Lesson 25: Stopping Rules (الوقف والابتداء)
Stopping and Starting (الوقف والابتداء)
Knowing where to stop is crucial for understanding the Quran correctly. A wrong stop can change the meaning entirely.
Types of Stops:
- الوقف اللازم (Compulsory stop) — Must stop. Stopping changes the meaning.
- الوقف الجائز (Permissible stop) — You may stop or continue.
- الوقف الممنوع (Prohibited stop) — Do not stop here.
- الوقف الحسن (Good stop) — Complete thought, good to stop.
Important: Last Letter on Stop
When you stop on a word, the last haraka is usually changed to a sukun:
رَحِيمًا → رَحِيمْ (raḥīm) — stop on sukun
رَحِيمٌ → رَحِيمْ (raḥīm) — tanween becomes sukun