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Waqf Signs

علامات الوقف

“ʿalāmāt al-waqf”: the signs of stopping

Lesson 10.1 · Module 10 · Stopping (waqf) and starting again

Waqf Signs (علامات الوقف): stop signs are small markers above the line: they show where to stop, where to carry on and where to choose, to keep the meaning. Six signs: mīm requires a stop, lā forbids it, the other four leave the choice. The Quran has 4,359 of them, in 84 surahs (Hafs reading).

What does Waqf Signs mean?

Waqf Signs (علامات الوقف): “ʿalāmāt al-waqf”: the signs of stopping

Small signs written above the line, between two words: they tell the reader where stopping is required, preferred, allowed or not allowed. They are not read aloud: they are markers, placed to keep the meaning whole.

The six signs, one by one

Six signs: the small mīm (stop required), qalā (stop better), jīm (stop allowed), ṣalā (joining better), the three dots in pairs (stop at one of the two places only) and lā (no stop).

The six stop signs, what they ask, what the reciter on the page does, and how often they occur in the Quran
SignWhat it asksAl-HusaryIn the Quran
ـۘStop required (lazim) stop stops 21 times out of 21 22
ـۗStop allowed, and better either way stops 596 times out of 602 603
ـۚStop allowed (jaʾiz) either way stops 1,934 times out of 1,965 1,972
ـۖStop allowed, joining better either way stops 1,572 times out of 1,681 1,682
ـۛTwo places, stop at one only (muʿanaqah) either way stops at only one of the two places: 4 times out of 6 12
ـۙNo stop here carry on carries on 61 times out of 68 68

The small sīn written at the end of a word is not a stop sign: it marks a sakt, a short pause without taking a breath (lesson 10.2).

How to read the signs

At the sign that requires a stop, stop; at the one that forbids it, carry on; elsewhere, choose while keeping the meaning. After an allowed stop, start again with the next word.

The gesture
The sign is not said: it is read with the eyes, above the last word before the pause.
Avoid
Stopping at the sign lā and starting again with the next word: the sentence breaks and the meaning can change.
The condition
The signs do not say everything: the end of every verse is also a place to stop. If breath runs out elsewhere, one stops, then starts again a little earlier, where the sentence holds together.

12 examples of Waqf Signs in the Quran

Short surahs first. Tap ▶ to hear what al-Husary does at the sign: he stops or he carries on.

Waqf Signs: common mistakes

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

  1. Stopping at the sign lā and starting again with the next word: the meaning breaks. If breath runs out there, start again a few words earlier.

    The right model · Al-Mumtahanah 60:1

  2. Going past the small mīm without stopping: joining the two sentences can change the meaning.

    The right model · Al-Qamar 54:6

  3. Stopping at both places of the three dots: stop at one, and read through the other.

    The right model · Ibrahim 14:9

  4. Saying the sign aloud (“lā”, “jīm”, “qalā”): they are markers, they are not read.

    The right model · An-Nasr 110:3

Waqf Signs and neighbouring rules

RuleWhenWhat happens
Waqf Signs Six signs: the small mīm (stop required), qalā (stop better), jīm (stop allowed), ṣalā (joining better), the three dots in pairs (stop at one of the two places only) and lā (no stop). Stop signs are small markers above the line: they show where to stop, where to carry on and where to choose, to keep the meaning.
Waqf (Stopping) At the end of a verse, at a stop sign that allows it, or when breath runs out; never in the middle of a word. Stopping is cutting the voice at the end of a word to take a breath, intending to carry on: the last letter loses its vowel.
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.

By ear: two words that sound alike

Two passages that sound alike: at the first sign, the reciter stops; at the second, he carries on. Listen for the difference.

Your turn: what does this sign ask?

By eye

Does the highlighted sign ask you to stop, to carry on, or does it leave the choice to you?

  1. قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ إِنَّا

    qawluhum | innā

    Ya-Sin 36:76

  2. مَعْرُوفٍ ۙ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ

    maʿrūfin fabāyiʿhunna

    Al-Mumtahanah 60:12

  3. فِيهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ

    fīhā | ulā'ika

    Al-Bayyinah 98:6

  4. ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ

    llāhi wallāhu

    Al-Munafiqun 63:1

By ear

Listen to two words: does the reciter stop between them or carry on? Choose the sign written there. The words appear after you answer.

Practise: tajweed exercises with answers

Waqf Signs in numbers

4,359times in the Quran

84surahs

Where to practise: the surahs of 20 verses or fewer with the most stop signs
SurahVersesWaqf Signs
49. Al-Hujurat 18 28
65. At-Talaq 12 24
60. Al-Mumtahanah 13 24
64. At-Taghabun 18 22
66. At-Tahrim 12 14

Counted on the text of the Madinah Mushaf (Hafs reading): every stop sign written between two words. What the reciter does comes from the word-by-word timing of al-Husary’s recitation: a silence of at least one second, he stops; less than a third of a second, he carries on.

Frequently asked questions

What is Waqf Signs in tajweed?

Six signs: mīm requires a stop, lā forbids it, the other four leave the choice.

When does Waqf Signs apply?

Six signs: the small mīm (stop required), qalā (stop better), jīm (stop allowed), ṣalā (joining better), the three dots in pairs (stop at one of the two places only) and lā (no stop). The signs do not say everything: the end of every verse is also a place to stop. If breath runs out elsewhere, one stops, then starts again a little earlier, where the sentence holds together.

How many times does Waqf Signs occur in the Quran?

4,359 times, in 84 surahs, as computed by Tilawa on the text of the Madani Mushaf (Hafs reading). Among the surahs of 20 verses or fewer, Al-Hujurat has the most: 28 in 18 verses.

Waqf Signs or Waqf (Stopping): what is the difference?

Waqf Signs: stop signs are small markers above the line: they show where to stop, where to carry on and where to choose, to keep the meaning. Waqf (Stopping): stopping is cutting the voice at the end of a word to take a breath, intending to carry on: the last letter loses its vowel.

Waqf Signs: 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 Waqf Signs was missed or done wrong, with the word to replay in its verse.

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