The Seven Alifs in Hafs Recitation: Locations and Rules in Waqf and Wasl
Some Quranic words end in an alif that is pronounced when the reciter stops but omitted when the recitation continues into the following word. These are traditionally known as الألفات السبع, “the seven alifs.”
The name does not mean that they occur in only seven verses. The pronoun أَنَا, for example, follows this rule wherever it occurs. This guide explains the seven categories in the recitation of Hafs from Asim, their rule in waqf (stopping) and wasl (joining), and the special case of سَلَٰسِلَا.
What are the seven alifs?
The seven alifs are written alifs in specific Quranic words whose pronunciation changes according to how the passage is read:
- in waqf, the alif is retained and pronounced as a natural two-count elongation;
- in wasl, the alif is omitted from the pronunciation;
- سَلَٰسِلَا has an additional detail when stopping.
When stopping on أَنَا, the final alif is pronounced. When joining it to the next word, the reciter pronounces the fatḥa on the nūn and moves directly to the next sound without elongating the alif.
Why are they called the “seven alifs”?
Seven refers to seven traditional words or categories, not seven individual occurrences. أَنَا, وَأَنَا, and فَأَنَا belong to one category: adding a wāw or fāʾ before the pronoun does not create a separate alif rule.
Are they the same as the “seven letters”?
No. The seven alifs concern a specific rule of stopping and joining. The seven letters — الأحرف السبعة — belong to a different subject in Quranic studies and qiraat.
The seven alifs in Hafs recitation
| Category | Word | Location | Quranic evidence | General rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَنَا and its prefixed forms | In every occurrence | قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ — Surah Yusuf, ayah 69 | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 2 | لَٰكِنَّا | Surah Al-Kahf, ayah 38 | لَّٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 3 | الظُّنُونَا | Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 10 | وَتَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠ | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 4 | الرَّسُولَا | Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 66 | وَأَطَعۡنَا ٱللَّهَ وَأَطَعۡنَا ٱلرَّسُولَا۠ | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 5 | السَّبِيلَا | Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 67 | فَأَضَلُّونَا ٱلسَّبِيلَا۠ | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 6 | The first قَوَارِيرَا | Surah Al-Insan, ayah 15 | وَأَكۡوَابٖ كَانَتۡ قَوَارِيرَا۠ | Retained in waqf, omitted in wasl |
| 7 | سَلَٰسِلَا | Surah Al-Insan, ayah 4 | إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَاْ | Two valid forms in waqf |
The forms أَنَا, وَأَنَا, and فَأَنَا are counted together. Treating each spelling as a separate category would make the list appear longer without changing the traditional classification.
All 74 seven-alif passages in Hafs
The following list contains all 74 occurrences across 72 ayahs. Surah Yusuf, ayah 108 and Surah Ta-Ha, ayah 14 each contain two occurrences. The evidence is extracted directly from the Hafs text, with the relevant word and its sign highlighted.
The list distinguishes the 66 occurrences carrying the upright rectangular zero ۠, the seven occurrences of أَنَا before hamzat al-wasl without that sign, and سَلَٰسِلَاْ, which carries the sukun ْ.
ANA and its marked forms: retained in waqf, omitted in wasl (61 passages)
| Surah and ayah | Quranic evidence | Sign in the text |
|---|---|---|
| Surah Al-Baqara, ayah 258 | قَالَ أَنَا۠ أُحۡيِۦ وَأُمِيتُۖ قَالَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Imran, ayah 81 | فَٱشۡهَدُواْ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Maida, ayah 28 | مَآ أَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطٖ يَدِيَ إِلَيۡكَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anam, ayah 56 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anam, ayah 79 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anam, ayah 104 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيۡكُم بِحَفِيظٖ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anam, ayah 163 | أُمِرۡتُ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Araf, ayah 12 | قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِي | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Araf, ayah 68 | رَبِّي وَأَنَا۠ لَكُمۡ نَاصِحٌ أَمِينٌ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Araf, ayah 143 | إِلَيۡكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Araf, ayah 188 | إِنۡ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٞ وَبَشِيرٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yunus, ayah 41 | أَعۡمَلُ وَأَنَا۠ بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yunus, ayah 90 | إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yunus, ayah 108 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيۡكُم بِوَكِيلٖ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Hud, ayah 29 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْۚ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Hud, ayah 35 | إِجۡرَامِي وَأَنَا۠ بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تُجۡرِمُونَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Hud, ayah 72 | ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٞ وَهَٰذَا بَعۡلِي | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Hud, ayah 86 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيۡكُم بِحَفِيظٖ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 45 | أُمَّةٍ أَنَا۠ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأۡوِيلِهِۦ فَأَرۡسِلُونِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 51 | ٱلۡحَقُّ أَنَا۠ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 59 | ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَأَنَا۠ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمُنزِلِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 69 | إِنِّيٓ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبۡتَئِسۡ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 72 | بَعِيرٖ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 90 | قَالَ أَنَا۠ يُوسُفُ وَهَٰذَآ أَخِيۖ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 108 | بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِيۖ وَسُبۡحَٰنَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Yusuf, ayah 108 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ibrahim, ayah 22 | مَّآ أَنَا۠ بِمُصۡرِخِكُمۡ وَمَآ أَنتُم | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah An-Nahl, ayah 2 | إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱتَّقُونِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Kahf, ayah 34 | يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكۡثَرُ مِنكَ مَالٗا | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Kahf, ayah 39 | تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالٗا | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Kahf, ayah 110 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يُوحَىٰٓ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Maryam, ayah 19 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ta-Ha, ayah 12 | إِنِّيٓ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكَ فَٱخۡلَعۡ نَعۡلَيۡكَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ta-Ha, ayah 14 | إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدۡنِي وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anbiya, ayah 25 | إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anbiya, ayah 56 | فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا۠ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُم مِّنَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Anbiya, ayah 92 | وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Hajj, ayah 49 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ لَكُمۡ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Muminun, ayah 52 | وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱتَّقُونِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ash-Shuara, ayah 20 | إِذٗا وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ash-Shuara, ayah 114 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ash-Shuara, ayah 115 | إِنۡ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah An-Naml, ayah 39 | ٱلۡجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah An-Naml, ayah 40 | ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah An-Naml, ayah 92 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنذِرِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Ankabut, ayah 50 | وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Sad, ayah 65 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مُنذِرٞۖ وَمَا مِنۡ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Sad, ayah 70 | أَنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Sad, ayah 76 | قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِي | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Sad, ayah 86 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُتَكَلِّفِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Ghafir, ayah 42 | عِلۡمٞ وَأَنَا۠ أَدۡعُوكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعَزِيزِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Fussilat, ayah 6 | إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يُوحَىٰٓ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Az-Zukhruf, ayah 52 | أَمۡ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Az-Zukhruf, ayah 81 | وَلَدٞ فَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡعَٰبِدِينَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Ahqaf, ayah 9 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Qaf, ayah 29 | وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٖ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Mujadila, ayah 21 | لَأَغۡلِبَنَّ أَنَا۠ وَرُسُلِيٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Mumtahina, ayah 1 | بِٱلۡمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا۠ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَآ أَخۡفَيۡتُمۡ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Mulk, ayah 26 | وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٞ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah An-Naziat, ayah 24 | فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Kafirun, ayah 4 | وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٞ مَّا عَبَدتُّمۡ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
ANA before hamzat al-wasl without the zero: the same recitation rule (7 passages)
| Surah and ayah | Quranic evidence | Sign in the text |
|---|---|---|
| Surah Al-Baqara, ayah 160 | عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah Al-Hijr, ayah 49 | أَنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah Al-Hijr, ayah 89 | إِنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱلنَّذِيرُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah Ta-Ha, ayah 13 | وَأَنَا ٱخۡتَرۡتُكَ فَٱسۡتَمِعۡ لِمَا | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah Ta-Ha, ayah 14 | إِنَّنِيٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah An-Naml, ayah 9 | إِنَّهُۥٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
| Surah Al-Qasas, ayah 30 | إِنِّيٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ | No zero before hamzat al-wasl |
The other five words with the zero: retained in waqf, omitted in wasl (5 passages)
| Surah and ayah | Quranic evidence | Sign in the text |
|---|---|---|
| Surah Al-Kahf, ayah 38 | لَّٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 10 | بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 66 | وَأَطَعۡنَا ٱلرَّسُولَا۠ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Ahzab, ayah 67 | فَأَضَلُّونَا ٱلسَّبِيلَا۠ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
| Surah Al-Insan, ayah 15 | كَانَتۡ قَوَارِيرَا۠ | ۠Upright rectangular zero ۠ |
SALASILA: omitted in wasl, with two valid forms in waqf (1 passage)
| Surah and ayah | Quranic evidence | Sign in the text |
|---|---|---|
| Surah Al-Insan, ayah 4 | لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ سَلَٰسِلَاْ وَأَغۡلَٰلٗا وَسَعِيرًا | ْSukun sign ْ |
The rule in wasl and waqf
Omitting the alif in wasl
When joining the word to what follows, the final alif is not elongated. The reciter ends on the fatḥa of the preceding consonant and moves directly to the next word. In أَنَا بَشَرٌ, for example, there is no elongation after the nūn during continuous recitation.
“Omission” here describes pronunciation. It does not mean removing the word from the mushaf or changing its meaning. The alif can remain in the written rasm and carry a sign that explains its recitational behavior.
