Ijazah
Can a short poem of 61 verses really connect you to a chain of teachers stretching back more than two centuries? An Ijazah In Reading Tohfat Al-Atfal is exactly that: a certified link (sanad) granted when a student memorizes the poem, recites it flawlessly to a qualified sheikh, and demonstrates a deep understanding of its tajweed rules.
As the first tajweed text most learners memorize, Tohfat Al-Atfal contains foundational rules that govern almost every page of the Quran. Earning this ijazah is about verified transmission, connecting you directly to the author through an unbroken chain of scholars.
This guide explains what the ijazah entails, the two levels it can be granted at, the 5 easy steps to earn it, and the common mistakes that delay most candidates.
Who Wrote Tohfat Al-Atfal And What Does It Cover?
Tohfat Al-Atfal wal-Ghilman fi Tajweed al-Quran (“The Gift for Children and Youth on Quranic Tajweed”) is a didactic poem of 61 verses on tajweed rules. It was composed in 1198 AH by Sheikh Sulayman ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Jamzuri, an Egyptian scholar, who also wrote a commentary on it.
The poem is written in rajaz meter, which makes it easy to memorize and chant. That is why teachers give it to children first, then move students on to longer texts.
Read also: Ijazah in Memorizing and Reading Quran with (Qira’aat)
What Does “Dirayah And Riwayah” Mean In This Ijazah?
Dirayah means understanding: you can explain each rule, give its conditions, and point to examples in the Quran. Riwayah means transmission: you recite the text and the Quran accurately to a qualified teacher, who then permits you to transmit it.
A full ijazah in Tohfat Al-Atfal combines both. Memorizing the verses without understanding them is riwayah of the text only, and most serious teachers will not stop there.
Which Tajweed Topics Will Your Teacher Test In Tohfat Al-Atfal?
Your teacher will test every chapter of the poem, both by recitation of the verses and by applying each rule to Quranic examples. The table below maps the poem’s main sections.
| Section of the poem | Rules covered | What the teacher checks |
| Nun sakinah and tanween | Izhar, idgham (with and without ghunnah), iqlab, ikhfa | You can name the letters of each rule and spot them in a page of Quran |
| Nun and mim mushaddadah | Obligatory ghunnah | Ghunnah held for its full length, not rushed |
| Mim sakinah | Ikhfa shafawi, idgham shafawi, izhar shafawi | You do not confuse ikhfa shafawi with ordinary ikhfa |
| Lam of “al” and lam of the verb | Qamariyyah (moon) and shamsiyyah (sun) lam | Correct pronunciation or merging of lam in continuous reading |
| Mithlayn, mutaqaribayn, mutajanisayn | Relationships between adjacent letters | You classify a letter pair correctly and explain why |
| Madd | Natural madd, secondary madd, and its rulings: obligatory, permissible, and necessary | Correct counts for each type, including the madd of the disjointed letters |
The idgham letters, for example, are gathered in the poem in the single word “yarmalun” (ي ر م ل و ن). A good examiner will ask you to break that word into the letters with ghunnah and the letters without it.
If you want a teacher who drills these exact chapters verse by verse, Online Quran Teachers runs its tajweed lessons around the matn itself, so you apply every rule you memorize to real Quranic text in the same session.
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Book Your Free TrialHow To Get An Ijazah In Reading Tohfat Al-Atfal – The Full Path
The full path to an ijazah in Tohfat Al-Atfal, at the level granted with dirayah and riwayah, has five stages. Each stage depends on the one before it, so skipping ahead usually means repeating work later.
1. Master Tajweed In Theory And In Practice
Start by learning tajweed rules as concepts and as sounds. Theory without practice produces students who can define ikhfa but cannot produce it; practice without theory produces students who recite well but cannot correct others.
2. Memorize The Core Tajweed Texts
Memorize Tohfat Al-Atfal first, then Al-Muqaddimah al-Jazariyyah by Imam Ibn al-Jazari, then Al-Salsabil al-Shafi. The Tuhfah gives the foundations, the Jazariyyah adds articulation points and letter characteristics, and the Salsabil fills in finer details.
3. Pass A Theoretical Exam On All Tajweed Issues
The teacher examines you on every tajweed question, including what is permitted for the narration of Hafs from Asim by way of the Shatibiyyah. This means knowing the accepted options, such as the permitted lengths of madd munfasil in this path, and not mixing in options from other paths.
4. Recite A Complete Khatmah From Memory
You then recite the entire Quran from memory to the sheikh, applying every rule from the texts you memorized. This is where dirayah meets riwayah: the exam proves you know the rules, and the khatmah proves you apply them.
5. Receive The Ijazah And Your Sanad
After a successful khatmah, the sheikh grants the ijazah and writes out the chain of narrators from himself back to the author. Check that the chain is complete and that each name is a known teacher.
Read also: Ijazah in Reading the Poem of Al-Jazariyyah
Matn-Only Ijazah Vs Full Ijazah – Which One Do You Need?
