The Good Stop
Its Definition: It is the stop on a Qur'anic word, complete in its meaning, but is attached to what follows it grammatically and in meaning.
It could be attached grammatically such as stopping on something that has a subsequent adjective, before the adjective. It could be stopping on a conjunctive sentence, without the conjunction and its following phrase. Another possibility is stopping on an exceptional statement, without the exception. can be found at the end of verses, or in the middle of verses, just as the other stops.
Reason for its name: It is called "hasan" or good due to the fact that stopping on it leads to understanding of a meaning.
Its rule: it is allowed to stop on it, but not allowed to start on what follows it due to its attachment to what follows grammatically and in meaning, except on the end of an aayah. . Stopping on the end of an aayah is Sunnah.
Examples of
1.
We can stop on the word in the phrase: In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, as the meaning in itself is fully understood, but we can not start with what comes next: The Especially Merciful, as it is related in grammar and in meaning to that which precedes it, and by itself does not carry a complete meaning.
2.
Allah's words can be translated in meaning as: Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing. If we stop on the word (their hearts), the meaning is understood and it is allowed to stop. The next phrase, (and upon their hearing) is not understood alone, and is connected to that which came before it in grammar (most specifically in the verb , (meaning set a seal)and in meaning.
3.
In this part of aayah five of surah Al-Bayyinah, we can stop on the word , with the interpretation of the meaning in English: And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and there is an understood meaning, but the next phrase: and to establish prayer and to give zakah, is connected grammatically and in meaning to the phrase at the beginning of the aayah: And they were not commanded except; so we cannot start on this phrase without joining it to the previous words.
As stated in the rule for this stop, it is allowed to stop on it, but not allowed to start with what follows this stop; there are times when what starts after this stop changes the complete meaning and is one of the worst degrees of repulsiveness. An example of this is found in verse 1 of surah al-Mumtahinah
An interpretation of the meaning in English is: O you have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord.
A reader stopping on , would be stopping on a ; but starting with what follows is a repulsive start . The meaning would then be that of a warning, stating be careful not to believe in Allah, because can mean a warning, instead of the intended meaning of "they turn out the Messenger and yourselves". In the intended meaning means "and yourselves". Obviously this is a very bad start indeed.
A note: Some scholars may consider a particular stop , while others consider the same stop , and still others. This difference of opinion stems from variances in conclusions as to the make-up of the grammatical sentence.