Types of Waqf

Complete, Sufficient, and Good Stops

Permissible stopping (Waqf Ja'iz) is divided into three categories:

◆ Waqf Tamm (complete stop)

◆ Waqf Kafi (sufficient stop)

◆ Waqf Hasan (good stop)

Waqf Tamm (Complete Stop)

Definition: stopping at a point where the meaning is complete and has no connection — wording or meaning — to what follows. Such as stopping at the end of surahs, at the conclusion of a narrative, at the end of describing believers or disbelievers, or upon finishing a mention of Paradise or Hellfire, and similar points marking the end of one topic and the start of another.

Ruling: it is proper to stop here and to begin anew with what follows.

Examples:

— Stopping on al-muflihoon in ﴾Ula'ika 'ala hudan min rabbihim wa'ula'ika humu-l-muflihoon * Inna-lladheena kafaroo sawa'un 'alayhim a'andhartahum am lam tundhirhum la yu'minoon﴿ (Al-Baqarah: 5–6) — the discussion of the God-conscious ends, and the discussion of the disbelievers begins.

— Stopping on lilkafireen in ﴾Fattaqu-n-nara-llati waqooduha-n-nasu wal-hijaratu u'iddat lilkafireen﴿ (Al-Baqarah: 24) — the discussion of the Fire ends, and the discussion of Paradise begins.

— Stopping on ath-thawab in ﴾Wallahu 'indahu husnu-th-thawab * La yaghurrannaka taqallubu-lladheena kafaroo fi-l-bilad﴿ (Aal-'Imran: 195–196) — this is a complete stop, since what follows has no grammatical or semantic connection to what precedes.

Waqf Al-Bayan (the Clarifying Stop) or Waqf Lazim (Obligatory Stop): a subtype of the complete stop, also called the obligatory stop. It is a stop required for clarity, where continuing would cause confusion in the listener's understanding of Allah's intended meaning.

Waqf Lazim is marked in the standard Mushaf script by a small Meem.

Examples:

— The obligatory stop on qawluhum in ﴾Wala yahzunka qawluhum. Inna-l-'izzata lillahi jamee'an. Huwa-s-Samee'u-l-'Aleem﴿ (Yunus: 65) — without stopping, one might mistakenly understand their claim that all might belongs to Allah as being the cause for the grief mentioned.

— Stopping on 'anhum in ﴾Fatawalla 'anhum. Yawma yad'u-d-da'i ila shay'in nukur﴿ (Al-Qamar: 6) — without stopping, one might mistakenly understand the command to turn away as applying to "the Day the caller calls to a terrible thing," making the stop on fatawalla 'anhum necessary to clarify that the first part of the verse's meaning is complete before the second begins.

Waqf Kafi (Sufficient Stop)

Definition: stopping at a point where the meaning is complete, but connected to what follows in meaning, though not in wording.

Ruling: it is proper to stop here, and proper to begin anew with what follows.

Example: stopping on al-bayt in ﴾Falya'budoo rabba hadha-l-bayt * Alladhi at'amahum min joo'in wa'amanahum min khawf﴿ (Quraysh: 3–4) — since what follows is connected in meaning to what precedes, but not connected grammatically or in wording.

Waqf Hasan (Good Stop)

Definition: stopping at a point where the meaning is complete, connected to what follows both in meaning and in wording (the wording-connection referring to grammatical connection).

Ruling: it is proper to stop here, since the meaning is conveyed, but it is not proper to begin anew with what follows — rather, one must repeat the word stopped on, or a word or two before it, for the meaning to be complete. The exception is when the stop falls at the end of a verse, in which case stopping there and beginning the next verse anew is always permitted, regardless of any grammatical or semantic connection — since it is established that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would stop at the ends of verses.

Examples:

— Stopping on ar-Room, then on sayaghliboon, in ﴾Ghulibati-r-Room * Fee adna-l-ardi wahum min ba'di ghalabihim sayaghliboon * Fee bid'i sineen﴿ (Ar-Rum: 2–4) — stopping at the ends of these verses is permissible, despite the grammatical and semantic connection, since this follows the Sunnah.

— Stopping on ﴾Al-hamdu lillah﴿ is permissible in ﴾Al-hamdu lillahi^• Rabbi-l-'alameen﴿ (Al-Fatiha: 2), but one must repeat and connect it with what follows [when resuming].

— Stopping on ar-rasoola is good in ﴾Yukhrijoona-r-rasoola wa'iyyakum an tu'minoo billahi rabbikum﴿ (Al-Mumtahanah: 1) — but beginning with what follows it (wa'iyyakum) is unacceptable and not permitted.