A matn-only ijazah certifies that you recited the 61 verses of Tohfat Al-Atfal from memory, with correct meter and pronunciation, to a sheikh with a connected sanad to al-Jamzuri. A full ijazah adds the other texts, the theoretical exam, and a complete khatmah.
| Your Goal | Ijazah That Fits |
| A child taking a first step in tajweed | Matn-only ijazah in the Tuhfah |
| An adult who wants a recognized milestone while learning | Matn-only, then continue to the full path |
| You plan to teach tajweed or Quran recitation | Full ijazah with dirayah and riwayah |
| You want permission to teach the poem itself to others | At minimum a matn ijazah with dirayah |
The practical rule: if anyone will one day learn from you, aim for the full ijazah. A matn-only certificate is an honest milestone, but it does not prove you can apply the rules across the whole Quran.
Read also: Ijazah in Reading the Poem of Ash-Shatibiyya
Requirements For Children Seeking An Ijazah In Tohfat Al-Atfal
For children, the standard is quality of memorization, not quantity. What a child learns at this age stays with them, and if the foundations are wrong, every student who later learns from them inherits the errors. Three requirements protect against this.
1. Correct Articulation Points (Makharij)
A child gains little from memorizing large amounts with weak pronunciation. Teachers at this stage focus on makharij so the child pronounces each letter from its correct point before moving on.
2. A Teacher Who Is A Precise Reciter (Muharrir)
The child should learn from a teacher who knows every rule to be observed in recitation and applies it accurately. A teacher with gaps will pass them on, however talented the child is.
3. Awareness Of The Mushaf’s Script (Rasm)
At this age, the child learns by imitation, so they need to understand the features of the written Mushaf. Knowing which words are written joined (mawsul) and which are separated (maqtu’) is part of memorizing without errors.
Online Quran Teachers matches children with teachers who correct makharij live in every lesson, which is part of tajweed that a parent cannot check alone at home.
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Book Your Free TrialCommon Mistakes That Delay The Ijazah
The most common delay is memorizing the verses as a chant without linking them to the Quran. The student recites the idgham verse perfectly but misses idgham while reading Surah Al-Baqarah.
Other frequent mistakes include confusing ikhfa shafawi (mim sakinah before ba) with ordinary ikhfa of nun sakinah, which differ in where the sound is produced. Students also forget that the disjointed letters such as “Alif Lam Mim” carry their own madd rules, and they break the rajaz meter by adding or dropping vowels in the poem.
A quieter mistake is choosing a teacher without verifying their sanad. Ask to see the chain before you start, not after you finish.
Read also: Ijazah The Certification
Readiness Check – The “Recite, Explain, Locate” Test
Before booking your final recitation, test yourself on each of the poem’s sections with three questions. This is a simple self-assessment that mirrors how examiners actually probe a candidate.
1. Recite: Can you recite this section of the poem from memory, in meter, without hesitation?
2. Explain: Can you state the rule, its letters, and its conditions in your own words?
3. Locate: Can you open the Mushaf at a random page and find a live example of the rule within a minute?
If you pass all three for every section, you are ready to recite to your sheikh. If you fail “Locate,” you have memorized the text but not yet the skill, which is the gap most examiners look for first.
Read also: Quran Recitation with Tajweed
Start Your Tohfat Al-Atfal Ijazah With A Qualified Teacher Today
Earning an ijazah in reading the poem Tohfat Al-Atfal is not about collecting a certificate. It is about reciting the Quran correctly and joining a chain of teachers who did the same.
Online Quran Teachers guides you through every stage, from your first verse of the Tuhfah to your final recitation, with one-to-one lessons you take from home on your own schedule.
Book your first lesson now and start building recitation you can teach with confidence.
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Book Your Free TrialConclusion
An ijazah in reading the poem Tohfat Al-Atfal certifies that you memorized al-Jamzuri’s 61-verse poem and recited it accurately to a teacher with a connected sanad. At the full level, it also requires mastery of tajweed in theory and practice, memorization of the Jazariyyah and Salsabil, a theoretical exam on Hafs by way of the Shatibiyyah, and a complete khatmah from memory.
Choose the level that matches your goal, verify your teacher’s sanad, and test yourself with the “Recite, Explain, Locate” check before your final recitation. The poem is short; the skill it builds is what the ijazah truly certifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Verses Are In Tohfat Al-Atfal?
Tohfat Al-Atfal contains 61 verses. You must recite all of them from memory, with correct meter and pronunciation, to receive an ijazah in the poem.
Can I Get An Ijazah In Tohfat Al-Atfal Online?
Yes, you can earn an ijazah in Tohfat Al-Atfal online if your teacher holds a connected sanad to Imam al-Jamzuri. The recitation and examination take place live, exactly as they would in person.
At What Age Can A Child Start Tohfat Al-Atfal?
A child can start Tohfat Al-Atfal once they read Arabic letters with correct makharij. The poem was written for beginners, which is why it is usually the first tajweed text children memorize.
What Is The Difference Between Tohfat Al-Atfal And Al-Jazariyyah?
Tohfat Al-Atfal covers foundational tajweed rules such as nun sakinah, mim sakinah, lam, and madd. Al-Jazariyyah by Ibn al-Jazari is longer and adds articulation points, letter characteristics, and pausing rules.
Is A Matn-Only Ijazah Enough To Teach Tajweed?
A matn-only ijazah in Tohfat Al-Atfal is not enough on its own to teach tajweed fully. Teaching usually requires the full ijazah with dirayah and riwayah, including the theoretical exam and a complete khatmah.
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