What Is Waqf in Quran Recitation? Stopping Rules and Symbols

Where you stop when reciting the Quran matters as much as how you pronounce the words. Stopping in the right place keeps the meaning clear; stopping in the wrong place can cut a sentence in half. The rules for this are called waqf (stopping) and ibtida' (starting again).

This guide explains what waqf is, how the last word changes when you stop, what the stopping symbols in the Mushaf mean, and how to choose good places to pause.

What does waqf mean?

Waqf (وقف) means "stopping". In recitation, it means pausing at the end of a word, cutting the sound and taking a breath, before continuing. Its partner, ibtida' (ابتداء), is where you start again — and that should also be a place that makes sense.

What happens to the last word when you stop?

When stopping creates a sukoon after a long vowel — as in al-'aalameen — you may hold the long vowel for two, four or six counts. Read more in our guide to madd.

The four kinds of stopping

1. Chosen stop (ikhtiyari): you choose to pause at a suitable place. This is the normal kind.
1. Forced stop (idtirari): you run out of breath, cough or sneeze. Go back a little and start again from a place that makes sense.
1. Waiting stop (intizari): used by teachers and students of the different recitations to compare readings.
1. Test stop (ikhtibari): a teacher asks you to stop on a word to check you know how to.

The stopping symbols in the Mushaf

Most Mushafs printed in the Madinah style use these small marks above the line:

The end of every verse (marked by a circle with its number) is also a good place to stop.

The short pauses without breath (sakt) in Hafs

In the recitation of Hafs from ‘Asim, there are four places with a sakt: a very short pause without taking a breath:

• عِوَجًا ۜ قَيِّمًا — at the start of Surah Al-Kahf (18:1–2)
• مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ هَٰذَا — Surah Ya-Sin (36:52)
• مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ — Surah Al-Qiyamah (75:27)
• بَلْ ۜ رَانَ — Surah Al-Mutaffifin (83:14)

Common mistakes

• Stopping in the middle of a sentence and then continuing from the next word, which can change the meaning.
• Keeping the vowel on the last letter when stopping (ar-raheemi instead of ar-raheem).
• Dropping the alif of tanween with fatha (afwaj instead of afwaajaa).
• Reading ta marbuta as "t" when stopping (rahmat instead of rahmah).
• Ignoring the لا mark and stopping where you should continue.

How to practise

1. Read Surah Al-Fatiha, stopping at the end of each verse, and check every last word against the table above.
1. Look through a page of a longer surah and find each stopping mark.
1. Practise breathing at verse ends so you need fewer forced stops.
1. Ask a teacher to check your stops — this is quick to correct with someone listening.

Waqf works together with qalqalah, which becomes stronger when you stop. See the full order in our Tajweed guide, or practise with a teacher in our online Tajweed course.