Islam > Quran > Tajweed > Words that differ between masaahif
Updated on 04 October 2026 at 11:01 PM
📖 13 min readThis type is of two kinds: one with non-multiple occurrences, the other with multiple occurrences. Here is the exposition.
It consists of a single word, in a single occurrence, without a second in the Quran: "لاتَ" with "حين" in the words of the Most High: وَلاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ¹ (surah Sad). The masaahif differed over it: in some, the taa was written separated from the word "حين", in others, joined. The correct view is separation, and that "لاتَ" be an independent word and "حين" another word. On this, the negative "لا" entered there followed by a taa of the feminine, as it entered upon "رب" and "ثم", whence "ربت" and "ثمت"; the taa is then joined without a ruling. ² On this, stopping on the taa is correct in case of necessity or in a context of teaching or examination, but it is not correct to stop there by choice and to begin with the word "حين"; it is obligatory to begin with "ولات".
It has been said: the taa is joined to the word "حين" and the rasm is thus: "ولا تحين"; that is not widespread, and there is no doubt that the spread of separation is correct, in consideration of what the majority of the masaahif have, which is the established usage. ¹
It is limited to seventeen words, occurring according to three forms.
It is "أَنْ", a hamza with fathah and a light noon, with "لو", in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in three occurrences:
The second section: divergence of the masaahif over its separation or joining, in the fourth occurrence: وَأَلَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ ⁵ (al-Jinn). Most of the books of tajwid mentioned that the usage in this occurrence is separation; but a careful examination of most of the masaahif in our hands, among them the mushaf of al-Azhar and the mushaf of Medina, showed that the usage is joining, and that is what Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn Najah chose in at-Tanzil.
Here is their detailed exposition ⁶.
"إنْ", a hamza with kasrah and a light noon, with "ما"; it occurred in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in a single occurrence: وَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ ¹ (ar-Ra'd).
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the preceding one, as: فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْحَرْبِ ² (al-Anfal), وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِنْ قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً ³ (the same surah), نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ ⁴ (Yunus), فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي ⁵ (Maryam), and many others.
"عن" with the relative "ما", occurring in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in a single occurrence: فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ ⁶ (al-A'raf).
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the preceding one, as: وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ ⁷ (al-Ma'idah), سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (an-Nahl), سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ⁹ (as-Saffat), and everything resembling them.
It is in two sections:
The first section: "هم" as a detached pronoun in the nominative function; the masaahif agreed on its separation, that is, the separation of "يوم" from "هم", in two occurrences:
The second section: "هم" as an attached pronoun in the genitive function; the masaahif agreed on its joining, as: حَتَّى يُلاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ (az-Zukhruf) ², (al-Ma'arij) ³, and حَتَّى يُلاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ ⁴ (at-Tur). The joining of "يوم" with "هم" is due to the fact that "هم" is an attached pronoun in annexation with "يوم", so that the two become like a single word.
As for "يومهم" with the kasrah of the meem and the Haa, as in: فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ يَوْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ ⁵ (end of adh-Dhariyat), it is likewise joined by consensus of the masaahif.
"كي" with the negative "لا", in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "كي" from "لا", in three occurrences:
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in four occurrences:
"أمْ" with the interrogative "مَنْ", in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "أم" from "من", in four occurrences:
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the four preceding ones, as: أَمَّنْ لا يَهِدِّي ⁷ (Yunus), أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ ⁸ (an-Naml), أَمَّنْ هَذَا الَّذِي هُوَ جُنْدٌ لَكُمْ ⁹ (al-Mulk), and many others.
It is in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of the laam from its genitive, in four occurrences:
......... وقطع مال في النسا ... وسال والفرقان والكهف رساووقفه بما أو اللام اعلما ... ......................
But it is not permitted to begin with the laam nor with what follows the laam in these occurrences; it is obligatory to begin with "ما". ²
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the four preceding ones, as: مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ³ (as-Saffat), مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ ⁴ (Ghafir), وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى ⁵ (al-Layl).
"إنْ", a hamza with kasrah and a light noon, with "لم", in two sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the joining of "إن" with "لم", in a single occurrence: فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ ⁶ (Hud).
The second section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "إن" from "لم", in all the occurrences of the Noble Quran other than the preceding one, as: فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَنْ تَفْعَلُوا ⁷ (al-Baqarah), وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ ⁸ (al-Ma'idah), لَئِنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا ⁹ (al-A'raf), إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا ¹⁰ (al-Kahf), and everything resembling them.
This form likewise occurred in nine words with multiple occurrences. It differs from the two preceding forms in that each of the nine words presents itself according to three sections: one separated by consensus, another joined by consensus, and a third divergent between the masaahif. Here is the detailed exposition.
"إنَّ", a hamza with kasrah and a noon with shaddah, with the relative "ما", in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "إنَّ" from "ما", in a single occurrence: إِنَّ مَا تُوعَدُونَ لَآتٍ ¹ (al-An'am).
