as a firm rule, because if the reciter's general, psychological and mental state is not good, it will certainly affect his recitation,” he said.

He noted that reciters have even been advised not to recite when they are not in a good state. In such situations, he suggested, a reciter should turn to a meaning-focused recitation, setting aside melodic and vocal complexities until he is mentally and emotionally prepared.

Chamani also discussed what he called “tonal range”—the portion of a reciter's voice in which it sounds best and can be used without strain. He said the term applies differently across styles such as Tarteel (measured recitation), Tahqeeq (deliberate, slow recitation), the call to prayer and supplication.

“Each person must know his own vocal tonality and perform accordingly,” he said.

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He cited the late Egyptian reciter Mustafa Ismail as an example of a reciter whose style required using a wide vocal range, even if some notes at the lower end were less beautiful. He also mentioned another late Egyptian reciter, known as Sayyad, who focused on the part of his voice with greater quality and beauty.

“Choosing an appropriate vocal range is one of the influential factors in forming a professional recitation,” Chamani said. “However, as was said, the recitation must first have soundness, and after that we reach the stage of beauty.”

He concluded by expressing hope that all reciters would offer sound and beautiful recitations that penetrate the listener’s heart and bring audiences closer to the Quran.

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