If you have seen 2, 4 and 5 counts all given as the length of this madd, each number is correct somewhere — for a different transmission route. Madd Jaiz Munfasil happens when a word ends in a madd letter and the next word begins with a hamzah. In Hafs ‘an ‘Asim by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah — the route behind the standard printed Hafs mushaf — it is read at 4 or 5 counts in connected recitation. A 2-count reading is also authentic for Hafs, but it belongs to specific routes of Tayyibat an-Nashr and comes with its own accompanying rules. This page covers the length, what “jaiz” really means, what happens when you stop, and the madd letters the Uthmani mushaf does not write out in full. It sits under our Madd rules hub, inside the wider set of Tajweed rules.
Also written Madd al-Jaiz al-Munfasil, separated madd or permissible separated madd — in Arabic, المد الجائز المنفصل.
⚡ The 30-second version
- A word ends in ا / و / ي and the next word begins with a pronounced hamzah.
- Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah, connected recitation: 4 or 5 counts — choose one and keep it for every Munfasil.
- Pair it with Madd Muttasil at the same length: 4 with 4, or 5 with 5.
- Stopping changes things, and not in one single way — see the three stopping cases.
What Is Madd Jaiz Munfasil in Tajweed?
Madd Jaiz Munfasil (المد الجائز المنفصل) is the madd that occurs when a word ends in a madd letter — alif (ا), waw (و) or yaa (ي) — and the next word begins with a hamzah (ء). In Hafs by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah it is lengthened to four or five counts in connected recitation.
Munfasil means separated: the madd letter (the condition) and the hamzah (the cause) sit in two different words. Bring the hamzah inside the same word and it becomes Madd Wajib Muttasil instead.
The cause is the hamzah at the start of the following word — not a sukoon or a shaddah, which produce other madds (Madd ‘Arid lis-Sukoon and Madd Lazim). One cause, one place to look: the first letter of the next word.
A word on the unit. A count (harakah) is roughly the length of one short vowel — a single fathah, dammah or kasrah — at the pace you are reciting. Because it scales with your tempo, counting is an approximation; the real measure is learned by ear from a teacher.
📖 All lengths on this page follow Hafs ‘an ‘Asim by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah unless a section names a different route.
What Do “Jaiz” and “Wajib” Actually Mean Here?
Jaiz (جائز, permissible) records a difference in transmission: for this madd, some readers transmitted shortening (2 counts) and others lengthening. Across the readers, its lengths range from 2 up to 6 counts.
Those transmitted options are valid today when they are read through their route, together with the rules that route carries. What “jaiz” does not mean is that a reader may shorten or lengthen whenever it feels convenient, or pick a different length for each occurrence. The practical rule is simple: recite the way a qualified teacher taught you, and don’t mix lengths from different routes.
Wajib (واجب) in Madd Wajib Muttasil means that every reader lengthens it beyond the natural 2 counts. It does not mean they all use one identical length — the amount still differs between readers (from 3 up to 6 counts). The agreement is on lengthening; the difference is on how much.
The Rule and Conditions of Madd Munfasil
Three conditions have to hold together. Miss any one of them and it is not Madd Munfasil.
1. The first word ends in a madd letter
Alif, waw or yaa, sakin, with the matching vowel before it: fathah before alif, dammah before waw, kasrah before yaa.
✅ إِنَّا · قُوا · أَمْرِي ❌ إِلَيْهِمْ — the يْ follows a fathah, so it is a letter of layn, not a madd letter.
2. The next word begins with a hamzat qat‘
A hamzah that is pronounced whether you begin with the word or connect into it. At the start of a word it is written on an alif — أَ / أُ / إِ, or آ (printed ءَا in many Uthmani mushafs).
✅ قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ❌ فِي الْأَرْضِ — that is hamzat wasl; see the warning below.
3. They belong to two separate words
The madd letter closes one word; the hamzah opens the next. Some pairs of words are joined in Uthmani spelling — يَٰٓأَيُّهَا, هَٰٓأَنتُمْ — and still count as two words, so a visible space is not a reliable test.
✅ قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ❌ جَاءَ — hamzah inside the same word: Madd Wajib Muttasil.
If all three hold, it is Madd Jaiz Munfasil — in Hafs by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah, 4 or 5 counts in connected recitation.
⚠️ The hamzat wasl trap: فِي الْأَرْضِ
Hamzat wasl exists so that you can begin a word whose first sound is sakin — like the لْ of الْأَرْضِ. You pronounce it when you begin with that word, and it drops when you connect into it from the word before.
