✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to recite the Qur'an verse by verse, pausing at the end of each āyah, rather than reciting them in a continuous flow.
She narrates:
يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ
"He ﷺ used to pause during his recitation."
She elaborated that the Prophet ﷺ would say:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ, then pause,
then recite الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ, then pause,
then recite الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ, and so on.
In another narration:
كَانَ يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةً آيَةً
"He used to recite the Qur'an one verse at a time."
[Ṣaḥīḥ: al-Mishkāt: 2205; Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Qurʾān: Bāb Ādāb al-Tilāwah wa Durūs al-Qurʾān; Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3379; Kitāb al-Ḥurūf wa al-Qirāʾāt; Aḥmad: 6/302; Abū Dāwūd: 4001; Tirmidhī: 2927; Dāraquṭnī: 1/307; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/520; Ḥākim: 1/232; Ibn Khuzaymah: 493]
🖋 Imām Dāraquṭnī and Imām Nawawī both classified this narration as Ṣaḥīḥ.
[Al-Majmūʿ: 3/333]
The leading Qur'an reciters (Qurrāʾ) and Islamic scholars consider this style of recitation — pausing at each verse — to be most virtuous and recommended.
[Al-Itqān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān: p. 122; Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/62]
❖ Allows for better reflection and understanding of the Qur'anic message.
❖ Follows the exact recitation style of the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Encourages proper pronunciation and tajwīd.
❖ Enhances the spiritual experience of both the reciter and the listener.
✔ Pausing at the end of each verse during Qur'anic recitation is the established Sunnah.
✔ This practice is supported by authentic Ahadith and approved by scholars across generations.
✔ It is a recommended and superior method of recitation, combining precision, reverence, and understanding.
❀ One Should Pause at the End of Every Verse During Recitation ❀
The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to recite the Qur'an verse by verse, pausing at the end of each āyah, rather than reciting them in a continuous flow.
① Hadith of Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها
She narrates:
يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ
"He ﷺ used to pause during his recitation."
She elaborated that the Prophet ﷺ would say:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ, then pause,
then recite الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ, then pause,
then recite الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ, and so on.
In another narration:
كَانَ يَقْطَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ آيَةً آيَةً
"He used to recite the Qur'an one verse at a time."
[Ṣaḥīḥ: al-Mishkāt: 2205; Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Qurʾān: Bāb Ādāb al-Tilāwah wa Durūs al-Qurʾān; Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd: 3379; Kitāb al-Ḥurūf wa al-Qirāʾāt; Aḥmad: 6/302; Abū Dāwūd: 4001; Tirmidhī: 2927; Dāraquṭnī: 1/307; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/520; Ḥākim: 1/232; Ibn Khuzaymah: 493]🖋 Imām Dāraquṭnī and Imām Nawawī both classified this narration as Ṣaḥīḥ.
[Al-Majmūʿ: 3/333]✔ View of the Qurrāʾ and Scholars:
The leading Qur'an reciters (Qurrāʾ) and Islamic scholars consider this style of recitation — pausing at each verse — to be most virtuous and recommended.
[Al-Itqān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān: p. 122; Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/62]
Benefits and Virtues of Pausing at Each Verse:
❖ Allows for better reflection and understanding of the Qur'anic message.
❖ Follows the exact recitation style of the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Encourages proper pronunciation and tajwīd.
❖ Enhances the spiritual experience of both the reciter and the listener.
Conclusion:
✔ Pausing at the end of each verse during Qur'anic recitation is the established Sunnah.
✔ This practice is supported by authentic Ahadith and approved by scholars across generations.
✔ It is a recommended and superior method of recitation, combining precision, reverence, and understanding.
