# Rules of Stopping in the Quran: Waqf Signs Chart > Waqf signs show where to pause or continue in the Quran. Learn the signs, word-ending rules, types of stops and how to restart correctly. - Canonical: https://muroujacademy.com/what-are-rules-of-stopping-in-the-quran/ - Published: 2022-06-30 - Updated: 2026-10-23 - Author: Murouj Academy - Publisher: Murouj Academy (https://muroujacademy.com/) --- [Hadith](https://muroujacademy.com/category/hadith/) June 30, 2022 Updated October 23, 2026 Murouj Academy 9 min read ![Abstract Islamic geometric pattern in rose, plum and gold: a ribbon of star tiles paused by small gold circle medallions.](https://muroujacademy.com/uploads/blog/what-are-rules-of-stopping-in-the-quran.webp) The rules of stopping in the Quran (waqf) tell you where to pause, how to pronounce the last word, and where to resume. In the Madinah Mushaf, small signs guide you: م means stop, لا means do not stop, ج means either is fine, صلى prefers continuing, قلى prefers stopping, and ∴ means stop at only one of two places. ## What is waqf in the Quran? Waqf (وقف) means stopping the sound at the end of a word long enough to take a breath, with the intention of carrying on with the recitation. It can happen at the end of a verse or in the middle of one, but never in the middle of a word. Its partner topic is ibtida' (ابتداء), which means where and how you start again after a pause. Together, stopping and starting are a core part of tajweed, because a pause in the wrong place can cut a sentence in half or even suggest a meaning that Allah did not intend. Classical tajweed books often quote a statement attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib that tarteel (Quran 73:4) means "giving the letters their due and knowing the places of stopping." If you are new to tajweed in general, our guide on [why we learn tajweed](https://muroujacademy.com/why-do-we-learn-tajweed/) explains the purpose behind these rules. ## What do the stopping signs in the Quran mean? The stopping signs are small letters or symbols printed above the words of the Quran. Each one tells you whether stopping at that point is required, preferred, merely allowed, or to be avoided. The chart below covers the signs used in the widely printed Madinah Mushaf (Hafs from Asim). | Sign | Arabic name | What it means | Ruling | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | م | Waqf lazim (الوقف اللازم) | Stop here. Joining the next words could change or confuse the meaning. | Required stop | | لا | Waqf mamnu' (الوقف الممنوع) | Do not stop here. Stopping would cut off a meaning that is not yet complete. | Forbidden stop | | ج | Waqf ja'iz (الوقف الجائز) | Stopping and continuing are equally acceptable. | Permissible, equal | | صلى | Al-wasl awla (الوصل أولى) | You may stop, but continuing is better. | Permissible, continuing preferred | | قلى | Al-waqf awla (الوقف أولى) | You may continue, but stopping is better. | Permissible, stopping preferred | | ∴ ... ∴ | Mu'anaqah (تعانق الوقف) | Appears on two nearby words. Stop at one of them, not both. You may also read through without stopping at either. | Stop at one place only | | س | Sakt (السكت) | A brief pause of about two counts without taking a breath, then continue. | Pause without breath | | End-of-verse circle (۝) | Ra's al-ayah (رأس الآية) | The end of a verse. Stopping at verse endings is the general practice. | Stopping recommended | Some other printed mushafs use extra symbols or different letters. If your copy looks different, check the explanatory page at the back of the mushaf, which lists the signs that edition uses. ### Examples of the main signs - **Required stop (م):** in "إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ ۘ وَالْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ" (Quran 6:36), you stop after "yasma'un". Joining it would wrongly suggest that the dead also respond along with those who hear. - **Required stop (م):** in "فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ إِنَّا نَعْلَمُ" (Quran 36:76), you stop after "qawluhum", so that "We know what they conceal" is not heard as what the disbelievers say. - **Mu'anaqah (∴):** in "ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ" (Quran 2:2), you may stop after "la rayb" or after "fihi", but not after both. ### Where are the places of sakt? In the recitation of Hafs from Asim (by way of ash-Shatibiyyah), there are four places where a sakt is made, marked with a small س in the Madinah Mushaf: 1. "عِوَجًا ۜ قَيِّمًا" between Quran 18:1 and 18:2, when the two verses are joined. 