So in connected recitation of فِي الْأَرْضِ there is no hamzah left after فِي. Its madd yaa now meets the sakin lam, and two sakin sounds cannot be pronounced back to back, so the yaa is dropped from pronunciation: you say fil-arḍ with a short kasrah. The junction is therefore neither Madd Munfasil nor a 2-count Madd Asli while connecting. Only if you stop on فِي itself does its natural 2-count madd return. The same applies to قَالُوا الْحَمْدُ and بِمَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ.
About the mushaf sign: most printed Hafs mushafs place a small wavy madd sign (~) over the madd letter. It is a helpful marker, not the rule itself — the same sign appears over Muttasil and Lazim too. Learn the cause, not the symbol.
How Many Counts Is Madd Jaiz Munfasil?
Four or five counts in connected recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah. Al-Marsafi notes in Hidayat al-Qari that both are valid for this route and that 4 (tawassut) is the better-known length and the one given precedence in performance. Here is where it sits against its neighbours:
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Madd | Counts | Fixed or variable? |
|---|---|---|
| Madd Asli | 2 | Fixed |
| Madd Jaiz Munfasil ← this page | 4 or 5 | Choose one in connected recitation and keep it for every Munfasil |
| Madd Lazim | 6 | Fixed |
The full counts table for every madd lives on the Madd rules hub.
2, 4 or 5 Counts? The Route Question
- Ash-Shatibiyyah: Hafs reads Munfasil at 4 or 5 counts. Printed Hafs mushafs in wide use, such as the Madinah print, are marked for lengthening it.
- The 2-count reading (qasr): authentic for Hafs through specific routes of Tayyibat an-Nashr — for example the Iraqi transmitters via al-Fil from ‘Amr from Hafs. Shortening is also the reading of other transmitters, such as Ibn Kathir and as-Susi from Abu ‘Amr. It is a different road, not an error.
- That road has its own rules. Reading Hafs with a short Munfasil brings a set of accompanying choices elsewhere in the recitation that belong to that specific route. That is why it is learned from teachers who hold it with a chain, not picked up as a single change.
- Don’t mix routes (tarkib). Taking the short Munfasil from one route while reciting everything else by Ash-Shatibiyyah combines routes in a way the scholars of recitation warn against.
- Stay consistent. When several Munfasils occur, they are read at the same length — the second and every later one matches the first.
Pairing Munfasil With Muttasil
⭐ Our teaching standard for connected recitation of Hafs by way of Ash-Shatibiyyah: read the two madds at equal length — 4 with 4, or 5 with 5.
This follows Sheikh ‘Abd al-Fattah al-Marsafi in Hidayat al-Qari. He records that some authors allowed a third combination — Munfasil 4 with Muttasil 5 — and rejects it, stating that the transmitted text from ‘Asim gives only the two equal combinations, whichever of the two madds comes first.
This is specific to this route in connected recitation. Other routes have their own combinations, and stopping on a word that ends in hamzah has its own options (see Stopping).
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
Al-Kawthar 108:1, recited in full by Sheikh Al-Husary — count along as إِنَّا ends and أَعْطَيْنَاكَ begins.
This follows the face-to-face (talaqqi) tradition: if your teacher has given you a specific length, follow your teacher. This page explains the defaults of the route most learners are taught; it does not replace reading to a qualified teacher.
How to Identify Madd Jaiz Munfasil in 3 Steps
1. Does the word end in a madd letter?
Alif, waw or yaa, sakin, with the matching vowel before it. It may not be written in full — see unwritten madd letters below.
2. Does the next word begin with a hamzat qat‘?
If it begins with hamzat wasl instead (ٱل, ٱ), there is no Munfasil — and in connected recitation the madd letter before it is dropped.
3. Are they two separate words?
Yes — even if the mushaf joins them in writing → Madd Jaiz Munfasil, 4 or 5 counts. No, they are in one word → Madd Wajib Muttasil.
Muttasil and Munfasil share the same cause. What separates them is the word boundary — which is not always a visible space.
What Happens to Madd Munfasil When You Stop?
The extra length of Munfasil exists because of the hamzah in the next word, so it only applies in connected recitation. What happens at a stop depends on which kind of Munfasil you are looking at:
1. True separation — قَالُوا, وَمَا
The madd letter is written and pronounced at the end of the first word. If you stop on that word, the hamzah that caused the lengthening is never reached, so only the natural madd remains: 2 counts — for all readers.
