Rules of Natural Protraction
Natural protraction refers to the elongation that does not depend on a specific cause and is only found within the character itself. Its duration is equivalent to two movements. The letters of protraction include: the alif, the waaw which is silent after a dhamma, and the yaa which is silent after a kasra. Below, we provide examples of natural protraction from Surah An-Nisa:
| Verse Location | Note |
| (وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا) | Compensatory prolongation, applicable in pause only. |
| (وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ) | Natural elongation that remains in pause and is omitted in connection to avoid the meeting of silent letters. |
| (إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرًا) | Compensatory elongation. |
| (فَانكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُم) | Natural elongation remains in both connection and pause. |
| (وَلْيَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا) | Natural elongation remains in both connection and pause. |
| (إِن كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ) | Minor connection elongation, found in connection only. |
| (فَلِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ) | Natural elongation remains in pause and is omitted in connection to avoid the meeting of silent letters. |
| (إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّـهِ) | Natural elongation remains in pause and is omitted in connection to avoid the meeting of silent letters. |
| (فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ نَارًا) | Compensatory elongation. |
| (فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ) | Natural elongation remains in both connection and pause. |
| (حَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا) | Minor connection elongation. |
| (وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا) | Compensatory elongation. |
Rules of Protraction due to Hamzah
The types of elongation caused by hamzah are outlined as follows:
- Connected protraction
This occurs when the protraction letter and the hamzah are found within the same word.
- Separated protraction
This takes place when the protraction letter is at the end of one word and the hamzah begins the following word, including the major connection protraction.
- Substituting protraction
This is when the hamzah precedes the protraction, and there is neither a sound nor a hamzah following the protraction. Below are examples of hamzah-induced protraction from Surah An-Nisa:
| Verse Location | Rule |
| (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ) | Separated protraction. |
| (وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ أَمْوَالَهُمْ) | Substituting protraction. |
| (وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ) | Separated protraction. |
| (ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا) | Separated protraction. |
| (وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ) | Connected protraction. |
| (فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا) | Substituting protraction. |
| (فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ) | Separated protraction. |
| (وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ) | Major connection protraction. |
| (يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ) | Separated protraction. |
| (آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ) | Connected protraction. |
| (وَلَهُ أَخٌ) | Major connection protraction. |
| (فَإِن كَانُوا أَكْثَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ) | Separated protraction. |
| (فَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فِي الثُّلُثِ) | Connected protraction. |
| (وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنكُمْ فَآذُوهُمَا) | Substituting protraction. |
| (فَأُولَـٰئِكَ يَتُوبُ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِمْ) | Connected protraction. |
| (قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ) | Substituting protraction. |
| (وَسَاءَ سَبِيلً) | Connected protraction. |
| (وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ) | Separated protraction. |
| (إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ) | Connected protraction. |
| (نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ) | Substituting protraction. |
| (وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّـهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا) | Major connection protraction. |
| (وَبِمَا أَنفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ) | Separated protraction. |
| (وَالَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ) | Connected protraction. |
| (وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِمْ لَوْ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِر) | Substituting protraction. |
Rules of Protraction due to Sakin
This occurs when a letter of protraction is followed by a sakinah within the same word. If the sakinah is original, the protraction is mandatory, whereas if the sakinah is temporary, the protraction is considered permissible only due to the sakinah. Below are examples of sakinah-induced protraction from Surah An-Nisa:
| Verse Location | Rule |
| (لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ) | Temporary sakinah prolongation. |
| (يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ) | Temporary soft prolongation due to sakinah. |
| (أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ) | Mandatory elongation of the word. |
| (وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ) | Temporary sakinah prolongation. |
| (وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ) | Substituting elongation related to sakinah. |
| (فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ) | Temporary soft elongation due to sakinah. |