Intermediate
Waqf & Ibtida
Surah: Al-Baqarah (5)
Complete Stop (Waqf Taam) — Signs and Types
وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
— البقرة الآية 5
Definition:
Complete Stop (Waqf Taam): pausing where the meaning is complete with no grammatical or semantic connection to what follows.
Rule:
Stopping here is recommended and starting what follows is ideal. Signs in the Mushaf:
• "م" (Waqf Laazim): Stopping is obligatory — connecting distorts meaning
• "قلى" (Stopping is preferable): Stopping is better than connecting, though connecting is allowed
Quranic Example:
"And those are the successful ones" [Al-Baqarah: 5] — complete stop, speech disconnected from what follows.
Example of obligatory stop "م": "None knows its interpretation except Allah" [Aal Imran: 7] — stopping is required so the reader is not misled into thinking "those firm in knowledge" also know the interpretation.
Complete Stop (Waqf Taam): pausing where the meaning is complete with no grammatical or semantic connection to what follows.
Rule:
Stopping here is recommended and starting what follows is ideal. Signs in the Mushaf:
• "م" (Waqf Laazim): Stopping is obligatory — connecting distorts meaning
• "قلى" (Stopping is preferable): Stopping is better than connecting, though connecting is allowed
Quranic Example:
"And those are the successful ones" [Al-Baqarah: 5] — complete stop, speech disconnected from what follows.
Example of obligatory stop "م": "None knows its interpretation except Allah" [Aal Imran: 7] — stopping is required so the reader is not misled into thinking "those firm in knowledge" also know the interpretation.
Source: Matn Al-Jazariyya by Ibn Al-Jazari; Hidayat Al-Qari by Al-Mursifi
Test Yourself
What is the difference between the "م" sign and the "قلى" sign in the Mushaf?
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