What Do the Symbols above Quranic Words Mean?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

What is the meaning of (ج), (ق), and other symbols found in the Quran?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

These letters and symbols placed at specific points in the Quran belong to the terminology of “Waqf and Ibtida” (pausing and starting) in the Noble Quran. Other symbols have different meanings, which we will detail shortly.

Regarding the symbol (ق), there is no such symbol in the copies of the Quran printed according to the recitation of Hafs from ‘Asim. You might be referring to the symbol (قلى).

Here are some of the most important symbols: (ج), (م), (صلى), (قلى), (لا), (~), (حـ), (=), (وو), (o), and (0)

Each of these symbols has its own significance and serves as a guide for proper recitation and pronunciation during the reading of the Quran.

The Symbol for Permissible Stop (ج):

This symbol indicates that it is equally permissible to stop or continue, as there are two grammatical interpretations without a preference for either. An example is Allah’s (Most High) saying:

“(Remember) how We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and keeping your women. That was a severe test from your Lord.” [Quran, 2:49]

The symbol (ج) is placed above the word “your women” because “slaughtering” can be interpreted as a state of the subject “who afflicted you” or as an independent clause. [‘Abd al-Aziz Ibn Abd al-Fattah al-Qari’, Qawa‘id al-Tajwid ‘ala Riwayat Hafs ‘an ‘Asim]

Similarly, in the verse:

“We relate to you (O Prophet) their story in truth. They were youths who truly believed in their Lord.” [Quran, 18:13]

The symbol (ج) is placed above “in truth”.

The Symbol for Necessary Stop (م):

This indicates that continuing would corrupt the meaning or imply an unintended meaning. An example is in the verse:

“Only the attentive will respond (to your call). As for the dead, Allah will raise them up, then to Him they will (all) be returned.” [Quran, 6:36]

The symbol (م) is placed above “those who listen”.

The Symbol for Preferable Continuation (صِلَى):

Indicates that continuation is preferable. For example, in the verse:

“These are the ones who trade the Hereafter for the life of this world. So their punishment will not be reduced, nor will they be helped.” [Quran, 2:86]

The symbol (صلى) is placed above “the Hereafter” because the “so” (ف) indicates a consequential relationship that makes continuing preferable.

The Symbol for Preferable Stop (قِلَى):

Indicates that stopping is preferable, opposing the preference for continuation. It signifies two compelling reasons: one for stopping and one for continuing, but the reason for stopping outweighs. For example, in the verse:

“And others will say, ‘They were seven and their dog was the eighth.’ Say, (O Prophet,) ‘My Lord knows best their (exact) number. Only a few people know as well.’ So do not argue about them except with sure knowledge, nor consult any of those (who debate) about them.” [Quran, 18:22]

The symbol (قلى) is placed above “only a few ”.

The Symbol for Prohibited Stop (لا):

Denotes prohibited stop, indicating a point where stopping or starting is unsuitable. This symbol is not included among the symbols at the end of the Madina Mushaf.

The purpose of these symbols is to preserve the meanings of the Quran from alteration. Here are some symbols related to the rules of Tajwid and correct recitation of the Quran:

For Proper Recitation

(~): This tilde symbol represents a prolongation in pronunciation, as in the word “السَّمَآء” (the sky). This symbol is placed above the alif to indicate that it should be elongated.

(حـ): This symbol, which resembles the head of the letter “ح”, indicates that the letter must be clearly pronounced, as in “مِنْ عِلْمِهِ” (from His knowledge) [Quran, 2:255], where the symbol (حـ) is placed above the nun to indicate the clear pronunciation of the letter.

(=): When the fathatan (two fathas), kasratan (two kasras), or dammatan (two dammas) are stacked on top of each other, it indicates that the tanwin is to be pronounced clearly, as in “وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ” [Quran, 88:2]. Here, the two kasras under the letter “ذ” and the two dammas above the letter “ت” indicate that the tanwin should be pronounced clearly if the words are connected.

(وو): If the tanwin is written sequentially rather than stacked, it indicates that the Tajwid rule to be applied is Ikhfa or Idgham, depending on the following letter, as in “ثَلَاثَ مِائَةٍ سِنِينَ” [Quran, 18:25], and “ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ” [Quran, 24:58].

(o): A small empty circle above one of the three long vowels indicates that this letter, although written, is not pronounced either in continuous recitation or pausing, as in “مِائَةٍ” [Quran, 18:25], where the small circle above the alif indicates that it should not be pronounced.

(0): A larger circle placed above an alif followed by a moving letter indicates that this alif is not pronounced in continuous recitation but is pronounced when pausing, as in “أَمْ أَنَا خَيْرٌ” [Quran, 43:52]. If followed by a silent letter, the alif is dropped to avoid meeting two silent letters in continuous recitation, but it is pronounced when pausing, as in “إِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِيرُ” [Quran, 15:89].

What has been mentioned here represents some of the symbols used in the Noble Quran. To learn more, refer to one of the copies of the Quran printed by the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran, where you will find these symbols and others detailed with examples at the end.

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.