Sakt and Qat' with Hafs

Islam > Quran > Tajweed > Sakt and Qat' with Hafs

The definition of Sakt

Sakt in the language: prohibition. It is said: the man sakata (fell silent) from speech, meaning he abstained from it ¹.

In technical terms: the interruption of the voice on the Quranic word for a very brief instant, without taking a breath, lasting two counts. It is bound by auditory transmission (samaa') and report (naql), as Imam Ibn al-Jazari said: it is therefore permitted only in what transmission has established ².

The obligatory Sakt with Hafs: its 4 places

The Sakt has been reported as obligatory from Hafs in four places, in the sense that if the reader joins the word to what follows, he then has no choice but the Sakt. Here are these places:

• First: the Sakt on the alif of "عوجًا" in the words of the Most High وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا، قَيِّمًا in surah al-Kahf ¹.
• Second: the Sakt on the alif of "مرقدنا" in the words of the Most High قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا مَنْ بَعَثَنَا مِنْ مَرْقَدِنَا هَذَا in surah Ya-Sin ².
• Third: the Sakt on the noon of "من" in the words of the Most High وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ in surah al-Qiyamah ³.
• Fourth: the Sakt on the laam of "بل" in the words of the Almighty, exalted be His words: كَلاَّ بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ in surah al-Mutaffifin ⁴.

The sign of the Sakt in the mushaf is the letter "س" placed on the word where the Sakt is required, as seen in the examples.

Imam al-Shatibi pointed to these places, saying:

وسكتة حفص دون قطع لطيفة ... على ألف التنوين في عوجا بَلا
وفي نون من راق ومرقدنا ولا ... م بل ران والباقون لا سكت موصلا

The permitted Sakt with Hafs: its 2 places

The Sakt has also been reported from Hafs as permitted (jawaz) in two places:

First: the Sakt between the two surahs al-Anfal and Bara'ah (at-Tawbah), which is one of the three modes whose debate has already taken place: qat' (the cutting off), the Sakt and wasl (the joining).

Second: the Sakt on the Haa of "ماليه" in the words of the Most High مَا أَغْنَى عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ، هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ ⁵ in surah al-Haqqah. It is therefore permitted for Hafs to do the Sakt or not to do it in the state of wasl, and the Sakt is the preferred mode in performance.