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in a single occurrence: إِنَّمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ² (an-Nahl). Joining there is the most widespread and the strongest, ³ and it is upon it that one acts.
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the two mentioned, as: إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ ⁴ (an-Nisa'), إنَّمَا المُؤْمِنُونَ إَخْوَة ⁵ (al-Hujurat), إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِق ⁶ (adh-Dhariyat), and many others.
The preposition "مِنْ" with the relative "ما", in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "من" from "ما", in a single occurrence: فَمِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ مِنْ فَتَيَاتِكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ⁷ (an-Nisa').
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in two occurrences: the first هَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ¹ (ar-Rum), the second وَأَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ² (al-Munafiqun). The usage there is separation. ³ To the preceding the author of La'ali al-Bayan alludes, saying:
وفي النسا من ما بقطعه وصف ... وفي المنافقون والرُّوم اختلفThe third section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the three mentioned, as: وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ ⁴ (beginning of al-Baqarah), وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا ⁵ (al-Baqarah likewise), وَالَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ⁶ (an-Nur), and everything resembling them.
The masaahif agreed on the separation of the preposition "مِنْ" entering upon an explicit noun of which "ما" is part, as: مِنْ مَالٍ وَبَنِين ⁷ (al-Mu'minun), مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي آتَاكُمْ ⁸ (an-Nur), مِنْ مَاءٍ دَافِقٍ ⁹ (at-Tariq), and everything resembling them. To this the author of Mawrid adh-dham'aan alludes, in order to remove the false idea that these occurrences are separated and not joined, ¹⁰ where he says: وقطع من مع ظاهر.
It is in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "كل" from "ما", in a single occurrence: وَآتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ¹ (Ibrahim).
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in four occurrences: the first كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوا إِلَى الْفِتْنَةِ أُرْكِسُوا فِيهَا ² (an-Nisa'), the second كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا ³ (al-A'raf), the third كُلَّ مَا جَاءَ أُمَّةً رَسُولُهَا ⁴ (al-Mu'minun), the fourth كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ ⁵ (al-Mulk). The usage is separation in the occurrences of an-Nisa' and al-Mu'minun, and joining in those of al-A'raf and al-Mulk. ⁶
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the five mentioned, as: أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ ⁷ (al-Baqarah), كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ ⁸ (Al 'Imran), كُلَّمَا أَوْقَدُوا نَارًا لِلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ ⁹ (al-Ma'idah), and others.
"في" with the relative "ما": the scholars differed over it according to five schools.
The first school: that of Imam Ibn al-Jazari; the word is there in two sections:
The first: separation without divergence in the following eleven occurrences:
The second: joining without divergence, in all the occurrences other than these eleven, as: فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ⁹ (al-Baqarah), فِيمَا فَعَلْنَ ¹⁰ (first occurrence in al-Baqarah), لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا أَخَذْتُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ¹¹ (al-Anfal), and everything resembling them. This is the school followed, ¹² and this is drawn from the words of Imam Ibn al-Jazari in al-Muqaddima al-Jazariyya, where he says:
............... في ما اقطعا ... أوحي أفضتم اشتهت يبلو معًاثاني فعلن وقعت روم كلا ... تنزيل شعراء وغير ذي صلاThe second school: that of Imam Ibn al-Jazari likewise: he excepted ten occurrences, apart from that of ash-Shu'ara', in which he mentioned the divergence and explained it in an-Nashr, then said: "and the majority is on its separation". All the occurrences other than these eleven are joined by consensus, as in the preceding school.
The third school: that of Imam Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn Najah; the word is there according to him in three sections: the first, separation without divergence in the occurrences of al-Anbiya' and ash-Shu'ara'; the second, separation with divergence in the remaining nine; the third, joining without divergence in all the occurrences other than these eleven.
The fourth school: that of Imam Abu 'Amr ad-Dani; the word is there according to him in two sections: the first, separation with divergence in the eleven occurrences; the second, joining without divergence in all the others.
The fifth school: that of Imam al-Shatibi; the word is there according to him in two sections: the first, separation without divergence in the occurrence of ash-Shu'ara'; the second, joining without divergence in all the rest.
The author of Mawrid adh-dham'aan pointed out some of these divergences, saying:
............................... ... وخلف مقنع بكل مستطر
وخلف تنزيل بغير الشعرا ... والأنبيا واقطعهما إذ كثرا"أنَّ", a hamza with fathah and a noon with shaddah, with the relative "ما", in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "أنَّ" from "ما", in two occurrences:
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written joined in some and separated in others, in a single occurrence: وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ¹ (al-Anfal). Joining there is the most probable, ² and it is upon it that one acts.
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the three mentioned, as: فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا عَلَى رَسُولِنَا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ ³ (at-Taghabun), and everything resembling them.