2. Constructive separation — يَٰٓأَيُّهَا, هَٰٓأَنتُمْ
The madd letter is pronounced but not written in full, and the two words are joined in the mushaf. You do not stop on يَا by itself, so the 4–5 count is not “escaped” by a stop the way case 1 is.
3. The pronoun’s ṣilah — رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
The pronoun haa is connected to an unwritten yaa or waw. Stop on the pronoun and the haa becomes sakin, so the connecting yaa or waw disappears completely — no 4–5, and no 2 either.
None of this is a licence to shorten at will: you only get case 1’s 2 counts if you genuinely stop there. It also explains why a skilled reciter can sound “inconsistent” when they are not — they stopped in one pass and connected in another.
Being able to stop on a word doesn’t make it a good stopping point. A stop should respect the meaning; when breath forces an unsuitable stop, the reader goes back and resumes from an appropriate earlier word. The demonstration below is about length, not about choosing where to stop.
The Waqf Switch
Switch between connecting and stopping to see how the length of the madd in قَالُوا changes. This is a visual demonstration; it does not play a recording.
قَالُوا آمَنَّا
Connecting: the waw of قَالُوا meets the hamzah of آمَنَّا, so it is a Madd Munfasil — 4 or 5 counts.
Al-Baqarah 2:14, recited continuously by Sheikh Al-Husary. This is a full-ayah reference recording, not a recorded comparison of stopping and continuing.
A Muttasil cannot be cut short like case 1 — its hamzah is inside the word. When you stop on a word whose last letter is that hamzah (such as الْعُلَمَاءُ), it keeps its 4 or 5 counts, and 6 is also permitted because of the stop. That extra option belongs only to stopping on the final hamzah itself.
Madd Jaiz Munfasil vs Madd Asli
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Feature | Madd Asli | Madd Jaiz Munfasil |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | None — it’s the baseline | A hamzah at the start of the next word |
| Length (connected) | Always 2 | 4 or 5 (Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah), kept consistent |
| At a stop | Stays 2 if you stop on a word ending in it | True Munfasil: 2 if you stop on the first word · Joined forms like يَٰٓأَيُّهَا: no stop on يَا · Pronoun ṣilah: disappears |
| Category | Asli (original / natural) | Far‘i (secondary) |
| Examples | قَالَ · يَقُولُ · قِيلَ | إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ · قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ |
Madd Munfasil is a natural madd letter standing next to a hamzah in the following word. Take that hamzah away by truly stopping on the first word, and what remains is the ordinary 2-count madd. More on the baseline: Madd Asli.
Madd Jaiz Munfasil vs Madd Wajib Muttasil
In إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ the hamzah sits in the next word; in جَاءَ it sits in the same word. That word boundary — not the sound — is what separates the twins.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Feature | Madd Jaiz Munfasil | Madd Wajib Muttasil |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the hamzah? | At the start of the next word | In the same word |
| Meaning of the name | Separated; “jaiz” because readers transmitted both shortening and lengthening | Connected; “wajib” because every reader lengthens it beyond 2 — by differing amounts |
| Length in Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah (connected) | 4 or 5 | 4 or 5 |
| Reading both together (connected) | Equal length: 4 with 4, or 5 with 5 — our standard, following Hidayat al-Qari | |
| Can it be shortened to 2? | Yes, through specific Tayyibah routes (with that route’s rules) | No — never 2 |
| Stopping | True Munfasil: 2 if you stop on the first word (other cases: see Stopping) | Stopping on a word that ends in its hamzah: 4 or 5, and 6 is also permitted. Otherwise it keeps its connected length. |
| Example | إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ | جَاءَ · الْعُلَمَاءُ |
| Written joined | يَٰٓأَيُّهَا · هَٰٓأَنتُمْ | — |
1. In connected Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah, you hear the same length for both. The differences show up at a stop and across other routes.
2. Only Munfasil has a transmitted 2-count reading, and only a true Munfasil drops to 2 when you stop on its first word.
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ
Munfasil — Al-Kawthar 108:1 (full ayah)
جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ
Muttasil — An-Nasr 110:1 (full ayah), same reciter
Full detail on the twin rule lives on Madd Wajib Muttasil.
Madd Jaiz Munfasil Examples in the Quran
12 examples, each with a full-ayah recitation by Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary. Several come from long ayat, so the highlighted words show you which junction to listen for. Waw and yaa examples are included alongside alif.
