Will you give information about the necessity of taking a breath between verses and reading long in prayer? What are the meanings of the sajawand signs (punctuation marks) we see while reading the Quran?

They say it is necessary to take a breath between verses in prayer. It is also said that the best prayer is the one with long qira’ah (reading). Will you give information about it? 

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is not necessary to take a breath between verses in prayer. It is permissible to read verses one after the other, especially short verses. There are signs showing the places to stop and to go on without stopping.

We list below the signs (marks) called sajawand, which you see when you read the Quran, and how they are used:

“Jim (j)”: It indicates that it is permissible to stop but it is also permissible to continue in such places. However, it is better to stop. 

“Ti (t)”: It indicates that it is definitely necessary to stop – it means it has no options like should be stopped and might me stopped. If one starts to read after the word that he has stopped, the meaning will be good. 

“Mim (m)”: It indicates that it is necessary to stop; if one continues reading, the meaning is distorted.

“Za (z)”: It indicates permissibility; it means it is better to continue.

“Sad (s)”: It indicates permissibility; it means one can stop if he needs to take a breath.

“Qaf (the Quran)”: It is the sign of “qad qila”; some scholars of qira’ah say it is permissible to stop but it is better to continue.

“Qif”(qf)): It means to stop; it is better to stop.

“Kaf (k)”: It means the same; it refers to the sign before it. (That is, the same thing done in the previous sign is repeated.)

“Lamalif (la)”: It indicates that one must not stop. However, if a person needs to take a breath, he can stop there but when he starts to read again, he has to repeat the last word or start to read one or a few words before it again. The sign “Lamalif” at the end of a verse does not prevent stopping but it shows that the meaning is not complete. Since it also indicates the beginning of a verse, it is sunnah to stop there; there is no need to repeat the last word. 

“Ayn (‘a)”: It indicates ruku’ at the end of some verses; those who perform tarawih prayer with khatm al-Quran, bow down for ruku at those signs.

In some places, there are two sets of three dots (.:_______:.) in the same verse or in two verses that follow each other; they are called waqf al-muanaqa and waqf al-muraqaba. It is necessary to stop in only one of them because if one stops in both of them, the meaning is not complete.

One does not stop in a verse if there are no such signs. However, if a person needs to take a breath, he can stop anywhere and when he starts to read again, he has to repeat the last word or start to read one or a few words before it again.

In the Quran, there is no place where it is wajib (fard) or haram to stop. However, if a person stops deliberately in a place where it is necessary not to stop, he will be a sinner since the meaning is distorted; it cannot be imagined that any believer will do it.

A person who performs a prayer alone can read long chapters as he wishes. It increases the virtue of that prayer. However, in congregational prayers, the imam should not read very long.

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