The stopping signs in most mushafs
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| مـ | Compulsory stop. Continuing could change the meaning. |
| لا | Do not stop here (unless out of breath, in which case go back and reread). |
| ج | Permissible stop. Either is fine. |
| صلى | Continuing is preferred, stopping is allowed. |
| قلى | Stopping is preferred, continuing is allowed. |
| ∴ ∴ | Two sets of three dots: stop at one of them but not both. |
| | End of verse. Stopping at the verse end is the default. |
| س or سكتة | A brief pause without taking a breath (found in four places in Hafs). |
What changes when you stop
- The last letter is read with sukoon: الرَّحِيمِ becomes الرَّحِيمْ.
- Tanween with fatha becomes a long alif: أَحَدًا is read أَحَدَا. Tanween with kasra or damma is dropped: أَحَدٌ is read أَحَدْ.
- Ta marbutah (ة) is read as ه: الْجَنَّةِ becomes الْجَنَّهْ.
- If the last letter is a madd letter, the temporary madd (arid lis-sukoon) applies: 2, 4 or 6 counts.
- If the last letter is a qalqalah letter, major qalqalah applies.
Starting again
- Do not start with a word that produces a wrong or awkward meaning on its own.
- If the word begins with hamzat al-wasl (a connecting hamzah, usually on ال or verbs such as اهْدِنَا), pronounce it when starting even though it is silent when connecting.
- If you stopped at a place marked لا, go back a few words and reread from a sensible point.
Common mistakes
- Stopping in the middle of a phrase because of breath, then continuing from the next word without going back.
- Forgetting to change tanween when stopping.
- Reading ة as ت at a stop.
Practice
Read Surah Al-Fatihah stopping at every verse end and applying the sukoon and madd rules. Then read Al-Baqarah 2:1–5, following the printed signs.
Examples of Rules of Stopping and Starting (Waqf and Ibtida)
- Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
أَحَدٌ — Stopping on tanwīn ḍamm: the tanwīn is dropped and the letter takes sukūn.
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
- Surah Al-Fatihah 1:2
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ — Stopping on a kasrah: the final vowel is dropped.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:2
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
لَا رَيْبَ — The small marks in the Mushaf show where a stop is preferred or not; here the well-known alternative stops are marked.
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -