📏 Level 7: Tajweed basics
Stopping (Waqf) and the stop signs New
How to stop at the end of a verse or a word, and what the small signs in the Qur'an mean.
In this lesson you will
- Change the last letter correctly when stopping
- Know the stop signs and what each one asks you to do
Learn
Tap any Arabic example to hear it.
How to stop on a word
When you stop (take a breath or reach the end of a verse), the last letter loses its vowel:
- A short vowel or Kasratayn/Ḍammatayn becomes a sukoon: أَحَدٌ → 'a-had'.
- Fatḥatayn becomes a long 'aa': أَبَدًا → 'a-ba-daa'.
- Taa Marbootah becomes an 'h' sound: رَحْمَةٌ → 'rah-mah'.
The stop signs in the Qur'an
These are the signs in the Qur'an on this site (the Madinah Mushaf, as printed by the King Fahd Complex). They are written small, just after the word.
| Sign | Name | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| End of an ayah | Stop here and take a breath. |
ۘ | Small Meem: waqf laazim | You must stop. Joining could change the meaning. |
ۗ | Qalaa | You may stop or join; stopping is better. |
ۚ | Small Jeem: waqf jaa'iz | You may stop or join; both are fine. |
ۖ | Ṣalaa | You may stop or join; joining is better. |
ۙ | Laa | Do not stop here. If you have to, go back a word or two and read on. |
ۛ … ۛ | Three dots, twice: mu'aanaqah | Stop at one of the two places, not both. |
ۜ | Small Seen: saktah | Pause for a moment without taking a breath, then carry on. |
In Indo-Pak Qur'ans
Qur'ans printed in South Asia write the signs as small letters above the line, and have a few more:
- م must stop, ط stop, قف stop, قلے stopping is better.
- ج may stop, ز may stop but joining is better, ص join unless out of breath, صلے joining is better, ق joining is better.
- لا do not stop (above an ayah's number: you may stop or join).
- سکتہ a short pause without breath, وقفہ a slightly longer one.
- ع is not a stop sign: it marks the end of a section (rukoo').
Practice
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