Unlock the beauty of your recitation with maqamat - with simple patterns anyone can master

What if you could finally recite with a tune, without years of training?

Begins Nov 15, 2025

🖥️ Lessons on demand - 🎧 Guided audio practice
🎤 Live Practice Labs - 💬 Community feedback & support

Please note: this video features the previous name for this program, The Overnight Qari Experience

There’s a secret to reciting beautifully that most people overlook …

When most of us set out to connect with the Quran and improve our recitation, we invariably start with learning tajweed - perhaps you’ve already put in the time and heard it all: “slow it down - you’re reading too fast - you have to read letter by letter” ...

or how about “give a little bit more bounce on the qaaf” …

or “make your ikhfaa a little bit lighter” …

Maybe you even went on to study a text in tajweed, or recited to a teacher to fix your mistakes - perhaps you’ve gotten to the point where you’re satisfied with your level in tajweed.

But something’s missing, and you’re still not satisfied with your recitation …

The tajweed helped - it definitely did. You’re reciting more clearly, more confidently, and alhamdulillah correctly. But when you listen to your favourite reciter, their voice, their tune, the way they’re reading - it’s just. so. mashaAllah - you can feel it. The Quran comes alive, and you feel the words, meanings, and stories - it’s real - and your heart reacts to that …

Their recitation draws you into the scene and touches your heart in a way that's hard to put in words ... you’re no longer just hearing with your ears; you can feel the ayat being recited - and for just a moment the thought crosses your mind:

"If only I could recite like that!" ...

And it’s not just you - from the emails I get from readers like yourself, I know that this is something that many are struggling with - and it’s not really being addressed.

Take a look - these are real quotes from emails I regularly receive:

“I tend to keep a similar tune the whole qiraat”
“I read one ayat and it sounds nice but the next one sounds not so nice. and it's difficult to read the entire surah in one beautiful tune”
“I don’t know which maqam will suit me … I don’t know which maqam should I pick … I don’t know which maqam is suitable for beginners”
“I have difficulty hearing a tone and figuring out where to go high and where to go low.”
“Alhamdulillah my tajweed is good … my only problem is that i don’t like my tone”

Let’s dig a bit deeper: why does it seem so hard to recite with a tune?

From the emails I get, I know this is something many of you struggle with. You want your recitation to have a beautiful tune, but it just doesn’t come out the way you hope.

You might have been told, “Just focus on tajweed” - and alhamdulillah, you did. Yet your recitation still feels flat.

Maybe you discovered maqamat and thought, “OMG this is what I was looking for”!"

So you turn to YouTube and skip from one clip to the next, listening carefully, trying to copy the tune. Hours pass, but it still feels elusive. Sometimes you can hear a pattern, but it changes from one reciter to another; it seems almost the same, yet slightly different. It’s right there… and then it slips away just as you try to hold on.

And the doubt creeps in:

“Why is it so hard for me to learn a maqam? Will I ever be able to recite with a tune, or maybe this is just the way my voice is?”

What if reciting in a tune wasn’t as hard as you thought it might be?

I get it - it can seem daunting at first - you’re trying to listen to different clips and you’re trying to get the tune, but it’s just not coming to you. And you can’t for the life of you figure out what you’re supposed to be doing differently. And that’s where the doubt begins to set in … maybe I’m just tone-deaf ... maybe I’m not cut out for this ... and you give up even before you fully got started.

But what if I told you that you could recite with a tune, and experience even some of the joy of reciting beautifully? What if you could recite with emotion, and actually enjoy the sound of your own recitation? What if you could enjoy hearing yourself while reciting aloud in Isha, or maybe when you sit down with your mushaf after a long day at work?

Alhamdulillah for the past eight years, I’ve been teaching the art of recitation and maqamat - helping others like you to recite Quran beautifully. Today I want to tell you about my newest course, and how it can help you learn to recite beautifully:

Introducing

The Maqamat Blueprint is a unique program that will take you beyond tajweed and connect you to the Quran on a whole new level. You’ll enter the world of maqamat and the whole *art* side of recitation, and learn how to take a simple, beautiful tune pattern - and implement it in your recitation.

This program will introduce you to the art of recitation and maqamat, with a focus on maqam nahawand and ajam. In this course, we'll start from the ground up - breaking down the structure and common patterns of these maqams, so that you can understand how each maqam gets its sound, and more importantly so that you can begin to implement the patterns in your own recitation.

In the course we'll actually draw out the pattern, so you can follow along visually. No more guessing how to go up and down - we’ll show you exactly how and where to go up and down so that you can implement the pattern in your recitation. This is a huge 'aha' moment for a lot of my students - going from "I have no idea what's going on" to "Ah so that's how it works!".Once you learn this there’s no going back - you’ll finally understand how maqamat work. No more listening, listening, and listening more - but still you're not quite sure why or how a certain maqam sounds the way it does. You'll start to build your ear to be able to hear differences in pitch so that you can understand how maqamat are put together. This is a skill that will help you later on when and if you decide to go further with learning more maqamat.

Join the program

Wait what’s maqamat? And who’s ajam?

Good question - I’m guessing you’re new here. Think of your favourite reciter - they’re not just reciting with excellent tajweed - they’re also captivating you with a beautiful tune, aka a maqam. So maqam=tune.

Some reciters (like Sh. Sudais for example) always recite with the same tune, whereas many other reciters change up their tune from day to day, or even within a single recitation. The different tune patterns have different names - for example hijaz, sika, rast, and so on.

Most likely, even if you’re not familiar with the names, the sound of at least some of these tunes might be fairly recognizable to you. Maqam ajam for example is a common tune - it's beautiful, uplifting and soothing. If you listen to Quran, most likely you’ve heard this tune even if you didn’t know the name.

How will this help you learn a tune?

Remember earlier when we spoke about the doubts that creep in? Many people—maybe even you—have tried to figure out maqamat on YouTube, but it didn’t work out. So you might think, “maybe I’m tone-deaf” or “maybe I just have a bad voice.” But from my experience as a teacher, that’s almost never the case.

Here’s the truth: every maqam has a key pattern that creates its unique sound. Go up and down one way, and you’ll get a certain tune, like maqam hijaz. Go another way, and you’ll get a different tune, like maqam nahawand. Once you know the pattern, it becomes so much easier to hear it in your head and use it in your recitation.

The problem with trying to learn from YouTube is that these patterns leave a lot of room for creativity. Every reciter expresses them differently, adding flourishes, long breaths, and their own style, so it’s hard for a beginner to see the actual pattern behind it all.

No more guessing how to go up and down!

In this course, we’ll fix that. You’ll first learn how maqamat work and what makes each one sound distinct. Then we’ll break down the patterns for maqam Nahawand and Ajam with simple visuals and short, easy-to-follow examples. Seeing the pattern helps you hear it better.

From there, we’ll move step-by-step: from short patterns to short ayat, then to longer ayat, helping you apply everything smoothly and beautifully in your own recitation.

It’s a well-thought-out system designed to help you progress—and student results show that it works.

"Very well structured ... the progression is well-thought out ... in an organized, step by step manner"

"I really enjoyed Idrees Ally's hijaz mini-course. It was very well structured and went from basically zero to actually doing some more advanced recitation in a very short time. It is clear that the progression is well-thought out - much more so than in other online maqamat courses that I have experienced. What I enjoyed the most is that you present the subject in an organized, step by step manner, which gave me a sense of direction. I enjoyed the way you explained the hijaz pattern visually (with the lines at different heights) which made it very easy and approachable for people with little-to-no experience. I sincerely recommend this course if you want a clear, guided introduction to Hijaz, and maqamat in general."

(Suleyman, Spain)

Here’s how The Maqamat Blueprint works

This program is designed to help you actually make progress, step by step. You’ll learn through a mix of weekly on-demand lessons, guided practice audios, live Practice Labs, and a supportive student community.

🎓 Weekly Lessons

New lessons are released each week, walking you through how maqamat work, what gives each tune its sound, and how to apply it in your recitation. You can watch them anytime during the week, at your own pace.

🎧 Guided Practice Audios

These aren’t just recitation demos. They’re step-by-step practice clips designed to help you internalize the patterns implement them in recitation, little by little, until it starts to feel natural.

🎤 Live Practice Labs

Join these live sessions to get real-time coaching and feedback. You’ll learn to apply what you’ve studied, build confidence in your recitation, and hear how others are progressing too.

💬 Student Community

You’ll have access to a private student space where you can ask questions, share recordings, get feedback, and connect with others on the same journey. Learning together keeps you motivated and supported along the way.

Join the Program

Our method works. But don't just take my word for it.
Here's what students have said:

"Maqam hijaz course was absolutely amazing"

"Alhamdulillah the maqam hijaz course was absolutely amazing - I managed to feel after this course of course much more confident in reciting the quran, less self-conscious regarding my tune and subhanallah the maqam hijaz flows every time without me even having to think about it."

(Talha, UK)

"My recitation is now better than it was before!"

"The hijaz course was fantastic and it was a great way to start in the maqamat field. To be honest it exceed my expectations because the sheikh was following us in every step with extra practices. I felt a bit stuck in the first lessons where it was very difficult for me to understand the pattern, but through practice every thing got better. Even though I need to keep practicing, my recitation is now better than it was before!"

(Mohamed, Italy)

Here’s what you can expect to learn in The Maqamat Blueprint

This is not a full course outline - rather an overview of some of the topics we’ll cover in this program to give you an idea of what to expect. Some topics and concepts will be covered in extensive detail - such as Maqam Nahwand and Ajam, and more broadly understanding how maqamat work. We won't just “talk” about this, rather we’ll spend most of the course practicing maqam nahawand and seeing in practice how maqamat work.

Some other things - for example the moods of the maqamat - are topics that we’ll introduce and explain the concepts rather than spending several lessons practicing this.