2. "مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ هَٰذَا" in Quran 36:52. 3. "مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ" in Quran 75:27. 4. "بَلْ ۜ رَانَ" in Quran 83:14. At each of these points, the voice stops briefly without a new breath, and then the recitation continues. ## Is it a sin to ignore the stopping signs? No, not in itself. Words like "required" and "forbidden" on the signs are technical tajweed terms about meaning, not rulings that make a reciter sinful. Classical scholars such as Ibn al-Jazari explained that there is no stop in the Quran that is obligatory or prohibited in the religious sense unless there is a reason for it. That reason is intention. Someone who deliberately stops or starts in a way that distorts the meaning is doing something blameworthy. A learner who runs out of breath or misreads a sign simply goes back and corrects it. ## What are the four types of waqf? Scholars of tajweed classify a chosen stop by how complete the meaning and grammar are at that point. There are four main types: complete (taam), sufficient (kafi), good (hasan), and bad (qabih). | Type | Meaning complete? | Linked to what follows? | What to do next | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Taam (التام), complete | Yes | No link in grammar or meaning | Stop and start with the next words | | Kafi (الكافي), sufficient | Yes | Linked in meaning only | Stop and start with the next words | | Hasan (الحسن), good | Yes, on its own | Linked in grammar | Stop is fine, but mid-verse you go back and join; at a verse end you may start with the next verse | | Qabih (القبيح), bad | No, or the meaning is distorted | Strongly linked | Avoid; if it happens, go back and repeat | ### Taam: the complete stop The sentence and the topic are both finished, and what follows has no grammatical or meaning-based link to it. This often happens at the end of a story or at the end of a surah. ### Kafi: the sufficient stop The sentence is grammatically complete, but the next part still relates to it in meaning. Stopping and starting fresh is fine. ### Hasan: the good stop The words make sense on their own, but what follows is grammatically tied to them. A common example is stopping at "الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ" in Surah al-Fatihah. If this happens in the middle of a verse, you go back a word or two and join; if it is at the end of a verse, you may start with the next verse. ### Qabih: the bad stop The meaning is incomplete or, worse, it changes. Classic examples are stopping at "فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ" (Quran 107:4) without continuing to the next verse, or at "لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ" (Quran 4:43) without completing "while you are intoxicated". Stops like these should be avoided and corrected straight away. ## How do you stop on a word in the Quran? When you stop, the last letter of the word normally takes a sukun, meaning you drop its final vowel. A few word endings follow special patterns, shown below. | Word ending | How to stop | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | Fatha, damma or kasra | Drop the vowel and stop with sukun | نَسْتَعِينُ becomes nasta'in | | Tanween with damma or kasra | Drop the tanween and stop with sukun | رَحِيمٌ becomes rahim | | Tanween with fatha (ـًا) | Change it to a long "a" (alif) | عَلِيمًا becomes 'alima | | Ta marbuta (ة) | Change it to a ha with sukun | رَحْمَةً becomes rahmah | | Long vowel before the last letter | You may lengthen it 2, 4 or 6 counts (madd 'arid lis-sukun) | الْعَالَمِينَ, الرَّحِيمِ | More advanced reciters also learn raum (sounding a faint part of a damma or kasra) and ishmam (rounding the lips after a final damma without sound). These are optional and are best learned by listening to a [qualified teacher](https://muroujacademy.com/teachers/). For help with the letters themselves, see our guide to [Arabic alphabet pronunciation](https://muroujacademy.com/arabic-alphabet-pronunciation/) or explore [Qaida classes for beginners](https://muroujacademy.com/courses/qaida-classes-for-beginners/). ## How do you start again after stopping? Start from a place where the meaning is sound, usually the word right after a complete or sufficient stop. If the stop was weak, go back to the start of the phrase so the listener hears a full idea. If the word you begin with starts with a connecting hamza (hamzat al-wasl), you have to pronounce it: - With "al-" (the definite article), begin with a fatha: الْحَمْدُ is read "al-hamdu". - With a verb, look at the third