Madd muttasil and madd munfasil both happen when a madd letter meets a hamzah, and the only difference is where that hamzah sits. If the madd letter and the hamzah are in the same word, as in جَآءَ (jaaa’a), it is madd muttasil (connected). If the madd letter ends one word and the hamzah begins the next word, as in إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ, it is madd munfasil (separated). In Hafs ‘an ‘Asim via al-Shatibiyyah, both are held for 4 or 5 counts. Our Tajweed rules course drills these two madds until your counts are even and automatic.
This guide shows you how to spot each one quickly, why one is called obligatory and the other permissible, which count combinations are allowed, and what happens to each madd when you stop.
Key takeaways
- Muttasil: madd letter and hamzah in one word. Munfasil: madd letter at the end of a word, hamzah at the start of the next.
- In Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah, both take 4 or 5 counts, and the munfasil may never be longer than the muttasil.
- When you stop on a word ending in hamzah, the muttasil can be held 4, 5 or 6 counts; when you stop on a word before a munfasil hamzah, that madd disappears.
- Choose one count and keep it consistent through your whole recitation.
The Basic Difference in One Table
Both madds start from the same place: a madd letter that would normally take the two counts of madd tabi’i. The hamzah after it is the cause that lengthens the madd. What changes is the word boundary.
| Madd muttasil (connected) | Madd munfasil (separated) | |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic name | al-madd al-wajib al-muttasil | al-madd al-ja’iz al-munfasil |
| Where the hamzah is | Same word as the madd letter | First letter of the next word |
| Count in Hafs (al-Shatibiyyah) | 4 or 5 | 4 or 5 |
| When you stop on the word | Becomes 4, 5 or 6 if the hamzah is the last letter | Madd returns to 2 counts, because the hamzah is not read |
| Example | جَآءَ, ٱلسَّمَآءِ, قُرُوٓءٍ | بِمَآ أُنزِلَ, قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ |
A quick visual clue in the Madani mushaf: both madds carry the small wavy madd sign (~) over the madd letter. That sign tells you the madd is longer than two counts. To know whether it is muttasil or munfasil, simply look at whether the hamzah is inside the word or at the start of the next one.
Madd Muttasil: The Obligatory Connected Madd
Madd muttasil is called wajib (obligatory) because every one of the recognized readers of the Quran lengthens it beyond the natural two counts. They differ on exactly how long, but none of them reads it short. In Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah, you hold it for 4 or 5 counts.
It appears with all three madd letters:
- Alif: جَآءَ, as in إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ (An-Nasr 110:1), and ٱلسَّمَآءِ
- Waw: قُرُوٓءٍ (Al-Baqarah 2:228) and ٱلسُّوٓءَ
- Ya: سِيٓـَٔتْ وُجُوهُ (Al-Mulk 67:27)
Words such as أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ (Al-Baqarah 2:5) and ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ also contain a muttasil, even though the madd letter is a small dagger alif. The small alif counts as a madd letter, and the hamzah follows it in the same word.
Madd Munfasil: The Permissible Separated Madd
Madd munfasil is called ja’iz (permissible) because the readers differ: some of the ten reciters read it short, at two counts, while others lengthen it. In Hafs ‘an ‘Asim via al-Shatibiyyah, the route most mushafs and teachers follow, it is lengthened to 4 or 5 counts, the same range as the muttasil.
Clear examples you will meet early in your recitation:
- إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ (Al-Kawthar 108:1)
- يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ (Al-Baqarah 2:4), with two munfasil in one phrase
- وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ (Al-Qadr 97:2)
- وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ (Al-Kafirun 109:3)
- قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ (At-Tahrim 66:6), where the madd letter is a waw
The munfasil hidden inside one written word
Some words look like a single word in the mushaf but are really two. In يَٰٓأَيُّهَا, the يَا of calling is a separate word joined in writing to أَيُّهَا, so its madd is treated as munfasil. In هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ, the first madd (on هَا) is munfasil for the same reason, while the second madd (لَآءِ) is a true muttasil. Teachers call this kind a munfasil hukmi, separated in ruling though joined in script.
