Arabic Small High Three Dots

They mark a choice between two recitation stops. The pair is called muʿānaqah, or the paired pause. It shows where a phrase may be divided so its words can connect with what comes before or after.

Waqf means “stopping” in recitation; these signs guide where to pause or continue as the Qur’an is read aloud.

Where should I pause when both marks appear?

In the standard rule, pause at one mark, not both. You can stop at the first, or read on and stop at the second. Printed editions and teachers may explain the rule’s application differently, so follow the guidance for the copy you are reading.

The pause system grew over centuries

Studies of early Qur’anic manuscripts describe clusters of dots or strokes used to mark pauses and verse endings. Later copyists used named stop signs. Historical accounts associate Ibn Aws al-Muqri with early pause marking and the medieval scholar al-Sajāwandī with systematizing a later set.

Printed Qur’an traditions differ in their stop marks and placements. A 2025 study of one Indonesian Qur’an found muʿānaqah signs beyond al-Sajāwandī’s core set, showing that printed notation can include marks from a wider tradition.