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
Al-Kawthar 108:1 · alif + أ · final alif of إِنَّا, hamzah of أَعْطَيْنَاكَ
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ
Al-Baqarah 2:21 · alif + أ · constructive separation: the alif of يَا is not written in full
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Al-Kafirun 109:2 · alif + أ
بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
Al-Baqarah 2:4 · alif + أ · the same pattern returns later in the ayah (وَمَا أُنزِلَ)
قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Al-Baqarah 2:30 · yaa + أ · final yaa of إِنِّي meets the hamzah of أَعْلَمُ (the hamzah at the start of إِنِّي is not this junction — قَالَ ends in a lam)
قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا
At-Tahrim 66:6 · waw + أ
وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Al-Isra 17:85 · alif + أ · the closing words of a long ayah
وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ
Ghafir 40:44 · yaa + إ
قَالُوا آمَنَّا
Al-Baqarah 2:14 · waw + آ · the hamzah word also carries a Madd Badal (آ)
تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ
At-Tahrim 66:8 · waw + إ · a kasrah-voweled hamzah works the same way
وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
Al-Kahf 18:38 · two junctions: alif of وَلَا + hamzah of أُشْرِكُ, then yaa of بِرَبِّي + hamzah of أَحَدًا
بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
Related rule — pronoun ṣilah (Madd Silah Kubra). Al-Kahf 18:110 · the haa of رَبِّهِ is read with an unwritten yaa before the hamzah. Same 4–5 when connected; gone entirely if you stop on رَبِّهِ.
Madd Jaiz Munfasil in the Short Surahs
Surah Al-Kafirun is an excellent practice surah for this rule: a Munfasil appears in five of its six short ayat — يَٰٓأَيُّهَا, لَا أَعْبُدُ, وَلَا أَنتُمْ, مَا أَعْبُدُ and وَلَا أَنَا. Surah Al-Fatihah, by contrast, contains no Madd Munfasil at all.
Surah Al-Kafirun, ayat 1–6 — Al-Husary, in order
Plays the six ayat one after another. Starting any other recording stops it.
6 Common Madd Munfasil Mistakes
1. Mixing a 2-count Munfasil into a Shatibiyyah recitation
The short reading is authentic through specific Tayyibah routes, together with that route’s other rules. Dropping it alone into an otherwise Shatibiyyah recitation mixes routes. If you learned Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah, read 4 or 5.
2. Treating فِي الْأَرْضِ as Munfasil
The hamzah is hamzat wasl and drops when you connect; the yaa of فِي then drops too, because it meets a sakin letter. No Munfasil, and no held yaa.
3. Missing يَٰٓأَيُّهَا because the alif isn’t written in full
Judge the madd by pronunciation. Two words can be joined in Uthmani spelling and still form a Munfasil.
4. Inconsistent lengths
Reading one Munfasil at 4 and the next at 5, or pairing Munfasil 4 with Muttasil 5. In connected Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah: keep every Munfasil the same, and keep Munfasil and Muttasil equal — 4/4 or 5/5.
5. Holding 4–5 when you genuinely stop on the first word
For a true Munfasil like قَالُوا, a real stop removes the cause: 2 counts. (For the pronoun’s ṣilah, stopping removes the madd entirely.)
6. Calling every layn letter a madd letter
In إِلَيْهِمْ the يْ follows a fathah: it is a letter of layn. It cannot form a Munfasil, and the word is not automatically an example of Madd Lin either — Madd Lin needs its own cause, such as stopping on a word whose layn letter comes just before the last letter (خَوْف).
Practise: Munfasil or Muttasil?
Eight Quran phrases — four of each. Look only at the highlighted junction and ask: are the madd letter and the hamzah in the same word, or in two words? Instant feedback, no sign-up.
Where does the hamzah sit — same word, or the next one?
Spotting the word boundary is the easy half. Whether your 4–5 counts are steady and match your Muttasil is judged by ear — and that needs a listener.
Book a free trial lessonPlay: Munfasil Skyline (Free Game)
Eight rounds, one skyline. Every correct word pair you spot — a madd letter closing one word, a hamzah opening the next — raises a floor of the building. It works on phones and tablets, and no account is needed.
Game not loading? Open it in a new tab · or browse all our free Tajweed games.
Learn More
Madd Munfasil is caused by a hamzah in the next word. These pages cover the other causes: Madd Wajib Muttasil has the same cause inside one word; Madd Lazim comes from a permanent sukoon or shaddah; Madd Lin applies to a layn letter when you stop on the word; and Madd Silah covers the pronoun haa, whose Kubra form behaves like a Munfasil in connected recitation but vanishes at a stop.
All of them sit inside the wider set of Tajweed rules, alongside Rules of Meem Sakinah, Noon Sakin rules and Qalqalah letters — and are taught step by step in our Tajweed for adults and Tajweed for kids classes.
