Question

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah.  

Thank you so much for your help in providing useful information on reading the Holy Qur'an. 

My questions today are about the signs for stopping in reading: 

1) I can guess the meaning of certain signs used (the sad-laam-ya’ might be for "silii"), but I cannot understand other, like the  jiim (optional stop without preference for continuing or stopping) and the qaaf-laam-yaa (optional stop with preference for stopping).Could you please provide the complete meaning of the common signs.

 2) I have heard that stopping at the end of ayaat (in general) is sunnah, or recommended--I not quite sure what it really is. But I have not gotten any reliable reference to this. Is it true, and is it based on hadith?

 3) If question 2 is true, then comes my biggest puzzle: Why are current copies showing signs for links throughout the Book, not only between verses but also between the last verse of a sura and the bismillah of the next sura? The signs suggest continued reading, without any stop. 

Thank you again for your help and for the patience in handling our questions, that my look strange to you. 

Wassalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah

Answer

Wa alaikumu assalaam wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuhu,

Let us assure you that no question asked in earnest looks strange.  We appreciate all students of knowledge, no matter what their level, and will always welcome questions from anyone wanting to learn about the Qur’an and tajweed.
Sarwaan bin ‘Assaal Al-Muraadiyy, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I went to the Prophet, , and he was in the mosque leaning on a red garment of his, and I said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, verily I came to you seeking knowledge.”  He then said, “Hello to the seeker of knowledge [student]; verily the angels surround the seeker of knowledge with their wings, then they get one on top of the other until they reach the worldly heaven from their love of what he seeks.”  Related by Ahmed At-Tabaraanee, Ibn Habban, and Ibn Maajah.

It is very pleasing to see Muslims from all parts of the world eager to learn Allah’s book and recite it correctly.  May Allah increase our knowledge and make us of the people of the Qur’an.  Ameen.

1. There are many different symbols for stopping in the Qur’an, and the symbols vary from one printing to another.  It appears you are using the latest Medinah printing of the Qur’an, and this is an excellent one to use.  First, we will go through the symbols and write what the Medinah press copy defines them as:
   - A sign indicating that a stop is allowed, with continuing preferred.
   - A sign indicating that a stop is allowed, with stopping preferred.
   - A sign indicating that a stop is allowed, with equality in preference in continuing or stopping.
   Having stating this, many prominent and scholarly shuyookh (plural of sheikh) of the Qur’an state that all these stops are at least (sufficient stops), meaning the phrase is complete in grammar and meaning, but is linked to what follows in meaning, and many are  (complete stops) meaning they are complete in meaning and in grammar and not linked to that which follows in grammar or meaning.  The rule for both sufficient and complete stops is that it is preferred to stop on them then start with that which follows. 
   Other signs for stop are:
    (with a short tail)-This is the symbol for a compulsory stop. 
   - This is sometimes a sign for forbiddance of stopping andother times for forbiddance in starting with that which comes next. 

2. Stopping at the end of an aayah is sunnah, and that is what makes it preferred.  The scholars of Qur’an refer to a hadeeth related by Omm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, in which she relates: The Messenger of Allah would cut off an aayah from an aayah, and say: , then stop, then say  then stop, then say,  then stop.” 

3. Preferred doesn’t mean required, it doesn’t even mean that it is disliked to join an aayah with another, unless it would change the intended meaning.  It is well documented that old scholars of the Qur’an would join aayaat together, and yes, surahs together.  As a matter of fact there are rules on how two surahs may be joined.  The three allowable ways of joining the last part of one surah and the beginning of the next sequential surah are:
   A.  Stopping at the last aayah of the first surah.  Saying the basmalah
   ( ), stopping, then starting the next surah.
   B.  Joining the end of the first surah with the basmalah and the beginning of the next surah all in one breath.
   C.  Reading the last part of the first surah and stopping, then saying the basmalah and joining it with the first part of the next surah in one breath. 
   What is NOT allowed is joining the end of the first surah with the basmalah, then stopping, then starting the next surah.  The reason this is not allowed as it makes it seem like the basmalah is part of the first surah and not the beginning of the next following surah. 

   Wa alaikumu assalaam wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuhu,