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Madd 'Iwad

مدّ العوض

“ʿiwad”: compensation; the alif makes up for the tanween that is no longer said

Lesson 5.7 · Module 5 · Madd

Madd 'Iwad (مدّ العوض): madd ʿiwad is the alif said when stopping, in place of a tanween with fathah: “-an” becomes “-ā”, two counts. When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, except on a tā marbūṭah (ة): it is said as a vowelless “h” when stopping.

What does Madd 'Iwad mean?

Madd 'Iwad (مدّ العوض): “ʿiwad”: compensation; the alif makes up for the tanween that is no longer said

When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, the tanween is replaced by an alif, held for two counts: “-an” becomes “-ā”. Never on a tā marbūṭah, which is said as a vowelless “h”.

Madd 'Iwad: when does it apply?

When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, except on a tā marbūṭah (ة): it is said as a vowelless “h” when stopping.

Two ways of classing it, one way of saying it: after a hamzah (ءً), al-Marsafi classes this alif with madd badal; nouns ending in ـًى (8 times at the end of a verse) are also said with “ā” when stopping, and some teachers see in it the same replacement alif, others the word’s own alif. Tilawa does not count them here. In every case: two counts.

How to pronounce Madd 'Iwad

At the end of the verse, drop the noon of the tanween and say an “ā” held for two counts.

Avoid
Keeping the noon of the tanween when stopping (“-an”): when stopping, the tanween with fathah becomes an alif.
The condition
The Mushaf usually writes this alif after the tanween (ـًا); after a hamzah (ءً) it does not write it, and it is still said. On a tā marbūṭah (ـةً), never an alif.

The length, by ear

Two counts: no more, no less: the time of two short vowels.

أَفْوَاجًا An-Nasr 110:2

One count is the length of a short vowel.

Where the letters come from

Each point is shown on the mouth map, and each letter has its own page.

12 examples of Madd 'Iwad in the Quran

Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear Madd 'Iwad in its verse, recited by al-Husary.

Madd 'Iwad: common mistakes

What is often heard, and how to fix it. The ▶ plays the right model, recited by al-Husary.

  1. Saying the noon of the tanween when stopping: you hear “-an” instead of “-ā”.

    The right model · An-Nasr 110:3

  2. Lengthening the alif to four or six counts: it is held for two counts, like a natural madd.

    The right model · Ash-Sharh 94:5

  3. Putting an alif on tā marbūṭah (ـةً): when stopping, it becomes a vowelless “h”.

    The right model · Al-Bayyinah 98:2

  4. Forgetting the alif after a hamzah (ءً) because it is not written: it is still said, two counts.

    The right model · An-Najm 53:28

Madd 'Iwad and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
Madd 'Iwad When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, except on a tā marbūṭah (ة): it is said as a vowelless “h” when stopping. Madd ʿiwad is the alif said when stopping, in place of a tanween with fathah: “-an” becomes “-ā”, two counts.
Madd 'Aarid Li-Sukun When you stop on a word ending in a long vowel and then one letter. The same goes for “ay” and “aw” (yā or wāw with no vowel after a fatḥa): this is madd līn. When you stop, a long vowel placed just before the last letter may last two, four or six counts.
Madd Tabee'ee An alif, wāw or yā extending the vowel before it, and no hamzah or vowelless letter after. A long vowel with no hamzah or sukoon after it is held two counts.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two words that sound alike: one is read with Madd 'Iwad, the other with Madd 'Aarid Li-Sukun. Listen for the difference.

Your turn: which rule?

By eye

The highlighted letters carry a rule. Which one?

  1. يُسْرًا

    yusrā

    Ash-Sharh 94:6

  2. قُرَيْشٍ

    quraysh

    Quraysh 106:1

  3. يُسْرًا

    yusrā

    At-Talaq 65:4

  4. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ

    l-insāna

    Al-'Asr 103:2

By ear

Listen, then choose the rule you hear. The word appears after you answer.

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Madd 'Iwad in numbers

903times in the Quran

33surahs

Where to practise: the surahs of 20 verses or fewer with the most Madd 'Iwad
SurahVersesMadd 'Iwad
73. Al-Muzzammil 20 18
65. At-Talaq 12 11
100. Al-'Adiyat 11 5
86. At-Tariq 17 3
110. An-Nasr 3 2

Calculated by Tilawa on the text of the Madinah Mushaf (Hafs reading): every verse ending on a tanween with fathah, without tā marbūṭah or nouns ending in ـًى.

Frequently asked questions

What is Madd 'Iwad in tajweed?

When stopping, the tanween with fathah becomes an alif held for two counts, except on tā marbūṭah.

When does Madd 'Iwad apply?

When stopping on a word that ends with a tanween with fathah, except on a tā marbūṭah (ة): it is said as a vowelless “h” when stopping. The Mushaf usually writes this alif after the tanween (ـًا); after a hamzah (ءً) it does not write it, and it is still said. On a tā marbūṭah (ـةً), never an alif.

How many times does Madd 'Iwad occur in the Quran?

903 times, in 33 surahs, as computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Muzzammil has the most: 18 in 20 verses.

Madd 'Iwad or Madd 'Aarid Li-Sukun: what is the difference?

Madd 'Iwad: madd ʿiwad is the alif said when stopping, in place of a tanween with fathah: “-an” becomes “-ā”, two counts. Madd 'Aarid Li-Sukun: when you stop, a long vowel placed just before the last letter may last two, four or six counts.

Madd 'Iwad: how do I know I apply it correctly?

A rule is learned by ear: recite a surah out loud in the Tilawa app, which follows your recitation word by word and shows you where Madd 'Iwad was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error