Tajweed: Haram? Halal?

[Zaid 'Abdur-Rahman]

Malik said: Recitation with melodies does not please me...Do you think that this is anything to do with the way Rasulullah sallallahu 'alaihi salaam used to recite?

Being a hard core Maliki , I agree with this opinion of Imam Malik. Even before I became a Maliki, I found the concept of tajweed a little, well, ridiculous.

So, what is everyone's else opinion? We know that the practice of tajweed arose in egypt; we also know that it was not practiced by the salaf.


After all, "Tajweed" itself merely means articulating and reciting clearly, not necessarily "singing". In accordance, this is promoting all sorts of "recording artists" making money off of Al-Qur'an.




Opinions?

Wasalaam,
Zaid