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Question

Assalaamu alaikum

In aayah 70 of surah Aal 'Imraan :

 there is the word   .  Is this a shortening  for " "?  How then would a reader stop on that word if he had to stop on that word out of necessity?  Jazakum Allahu bikulli khair.

 Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh,

The preposition     has entered  the       denoting a question. When this happens the alif is dropped in writing and in pronunciation.  When stopping on this word, or a similar word such as . in the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Aasim, we stop with a  saakinah.  The alif is permanently dropped in this case, but this does not take place if    does not denote a question.

Wa iyyakum wa-l-muslimeen.