THE MEANING OF THE ABBREVIATED WORDS IN THE QUR'AN SHAREEF

(a) The letter Meem () is known as Waqf-e-Laazim. It is necessary to pause wherever the Meem appears. If a pause is not made, there is the possibility of the meaning changing.

(b) The letter Twaa () is the sign of a pause known as Waqf-e-Mutlaq. A pause should be made on it. It indicates that the meaning has not been fully stated yet.

(c) The letter Jeem () is the sign of the pause known as Waqf-e-Jaaiz. It is preferable to pause here although not pausing is permissible.

(d) The letter Zaa () indicates that it is preferable NOT to pause.

(e) The letter Swaad () known as Waqf-e-Murakh-khas indicates that it is preferable NOT to stop although pausing is permissible. The difference between the rule of Zaa and Smaad is in their application, i.e. the desirability of NOT pausing is greater at the pause of Swaad

(f) The word Swaad-laam-yaa () is the abbreviation of "Al-wasl Awlaa" which means "Joining is preferable". The reader should carry on reading. This is more meritorious.

(g) The letter Qaaf () is the abbreviation of "Qeela alayhil waqf" which means "it has been stated that a pause should be made on it". No pause should be made here.

(h) The word Swaad-laam () is the abbreviation of "Qad yoosalu" which means "Will be joined occasionally". Occasionally one may pause here and occasionally not, although pausing is preferable.

(i) The word Qif () is a command meaning Pause! It appears at such places where the possibility exists that the reader will continue reciting without pausing.

(j) The letter Seen () or the word Saktah () indicates a pause without breaking the breath. In other words the reciter shall momentarily pause and continue without breathing afresh.

(k) The word Waqfah () is the same as Saktah with the difference that the Waqjah pause is longer than the Saktah pause.

(1l The word Laa () means "Do not!" This word appears sometimes at the end of a verse and sometimes during the verse. If it appears within the verse then it is not permissible to pause and if it appears at the end of a verse then one may or may not pause.

(m) The letter kaaf () is the abbreviation of "Kathaalik" which means "similarly". In other words, the same sign as the one preceding it will apply here.

(n) The letter Jeem with three dots () is the symbol for the word Mu'aanaqah. Wherever this rule applies, there will appear 'Jeem' twice. Pause on any one of the two 'Jeem's. If a pause is made on the first Jeem, then no pause should he made on the second Jeem. If one pauses on the second 0, one should not pause on the first Jeem.

WAQF

WAQF means to pause or to make a stop by breaking off the breath at the end of a word. There are four kinds of Waqf, viz.,

1. WAQF-E-TAAM
2. WAQF-E-KAAF
3. WAQF-E-HASAN
4. WAQF-E-QABEEH

WAQF-E-TAAM

Waqf-e-Taam means to pause at the end of a statement where the succeeding statement is not related to the preceding statement, neither by words nor by meaning. e.g. 'humul muflihoon'

The statement which follows this statement has no connection whatever with which precedes it.

WAQF-E-KAAFI

Waqf-e-kaafi means to make Waqf (to pause) at the end or a word which has a relationship in the context of the meaning to the words preceding and succeeding it, but has no grammatical connection with the words before or after it, e.g. laa yu'minoon (Beginning of Surah Baqarah).

The words which appear after 'laa yu'muminoon' are 'khatama-llaahu'

There is no grammatical connection between 'laa yu'muminoon' and 'khatama-llaahu', but in meaning there is a relationship since both refer to "the unbeliever".

WAQF-E-HASAN

Waqf-e-Hasan means to make Waqf at the end of a word which has a Lafzi connection (i.e. in words) with the word appearing after it, nevertheless the words together combine to form a full sentence, i.e. the words until that word on which the Waqf is made, e.g. Alhamdulillah

Where a Waqf-e-Hasan is made, one should not commence the recitation after this word on which this Waqf was made, but should re-start the recital. For example, if Waqf (in the above example) is made on the word 'alhamdulillah', the recital should not continue from 'rabbil aalameen' but should be commenced again from 'Alhamdulillah'

WAQF-E-QABEEH

Waqf-e-Qabeeh means to make Waqf on a word which has both Lafzi (in words) and Ma'nwi (in meaning) relationship with the words following it. On such a Waqf the meaning will remain incomplete, e.g. Waqf is made on the word 'Bismi' which appears in 'Bismillah'. The word 'bismi' has a Lafzi as well as Ma'nwi connection to the word which follows it.

In 'Alhamdulillah', if Waqf is made on 'Alhamd' the Waqf will be known as Waqf-e-Qabeeh since the word 'Alhamd' is related to the words following it both in word and in meaning.

It is not permissible to make Waqf-e-Qabeeh. However, should one be forced (e.g. by the breaking of one's breath) to make Waqf-e-Qabeeh, one should re-start the recital from the word preceding the word on which Waqf-e-Qabeeh was made.

THE WAYS OF MAKING WAQF

There are three ways of making Waqf at the end of a word, viz.,

(1) ISKAAN-E-MAHZ
(2) ISKAAN MA'AL ISHMAAM
(3) ISKAAN MA'AR-RAUM

ISKAAN-E-MAHZ
To recite the Harf-e-Mauqoof (the letter on which the Waqf is made) with a full Saakin (i.e. with a Jazm).

ISKAAN MA'AL ISHMAAM
Iskaan ma'al Ishmaam means to indicate with the lips towards a Dhammah immediately upon reciting the Harf-e-Mauqoof as Saakin, but the lips when indicating the Dhammah will not meet. Iskaan ma'al Ishmaam is practised only in a Dhammah, e.g. 'nasta'een'

ISKAAN MA'AR-RAUM
Iskaan ma'ar Raum means to pronounce only a third of the Harkat of the Harf-e-Mauqoof, i.e. to pronounce the Harkat of the last letter with such softness that only a person very close by is able to hear it.
Iskaan ma'ar Raum is practised only in Dhammah and Kasrah.

N.B. In a FATHAH there is neither Ishmaam nor Raum. Only ISKAAN-E-MAHZ is practised in a Fatha.

RAUM and ISHMAAM are not practised in a Hurkat-e-Aardhi (i.e. a temporary Harkat introduced as a result of joining two words), e.g. 'Walaqad-stuh-zia'

The Kasrah on the 'daal' of 'laqad' is Aardhi, hence no Raam
and Ishtimaam.

RAUM and ISHMAAM will not be practised in the letter 'TAA' which is written in the form of 'HAA'. In the rounded form of the 'TAA' the TAA will be pronounced a HAA in the case of Waqf.