letter. If it has a damma, begin with a damma (اُدْعُ, "ud'u"); otherwise begin with a kasra (اِهْدِنَا, "ihdina"). - With nouns such as اِسْم and اِبْن, begin with a kasra. ## What should you do if you stop in the wrong place? Go back and repeat. If you stop where there is a لا sign, or anywhere the meaning is left hanging, return to an earlier word that makes a sound starting point, often the beginning of the phrase, and read through to a proper stopping place. This also applies when you are forced to stop, for example because you ran out of breath, coughed or sneezed. Scholars call this an emergency stop (waqf idtirari). It is not a fault, but you should restart from a suitable place rather than carry on from the middle of a phrase. ## When should you stop while reading the Quran? The simplest rule for beginners is to stop at the end of verses and at the signs م, قلى and ج, avoid stopping at لا, and pick only one place when you see ∴. Stopping at the end of each verse is a well-known practice, and it is reported that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would pause at the end of each verse when reciting Surah al-Fatihah. Beyond that, match your pauses to your breath. Longer verses may need a stop in the middle; when they do, use the signs to choose a good place. You can learn more about the wider set of rules in our overview of [Quran tajweed in Arabic](https://muroujacademy.com/quran-tajweed-in-arabic/). ## Can you learn the rules of stopping with a teacher online? Yes. Stopping and starting are much easier to learn by ear, with someone listening and correcting you as you read. At Murouj Academy, our [online Quran tajweed course](https://muroujacademy.com/courses/tajweed-classes/) is taught in live one-to-one classes by native Arab teachers, including ijazah holders, and you choose the teacher who suits you. Women and girls are taught by female teachers. You can [book a free trial class](https://muroujacademy.com/register-free-trial/) to see how it works. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I stop at the end of every verse in the Quran? Yes. Stopping at the end of a verse is generally permitted and is the common practice, even where the meaning continues into the next verse. If the following verse depends heavily on the previous one, some reciters prefer to join them. ### What does the small م mean in the Quran? The small م stands for waqf lazim, the required stop. It marks a place where joining the next words could change or confuse the meaning, so the reciter should stop there. ### Can I stop at a لا sign at the end of a verse? Many teachers explain that a لا printed at the end of a verse does not stop you pausing there, because stopping at verse endings is permitted. The sign matters most in the middle of a verse, where stopping would cut the meaning. ### Do I have to take a breath when I stop? A normal stop (waqf) includes a breath. A sakt, marked with a small س, is a brief pause without taking a breath, and in Hafs it is made in four specific places. ### What is the difference between waqf and sakt? Waqf is a full stop with a breath, after which you either continue or end the recitation. Sakt is a short break in the sound of about two counts with no breath, after which you carry straight on. ## Related guides - [Why Do We Learn Tajweed?](https://muroujacademy.com/why-do-we-learn-tajweed/) - [Quran Tajweed In Arabic](https://muroujacademy.com/quran-tajweed-in-arabic/) - [How to Get an Ijazah in Quran Recitation](https://muroujacademy.com/ijazah-in-quran-recitation/) Learn this with a teacher ## Tajweed Murouj Academy teaches this in live one-to-one online lessons with native Arab teachers, including ijazah holders. You choose your teacher (women and girls learn with female teachers) and can start with a free trial class. [Explore our online Tajweed course](https://muroujacademy.com/courses/tajweed-classes/) Classes for you - [Noorani Qaida classes for beginners](https://muroujacademy.com/courses/qaida-classes-for-beginners/) ## Keep reading [How to Memorize the Quran: 12 Hifz Tips That Work](https://muroujacademy.com/how-to-memorize-the-quran-proven-hifz-tips-for-success/) [Sunnahs of Reading the Quran (Often Overlooked)](https://muroujacademy.com/the-fiqh-of-reading-the-quran-sunnahs-that-are-often-overlooked/) [New Year as a Muslim: Avoiding Non-Muslim Holidays](https://muroujacademy.com/your-guide-to-welcoming-a-new-year-as-a-muslim-away-from-sins-the-prohibition-of-celebrating-non-muslim-holidays/) --- Book a free trial: https://muroujacademy.com/register-free-trial/