Mastering the Art of Silence - السَّكْتُ | Free Tajweed Course

Also known as the “Light Pause,” this is a brief moment of silence on a word from the Holy Quran. It doesn’t involve taking a breath and lasts for approximately 2 movements, with one movement equivalent to about 1 second. After this pause, the recitation continues, and it is symbolized in the mushaf by a small Arabic letter “seen”: 

It appears four times within the Holy Quran.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا ۜ ﴿١﴾ قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا 

(1)[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. (2) [He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward (18:1-2)

 قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا مَن بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ ۗ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

They will say, “O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?” [The reply will be], “This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth.”(36:52)

 وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ

And it is said, “Who will cure [him]?” (75:27)

كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ 

No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning. (83:14)

Silence becomes obligatory when the reader proceeds without interruption. In the case of the first two examples, the reader has the option to pause, regain their breath, and then continue with the recitation.

However, in the latter two instances, a brief, uninterrupted silence must be observed without inhaling. This distinction emphasizes the nuanced nature of these pauses in Quranic recitation.