"أنْ", a hamza with fathah and a sakina noon, with the negative "لا", in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the separation of "أن" from "لا", in ten occurrences:
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in most of them and joined in some, in a single occurrence: فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ ⁴ (al-Anbiya'). The choice there is separation, and it is upon it that one acts. ⁵
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its joining, in all the occurrences other than the eleven mentioned, as: أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنَّنِي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ ⁶ (Hud), أَفَلا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا ⁷ (Taha), إِذْ جَاءَتْهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ⁸ (Fussilat), وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ⁹ (al-Hadid), and many other occurrences in the Quran.
"أنْ", a hamza with fathah and a sakina noon, with "لن", in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the joining of "أن" with "لَنْ", in two occurrences:
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in a single occurrence: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ¹ (al-Muzzammil). Separation there is the most widespread and it is upon it that one acts. ²
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in all the occurrences other than the three mentioned, as: أَنْ لَنْ يَنْقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ ³ (al-Fath), زَعَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنْ لَنْ يُبْعَثُوا ⁴ (at-Taghabun), أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ ⁵ (al-Balad), and other occurrences of the Noble Quran.
It is in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the joining of "بئس" with "ما", in a single occurrence: بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ⁶, first occurrence in surah al-Baqarah.
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in two occurrences:
Imam Ibn al-Jazari mentioned the joining by consensus in the occurrence of al-A'raf, but the author of Mawrid adh-dham'aan established there the divergence according to Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn Najah, saying:
فَصْلٌ وقل بالوصل بئسما اشتروا ... عن أبي عمرو في الأعراف روواوخلفه لابن نجاح رسما ... وعنهما كذاك في قل بئسماHe therefore established the joining unanimously in what adjoins "اشتروا", and the divergence in what occurs after "قال" or "قل", in al-A'raf and al-Baqarah. ¹ The author of La'ali al-Bayan also alluded to it, saying:
وبئسما اشتروا فصل والخلف في ... خلفتموني مع يأمركم قفيThe third section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in six occurrences: one accompanied by the faa', the words of the Most High: فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ² (Al 'Imran); the five others accompanied by the laam: وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ³, third occurrence in surah al-Baqarah, and the four in surah al-Ma'idah: لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ⁴, لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ ⁵, لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ⁶ and لَبِئْسَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لَهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ ⁷.
It is in three sections:
The first section: agreement of the masaahif on the joining of "أين" with "ما", in two occurrences:
The second section: divergence of the masaahif, written separated in some and joined in others, in three occurrences:
The third section: agreement of the masaahif on its separation, in all the occurrences other than the five mentioned, as: أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا ⁵, second occurrence in surah al-Baqarah, قَالُوا أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ⁶ (al-A'raf), وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ ⁷ (al-Hadid), and others.
Said the author of La'ali al-Bayan:
تقطع أن عن كل لم ولو نشا ... كانوا يشا والخلف في الجن فشاوقطع أن لن غير ألَّن نجعلا ... نجمع والخلف بتحصوه انجلىونون أن لا يدخلنها افصلا ... يشركن مع ملجأ مع تعلوا علىتشرك أقول مع يقولوا تعبدوا ... يس والأخرى بهود قيدواكذا بها أن لا إله واختلف ... في الأنبياء ووصل إلا الكل صفكنون إلَّم هود وافصل إنْ ما ... بالرعد ثم صل جميع أماوقطعت أم من بذبح والنسا ... وفصلت أيضًا وأم من أسساوأن ما يدعون الاثنين افصلا ... وخلف أنما غنمتم حصلامع إنما عند لدى النحل وقع ... وقبل توعدون الأنعام انقطعوصل فأينما كنحل وجرى ... خلف بالأحزاب النسا والشعراوقطع حيث ما معا ويوم هم ... على وبارزون عكس يبنؤموفي النسا من ما بقطعه وصف ... وفي المنافقين والروم اختلفومم مع ممن جميعها صلا ... وموضعي عن من وما نهو افصلاوعم صل وقطع مال في النسا ... وسال والفرقان والكهف رساووقفه بما أو اللام اعلما ... كوقف أيًّامَّا بأيَّا أو بماوكل ما سألتموه فصلت ... وخلف جا ردوا وألقى دخلتوبئسما اشتروا فَصِل والخلف في ... خلفتموني مع يأمركم قفىوقطع كي لا أول الأحزاب معْ ... نحل وحشر وبعمران وقعْخلف كفي ما الروم ههنا كلا ... تنزيل آتاكم معًا أُوحي ولافعلن في الأخرى افضتم واشتهت ... أو خلفها مع قطع ههنا ثبتأو هي واشتهت أو الكل فصل ... وفيم صل ولات حين منفصلوقيل وصله وها ويا وأل ... كالوهم أو وزنوهم اتصلكَرُبَّما مهما نعما يؤمئذ ... كأنما وويكأن حينئذوجاء إل يا سين بانفصال ... وصح وقف من تلاها آل