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Madd means lengthening a vowel sound. There are two main types: natural madd (two counts) and secondary madd, which is longer because of a hamzah or a sukun after the madd letter. The madd letters are alif after fathah, waw after dammah and ya after kasrah. The lengths below are for Hafs via the Shatibiyyah.
| Type | Cause | Length (Hafs) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural (tabi’i) | No cause after it | 2 counts | قَالَ، قِيلَ |
| Connected (muttasil) | Hamzah after the madd letter in the same word | 4 or 5 | جَاءَ، السَّمَاءِ |
| Separated (munfasil) | Madd letter ends a word, next word starts with hamzah | 4 or 5 | بِمَا أُنْزِلَ |
| Badal | Hamzah before the madd letter | 2 counts | آمَنُوا |
| Arid lis-sukun | Sukun caused by stopping | 2, 4 or 6 | الْعَالَمِينَ (stopping) |
| Lazim | Permanent sukun after the madd letter | 6 counts | الضَّالِّينَ، الم |
| Leen | و or ي with sukun after fathah, when stopping | 2, 4 or 6 | خَوْفٍ (stopping) |
What is a “count”?
A count (harakah) is an approximate unit of time, roughly the time to fold or unfold a finger at a normal pace. What matters most is consistency: use the same length for the same madd throughout your recitation.
Part of our Tajweed Rules Chart, a complete overview of all the rules.
Practise madd with a teacher
Tajweed is learned by listening and reciting to a qualified teacher; reading the rules is only the start. At Al-Azhar Message Academy you recite one-to-one on Zoom or Google Meet to a male or female teacher who is an Al-Azhar graduate holding ijazah with a connected sanad, and the teacher corrects you live. Plans start at $40 per month for 8 lessons, and your first 30-minute lesson is free. See Learn Tajweed rules online and Online Quran Classes for Adults.
Frequently Asked Questions about madd
How long is madd muttasil in Hafs?
4 or 5 counts via the Shatibiyyah.
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What is the difference between madd arid and madd lazim?
In arid the sukun comes only from stopping, so you may use 2, 4 or 6 counts. In lazim the sukun is permanent, so it is always 6 counts.
What are the madd letters?
Alif after fathah, waw sakinah after dammah, and ya sakinah after kasrah.
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