Madd Jaiz Munfasil FAQ
Q1. What is Madd Jaiz Munfasil?
Q2. Why is it called “jaiz”?
Q3. How many counts is Madd Jaiz Munfasil?
Q4. Can I read Munfasil at 4 and Muttasil at 5?
Q5. How do I identify Madd Jaiz Munfasil?
Q6. Is فِي الْأَرْضِ a Madd Munfasil?
Q7. What is the difference between Madd Jaiz Munfasil and Madd Wajib Muttasil?
Q8. What is the difference between Madd Jaiz Munfasil and Madd Asli?
Q9. What happens to Madd Munfasil if I stop?
Q10. Why is the alif missing in يَٰٓأَيُّهَا?
Q11. Where can I find Madd Jaiz Munfasil in the Quran?
May Allah beautify your recitation and accept it from you. 🤲
Hafidha of the Quran · Arabic Language Graduate · Writer on Islamic Sciences
Jehad Mahmoud is a graduate of the Arabic Language department and a Hafidha of the Quran who writes the Islamic educational content at Quran Book Academy.
She writes with a focus on Tajweed, Quranic recitation and the sharia sciences, making technical rules — including route-specific questions of tariq and riwayah — accessible to English-speaking Muslim families.
Her articles are educational, not fatwa. For a ruling on a specific personal situation, readers are advised to consult a qualified scholar or mufti.
References & Sources
The Tajweed rulings on this page are sourced from IslamWeb: three passages of a Tajweed book hosted in its library, and four fatwas from its Fatwa Center.
- ‘Abd al-Fattah al-Marsafi, Hidayat al-Qari ila Tajwid Kalam al-Bari (هداية القاري إلى تجويد كلام الباري), ch. 11, section “أقسام المد” — hosted in the IslamWeb library. islamweb.net/ar/library/content/231/54
Definition of Munfasil; true vs constructive separation (يا النداء, ها التنبيه, the pronoun’s ṣilah); why it is called “jaiz” and Muttasil “wajib”; 4 or 5 counts for Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah with 4 given precedence; 6 counts permitted when stopping on Muttasil’s final hamzah. - Al-Marsafi, Hidayat al-Qari, “سبعة تنبيهات هامة”, part 1 — IslamWeb library. islamweb.net/ar/library/content/231/55
What happens at a stop for true Munfasil, for يَا أَيُّهَا, and for the pronoun’s ṣilah; reading repeated Munfasils at equal length; the 2-count Munfasil for Hafs is not from Ash-Shatibiyyah but from Tayyibat an-Nashr; the layn letters. - Al-Marsafi, Hidayat al-Qari, “سبعة تنبيهات هامة”, part 2 — IslamWeb library. islamweb.net/ar/library/content/231/56
Fifth note: combining Munfasil and Muttasil for Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah in connected recitation — equal lengths only (4/4 or 5/5), rejecting Munfasil 4 with Muttasil 5; the rules that accompany a short Munfasil on Tayyibah routes; the prohibition of mixing routes (tarkib) and the need to read to qualified teachers. - IslamWeb Fatwa Center, fatwa no. 49979, “مقدار المد المنفصل والمتصل عند القراء”. islamweb.net/ar/fatwa/49979
Who lengthens and who shortens Munfasil; Hafs’s 4–5 via Ash-Shatibiyyah and the printed Hafs mushaf; lengths must be learned orally, with counting only an approximation; differences between readers are variety, not error. - IslamWeb Fatwa Center, fatwa no. 175201, “أحكام المد المنفصل في رواية حفص”. islamweb.net/ar/fatwa/175201
Most routes from Hafs lengthen Munfasil; the short reading reported via al-Fil from Hafs (an-Nashr / at-Tayyibah); both readings are valid. - IslamWeb Fatwa Center, fatwa no. 56031, “مد المنفصل في رواية حفص عن عاصم”. islamweb.net/ar/fatwa/56031
Lengthening is required when reading Hafs via Ash-Shatibiyyah; shortening via Tayyibah brings faces that must be observed to avoid mixing routes. - IslamWeb Fatwa Center, fatwa no. 66313, “حكم الوقف على المد المتصل إذا كانت الهمزة متطرفة”. islamweb.net/ar/fatwa/66313
Stopping on a Muttasil whose hamzah is the last letter: 4, 5 or 6 counts.
Audio
Recitation by Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary, streamed from EveryAyah.com. Every clip on this page is a complete ayah.
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