Retaining the alif in waqf
When stopping on أَنَا, لَٰكِنَّا, الظُّنُونَا, or the other listed words, the alif is pronounced as a natural two-count madd.
The basic rule is therefore: retain the alif in waqf and omit it in wasl, with an additional stopping rule for سَلَٰسِلَا.
Alifs at the end of a verse
Four of the special words occur at the end of a verse. Their position does not change the principle:
- if the reciter stops, the alif is retained;
- if the reciter joins the verse to the next one, the alif is omitted.
الظُّنُونَا in Al-Ahzab
The word closes verse 33:10: وَتَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠. The next verse begins with هُنَالِكَ. The alif is retained when stopping and omitted when the verses are joined.
الرَّسُولَا and السَّبِيلَا
These words close verses 33:66 and 33:67. In each case, the final alif is pronounced at a stop and omitted if recitation continues into the following verse.
The first قَوَارِيرَا
The occurrence included among the seven alifs is the first قَوَارِيرَا, at the end of verse 76:15. The same word at the beginning of verse 76:16 has different vocalization, so visual similarity alone should not be used to assign the same rule to both.
The two forms of سَلَٰسِلَا
In verse 76:4, Hafs transmits two valid ways of stopping on سَلَٰسِلَا:
- retain the final alif;
- omit the alif and stop on a sākin lām: سَلَٰسِلْ.
In continuous recitation, the alif is omitted. When stopping, omission and stopping on the lām is the preferred performance, although retaining the alif is also valid.
These forms are received through oral transmission and should be read consistently according to the reciter’s learned path.
What does the sign ۠ mean in the mushaf?
This sign often appears above the alif of أَنَا. Understanding it explains why the alif remains written although it is omitted in wasl and retained in waqf.
The sign ۠ is called the small high upright rectangular zero — الصفر المستطيل القائم. Over an alif, it indicates in these passages that the written alif is not pronounced in wasl but returns in waqf.
Difference between ۠ and sukūn ْ
The two signs are not the same:
- ۠ is the small upright rectangular zero, used here for the special alif behavior;
- ْ is the sukūn, showing that a consonant has no vowel.
The mark over the alif in أَنَا۠ should therefore not be called a sukūn.
Why are there 66 signs ۠ but 74 locations?
The Hafs text used for this study contains 66 upright rectangular zeros across 65 verses:
| Form | Number of ۠ signs |
|---|---|
| أَنَا۠ | 44 |
| وَأَنَا۠ | 16 |
| فَأَنَا۠ | 1 |
| لَٰكِنَّا۠ | 1 |
| الظُّنُونَا۠ | 1 |
| الرَّسُولَا۠ | 1 |
| السَّبِيلَا۠ | 1 |
| First قَوَارِيرَا۠ | 1 |
| Total | 66 |
However, أَنَا and its prefixed forms occur 68 times. Seven occurrences before hamzat al-wasl do not carry the sign, including وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ, أَنَا ٱللَّهُ, and وَأَنَا ٱخۡتَرۡتُكَ, although they still follow the same Hafs rule.
Adding the other five words and سَلَٰسِلَا to the 68 pronoun occurrences gives 74 locations governed by the seven-alif chapter. The number of graphic signs is therefore not the total number of applications.
Rasm, vocalization, and recitation
Three levels must be distinguished:
- rasm: the written consonantal structure;
- dabt: the vocalization signs that guide reading;
- ada: the orally transmitted performance.
A written alif is not necessarily pronounced in every context. Likewise, counting one graphic sign cannot reconstruct the complete recitation rule.
Frequently asked questions
Is the alif of أَنَا elongated in wasl according to Hafs?
No. Hafs omits the alif in continuous recitation wherever the pronoun occurs. At a stop, it is retained as a natural two-count elongation.
Does every alif marked with ۠ belong to the seven alifs?
The sign identifies many relevant cases, but the rule cannot be derived from the symbol alone. سَلَٰسِلَا and the occurrences of أَنَا before hamzat al-wasl show that words in this chapter can be represented differently.
Do both occurrences of قَوَارِيرَا have the same rule?
No. The occurrence among the seven alifs is the first one, at the end of verse 76:15. The word opening verse 76:16 has different vocalization.
Is the rule identical in every riwaya?
No. Qalun differs from Hafs, especially when أَنَا is followed by hamzat al-qat. See the guide to the alif of ANA and LAKINNA in Qalun recitation.
Summary
- The seven alifs are seven words or categories, not seven verses.
- In Hafs recitation, the alif is generally retained in waqf and omitted in wasl.
- سَلَٰسِلَا has two valid stopping forms, with سَلَٰسِلْ preferred.
- ۠ is the small upright rectangular zero, whereas ْ is sukūn.
- The 66 signs ۠ do not represent every application: the chapter covers 74 locations in the corpus studied.