Can Interpretive Benefits Be Derived from Waqf and Ibtida’?


Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Is it true that interpretive benefits can be derived from the science of waqf (pausing) and ibtida’ (starting) in Quranic recitation?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Yes, it is indeed true that interpretive benefits can be derived from the science of waqf (pausing) and ibtida’ (starting), as understanding waqf and ibtida’ is closely tied to comprehending the meanings of the Quran and understanding its verses.

In fact, this knowledge is one of the most essential aspects of eloquence in the speech of the eloquent, as it clarifies meanings and helps in understanding the objectives and benefits of the text.

The Importance of Waqf and Ibtida’ in Quranic Interpretation

A narration by ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar illustrates this well. He said:

“We lived for a long time, and one of us would be granted faith before the Quran. The sura would descend upon Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and we would learn its lawful and unlawful aspects, its commands and prohibitions, and where one should stop and where one should continue, just as you learn the Quran today. But I have seen men today who are given the Quran before faith, so they recite from its opening to its conclusion without knowing what its commands and prohibitions are, nor where one should stop or continue, scattering it like bad dates.” [Hakim; Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra]

A Practical Example of Waqf and Ibtida’

One famous incident that demonstrates the connection between waqf and ibtida’ and meaning is the well-known narration of ‘Adi Ibn Hatim. He said: “A man testified in front of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said: ‘Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed been rightly guided, and whoever disobeys them has gone astray.’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

‘Be quiet, what a terrible speaker you are.’” [Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi]

Abu Ja‘far al-Nahhas explained that the reason for the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) rebuke was because the man paused after saying “whoever disobeys them” (wa man ya‘sihima) before continuing with “has gone astray” (faqad ghawa). He should have connected the sentence and said: “Whoever disobeys them has gone astray,” or he could have paused after saying, “has indeed been rightly guided.” If such a pause is disliked in regular speech, it is even more disliked when it occurs in the Book of Allah. The Prophet’s prohibition in this regard is even more emphatic. [Nahhas, al-Qata‘ wa al-I’tinaf]

Summary

Waqf and ibtida’ are based on scholarly interpretation and relate to the meanings within the context of the verses. No explicit rulings on waqf were directly transmitted from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), nor is there any specific place in the Quran where one must pause. As Ibn al-Jazari said:

“There is no waqf in the Quran that is obligatory,
Nor is any waqf forbidden unless there is a cause.”

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.