Madd in tajweed: types of madd and how long to hold them
Madd is the lengthening of a long vowel. Some madd is always two counts; some can be four, five or six, depending on what comes next. Here are the types of madd in the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, how long to hold each one and examples from the Quran.
Last updated: 1 October 2026
The madd letters
There are three: ا after a fathah, و sakinah after a dammah and ي sakinah after a kasrah. Without anything after them, they are held for two counts. This is natural madd, as in قَالَ.
Madd caused by a hamzah
- Connected (muttasil): the hamzah is in the same word, as in جَآءَ. Hold 4 or 5 counts.
- Separated (munfasil): the hamzah starts the next word, as in يَٰٓأَيُّهَا and إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ. Hold 4 or 5 counts.
- Substitute (badal): the hamzah comes before the madd letter, as in ءَامَنُوا۟. Hold 2 counts.
Madd caused by a sukoon
- Necessary (lazim), 6 counts: a permanent sukoon or shaddah after the madd letter, as in ٱلضَّآلِّينَ, ءَآلْـَٰٔنَ (10:51 and 10:91) and the opening letters الٓمٓ.
- Stopping (‘arid lis-sukun), 2, 4 or 6 counts: the sukoon appears only because you stop, as at the end of ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ.
- Leen, 2, 4 or 6 counts: waw or yaa sakinah after a fathah, when you stop on the next letter, as in خَوْفٍ and ٱلْبَيْتِ (106:3).
See stop signs in the Quran for where stopping is allowed.
Other types
- Replacement (‘iwad), 2 counts: stopping on fathatan turns it into a long "aa": عَلِيمًا is read عَلِيمَا.
- Linking (silah): the pronoun هُۥ between two vowelled letters is lengthened 2 counts (sughra), or 4–5 when a hamzah follows (kubra), as in مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ (104:3).
Counts at a glance
| Type | Counts | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Natural (tabi‘i) | 2 | قَالَ |
| Connected (muttasil) | 4–5 | جَآءَ |
| Separated (munfasil) | 4–5 | إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ |
| Necessary (lazim) | 6 | ٱلضَّآلِّينَ |
| Stopping (‘arid lis-sukun) | 2, 4 or 6 | ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ |
| Leen, when stopping | 2, 4 or 6 | خَوْفٍ |
| Substitute (badal) | 2 | ءَامَنُوا۟ |
| Replacement (‘iwad) | 2 | عَلِيمًا → عَلِيمَا |
| Minor linking (silah sughra) | 2 | إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ |
| Major linking (silah kubra) | 4–5 | مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ |
Madd is one part of our tajweed rules guide. The long vowels are first taught in Noorani Qaida; to get your counts checked by a teacher, join our tajweed course or see our online tajweed classes. Related: ghunnah and makharij al huruf.
Frequently asked questions
What does madd mean?
Madd means lengthening. In tajweed it is holding a long vowel for a set number of counts, depending on what comes after it.
What are the madd letters?
Alif after a fathah, waw sakinah after a dammah and yaa sakinah after a kasrah. They make the long vowels "aa", "oo" and "ee".
How long is one count?
One count (harakah) is roughly the time it takes to fold or unfold one finger at a steady reading pace. Keep your counts consistent throughout a recitation.
Can I choose between 4 and 5 counts?
Yes, for muttasil and munfasil in the Hafs recitation via the Shatibiyyah. Whatever you choose, stay consistent in the same recitation.
Get your counts checked
Three free one-to-one lessons. Your teacher listens and corrects every madd as you read.