Silah kubra follows the munfasil
When the pronoun ha between two voweled letters is followed by a hamzah, it becomes madd silah kubra, as in مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ (Al-Humazah 104:3). It is read with the same count you chose for the munfasil.
Use the tool below to compare these two madds with the other madd types and their counts.
Madd Type and Count Finder
Choose what follows the madd letter to see its type and count
Which Count Combinations Are Allowed?
Here is the rule most students miss: the munfasil may never be longer than the muttasil. The muttasil is the stronger madd, because all the readers agree on lengthening it, so it must be equal to or longer than the munfasil.
| Muttasil | Munfasil | Allowed in Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah? |
|---|---|---|
| 4 counts | 4 counts | Yes |
| 5 counts | 4 counts | Yes |
| 5 counts | 5 counts | Yes |
| 4 counts | 5 counts | No: munfasil is longer than muttasil |
Many teachers recommend that beginners use 4 counts for both. It is easier to keep even, and it fits a steady recitation pace. Whatever you choose, keep it the same from the start of your session to the end. Switching between 4 and 5 counts from one ayah to the next is a real error, not a style.
What about 2 counts for the munfasil? Hafs also has a shortened munfasil through other routes, such as al-Tayyibah. It is authentic, but it belongs to a different route with its own set of rules, so read it only if a qualified teacher has taught you that route. If you learned from a standard Madani mushaf, use 4 or 5.
What Happens When You Stop
Stopping changes both madds, but in opposite directions.
Stopping on a muttasil word ending in hamzah
When you stop on a word like ٱلسَّمَآءُ or يَشَآءُ, the final hamzah becomes sakin. Now the madd has two causes, the hamzah and the sukun of stopping, so you may hold it for 4, 5 or 6 counts. When the hamzah is in the middle of the word, as in جَآءَهُمْ, stopping at the end of the word does not change the muttasil.
Stopping on a word before a munfasil
If you stop on بِمَآ and do not continue to أُنزِلَ, the hamzah is never pronounced. The cause of the munfasil is gone, so the madd returns to 2 counts, a plain madd tabi’i. Only continue the long madd when you actually connect to the hamzah.
A Hamzah You Do Not Pronounce Does Not Count
A madd letter before hamzat al-wasl (the connecting hamzah, as at the start of ٱللَّهِ or ٱلْأَرْضِ) does not form a munfasil. When you connect the words, that hamzah is silent and the madd letter itself drops, as in فِى ٱللَّهِ, read fillaahi. Since the lam of the name Allah in this phrase follows a kasrah, it is also light; see our guide to the lam in the name of Allah for the full rule.
Common Mistakes With These Two Madds
- Reading the munfasil at 2 counts in a Shatibiyyah recitation, usually from habit or fast reading.
- Making the munfasil longer than the muttasil, for example 5 and 4.
- Uneven counts, holding one madd for 4 and the next for 5 or 6.
- Lengthening before hamzat al-wasl, where no munfasil exists.
- Keeping the long madd after stopping on a word like بِمَا.
Most of these slips are hard to hear in your own voice. Recording yourself helps, but a teacher in our online Tajweed classes can hear an uneven count instantly. For the complete family of madds, read our overview of the types of madd in Tajweed, and for practice routines, see how to read the Quran with Tajweed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between madd muttasil and munfasil?
Both are a madd letter followed by a hamzah. In madd muttasil, the hamzah is in the same word; in madd munfasil, the hamzah starts the next word. In Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah, both are read for 4 or 5 counts.
Why is madd muttasil called wajib?
Because all the recognized readers agree it must be lengthened beyond two counts. They differ only on the exact length. The munfasil is called ja’iz because some readers shorten it to two counts.
Can I read madd muttasil with 4 counts and munfasil with 5?
No. The munfasil must not be longer than the muttasil. You may read both at 4, both at 5, or the muttasil at 5 and the munfasil at 4.
Is يَا أَيُّهَا madd munfasil?
Yes. The يَا of calling is a separate word joined to أَيُّهَا in writing, so its madd is treated as munfasil and read with your munfasil count.
How can I make my madd counts consistent?
Pick one count, practice with a trusted reciter, and have a qualified teacher listen to you. A free trial class in our Quran Tajweed course includes a level assessment that shows exactly where your counts drift.
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