Hamzat al-Wasl and Hamzat al-Qat'

The rules, one by one

• Hamzat al-Wasl

  همزة وصل

  The joining hamzah (ٱ), at the start of some words: said if you begin on that word, not if you read on.

  At the start of a word, on the alif topped with a small sign (ٱ), as in “al”.

  13,252 times in the Quran

• Hamzat al-Qat'

  همزة قطع

  A hamzah that is always said: when you start reading and when you join from the word before.

  Any written hamzah (أ إ ء ؤ ئ), at the start, middle or end of a word. The alif topped with a small sign (ٱ) is not one: it is hamzat al-wasl.

  19,170 times in the Quran

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Hamzat al-wasl or al-qat': the difference

Which vowel starts hamzat al-wasl?

When you begin on a word that carries ٱ, the hamzah is said with a vowel. Which one depends on the word. Tap ▶ to hear it at the start of the verse, recited by al-Husary.

• ٱلْحَمْدُ

  al-ḥamdu

  Al-Fatiha 1:2 a (fatḥah) · In “al”, you start with “a”.

• ٱدْخُلُوهَا

  udkhulūhā

  Qaf 50:34 u (ḍammah) · In a verb whose third letter carries an original ḍammah, you start with “u”.

• ٱهْدِنَا

  ihdina

  Al-Fatiha 1:6 i (kasrah) · In other verbs (third letter with kasrah or fatḥah) and in nouns, you start with “i”.

One example per rule

Tap ▶ to hear the word in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

• وَٱلْعَصْرِ

  wal-ʿaṣr

  Al-'Asr 103:1 Hamzat al-Wasl

• ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟

  lladhīna 'āmanū

  Al-'Asr 103:3 Hamzat al-Qat'

Each rule in numbers

Counted on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading).

Computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading), from the letter that follows.

What I show you when you recite

Frequently asked questions