Understanding the Rules of Waquf in the Quran with Respect to Meaning
The rules of waquf (pausing) in the Holy Quran, as it pertains to meaning, revolve around various types of optional pauses that a reader may take. These types are illustrated as follows:
| Type of Waquf | Definition | Example | Ruling |
| Complete Waquf | A pause made on a complete statement that does not depend on the subsequent words, either in wording or meaning. | (أولئك على هدى من ربهم وأولئك هم المفلحون) where the mention of the qualities of the believers comes to a close. | It is appropriate to pause here and commence with what follows. |
| Sufficient Waquf | A pause made where the statement is complete in meaning but is influenced by the subsequent words in meaning, yet not in wording. | (وبالآخرة هم يوقنون) where the discussion about the attributes of the believers continues with independent phrases in wording. | It is appropriate to pause here and commence with what follows. |
| Good Waquf | A pause on a statement that carries meaning but is connected to the subsequent words in both meaning and wording. | (الحمد لله رب العالمين) where the following verse, (الرحمن الرحيم), is related to it both in meaning and wording. | It is preferable to pause here and begin with what follows if it is the start of a verse; otherwise, it is not advisable to commence with what follows. |
| Improper Waquf | A pause on an incomplete statement, as it ties to the subsequent words in both meaning and wording, failing to convey a proper meaning or introducing an unintended meaning that could imply disrespect toward Allah (SWT). | (إن الله لا يغفر أن يُشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء) where pausing on “يغفر” leads to an erroneous interpretation. | This is considered improper as it distorts the intended meaning. |
Understanding the Rules of Waquf in the Quran with Respect to Wording
The rules of waquf in the Quran regarding wording focus on the correct methods permitted for pausing at the end of Quranic words. These methods are as follows:
| Method of Waquf | Definition | Example |
| Absolute Silence | This refers to a complete pause without any movement, which is the fundamental form of waquf. It is used for words that end correctly, regardless of whether they are pronounced with a vowel (fathah, dhammah, kasrah) or are unvocalized. | (شيءٍ). |
| Indication (Ishmam) | This involves signaling with the mouth as if pronouncing with a dhammah, but without sound. It is utilized after stilling a letter that has a dhammah, whether it is numerical or not, whether it is emphasized or not. | (فضل). |
| Murmuring (RooM) | This technique involves producing a slight sound, weakening it so that most of it is diminished, leaving a faint sound that could be detected by someone who is blind via their hearing. | (أصدق)، (ولله). |
Examples from the Holy Quran on Methods of Waquf
Indication (Ishmam) is applicable solely for words with dhammah; Murmuring (RooM) can be implemented for both dhammah and kasrah. Absolute Silence is permissible for dhammah, kasrah, fathah, and unvocalized words. The following table presents examples from the Quran demonstrating these waquf methods:
| Example | Permissible Methods |
| (الحمد لله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض). | Absolute Silence. |
| (لقال الذين كفروا إن هذا إلا سحر مبين). | Absolute Silence, Indication, Murmuring. |
| (قل إنّي أخاف إن عصيت ربي عذاب يوم عظيم). | Absolute Silence, Murmuring. |
| (ولسليمان الريح غدوها شهر ورواحها شهر). | Absolute Silence, Indication, Murmuring. |
| (لم يلد ولم يولد). | Absolute Silence. |