With that in mind, here are some of the things we’ll cover:

How maqamat work: After this, maqamat will no longer remain a mystery. You’ll understand how maqamat are structured and how and why certain maqamat sound the way they do. This will also give you the framework for learning maqamat rather than just guessing and trying to copy a sound.
Training your ears: how to train your ears to sense pitch and hear maqam patterns as though you could see them
Maqam Nahawand: We’ll cover this extensively and do a lot of step by step practice. You’ll learn simple patterns to go up in the maqam, to go down, and also to “hang out” in the middle. We’ll practice in shorter ayat, then graduate to longer ayat. We’ll do exercises where we *zoom in* and learn specific patterns, and then readings where we *zoom out* and build up a feel for the maqam. We'll look at different reciters to hear different expressions of the maqam. This will be the bulk of the course.
Maqam ajam: After spending most of the course learning the fundamentals with Maqam nahawand, we'll introduce and cover the main patterns for maqam ajam as well.
Other maqamat: We may touch on other maqamat, especially to demonstrate different points about maqamat, but teaching them in detail will not be the focus of this program
The Reciter's Journey: understanding the steps involved in learning how to recite beautifully with maqamat, and how to practice depending on what stage you're at
The moods of the maqamat: understanding the different moods of the maqamat, and how they relate to their usage when reciting
Painting a picture of the meaning: using your voice to bring out the meaning, so that your voice and tune reflects and corresponds to what you're reciting

Meet your instructor - Qari Idrees Ally

Assalaamu alaikum! I still remember the days when I first discovered maqamat, and I'd be poring over different clips online, struggling to figure out the patterns. At that time, I would have died (not literally lol) for a course like this one. Fast forward to today, and alhamdulillah I've been successfully teaching maqamat and the art of recitation to students like yourself for over ten years. Alhamdulillah I have excellent command of the main maqamat, and it's easy for me to recite in any maqam and transition between them as well. I also like to believe that I have a balanced approach to maqamat and the art of recitation, and I always try to convey to my students the importance of reciting beautifully whilst not going unnecessarily overboard.

Alhamdulillah I've had the honour of studying tajweed and qira'at and reciting to a number of teachers. Most notably I have ijazah in riyawat Hafs from the late Mufti Umer Ismail (rahimahullah), as well as ijazah in the ten qira'at (asharah sughra & kubra) from Shaykh Uthman Khan.

In addition to teaching my own maqamat programs, I am an instructor with Al-Maghrib Institute's Quran Flow program.

Begin your journey to a beautiful recitation

Click below to join The Maqamat Blueprint, and experience the joy of reciting beautifully. You’ll get full access to the course lessons, practice labs (coaching calls), practice audio clips, plus the student community.

You can choose to pay in a single payment of 345 USD, or you can choose to split it into 2 payments of 172.5 USD.

Early bird pricing: You can get 15% off if you register by Sunday, Nov 2, 2025 - use the code EARLYBIRD15 on the checkout page.

International Pricing: alhamdulillah we are happy to offer international pricing in order to facilitate things for students around the world. Depending on your country, you may see an automated banner offering a regional discount - no need to apply for or request a scholarship or discount. In order to see this pricing, you will need to click register below to proceed to the registration page.

Take this course risk-free

If you’ve been looking to learn maqamat and beautify your tune, you know as well as I do that it would be very difficult to find a course similar to this one. I’ve poured my heart and soul into figuring out how best to teach maqamat to beginners, and I stand behind this course 100% - I know that if you put in the practice, you will eventually get results. The student feedback highlighted on this page is testament to that.

Here’s our offer: We’re confident that our course will help you, and we want you to experience it risk-free. If you’re truly not satisfied, let us know by Nov 25, 2025 and we’ll give you a full refund. However, this is based on trust and we request fair and honest use of the course and ask you to dive into the material, do the work, and ask for help as needed.

On the fence? Here’s what my past students have said after taking my maqamat courses:

Your questions, answered:

When is this program taking place?

What if I can’t attend live on Saturdays?

Can I recite to you for feedback?

Will I master maqamat by the end of this program?

What if I’m tone-deaf?

Can sisters join this program?

What if my tajweed isn’t great? Can I still benefit?

I want to learn another maqam!

Is there any financial assistance available?

What if I’m not satisfied with the course?

Join the Maqamat Blueprint Today

If you've read this far, I'm guessing that you know deep down inside that you want to improve your tune so that you can recite smoothly and beautifully, and take your relationship with the Quran to new heights ...

Maybe you've tried to fix this on your own, going from one YouTube demo to another trying to figure this out ...

Perhaps it's been years that you've silently wished you could improve your tune, and you've started to bury that dream inside of you ...

I invite you to join what I really feel is a fresh and unique approach to learning maqamat. Our overwhelmingly positive student feedback exists because this works. Yes it takes effort - you have put in the practice if you want to improve. But the method works and I know that if you've ever wanted to learn maqamat, this course will definitely help you in ways you can't imagine.

Where might you be in a few months, if you could make significant improvements in your recitation? How might next Ramadan be different for you? I invite you to register below - try something different, and see where this road leads you.