13 Line vs 15 Line vs 16 Line Quran: Which One Should You Choose?

If you have ever looked for a Quran to download or buy, you will have seen it described as 13 line, 15 line or 16 line. The number simply tells you how many lines of text are on each page. The words of the Quran are exactly the same in every one; what changes is the script, the page layout and the size of the text.

The 13 Line Quran

The 13 line Quran is printed in the Indo-Pak script, with bold letters and extra marks to guide pronunciation. It is very popular in South Africa, India, Pakistan and with many UK madrasahs, and it is the Mushaf many students in those communities memorise from.

Best for: students in madrasahs that teach from the Indo-Pak script, and anyone who learned to read the Quran in that style.

• 13 Line Tajweed Quran – Colour Coded PDF
• South African 13 Line Quran (Indo-Pak Script)

The 15 Line Quran

The 15 line layout is used by the famous Madinah Mushaf printed by the King Fahd Complex in Uthmani script. It has 604 pages, each juz is 20 pages, and almost every page ends at the end of a verse. This makes it a favourite for hifz, because the layout is predictable and easy to picture in your memory. 15 line Qurans are also printed in the Indo-Pak script, so check the script as well as the line count.

Best for: hifz, revision and anyone who reads the Uthmani script.

• Holy Quran in Green – Mushaf Al Madinah
• 15 Line Colour Coded Tajweed Quran
• Holy Quran Para 1–30 – 15 Line Arabic

The 16 Line Quran

The 16 line Quran is usually printed in the Indo-Pak script with a larger, bolder font. Many readers find it easier on the eyes, especially elders and people who read for long periods.

Best for: large print reading and those used to the Indo-Pak script.

• Holy Quran 16 Line With Large Font
• 16 Line Tajweed Quran – Colour Coded PDF

Which one should I choose?

The best advice is simple: stick with the script you learned to read in. If you are starting hifz, ask your teacher which Mushaf your class uses and memorise from that same layout every time, because changing layouts can make revision harder.

Still deciding? Our guide Which Mushaf Should I Use? compares scripts, narrations and Tajweed editions. If you are using a colour-coded copy, see what each Tajweed colour means.