Intermediate
Waqf & Ibtida
Surah: Al-Fatiha (5)
Voluntary vs. Forced Restart — Difference and Ruling
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
— الفاتحة الآية 5
Definition:
Voluntary Restart (Ikhtiyari): Starting recitation from a chosen position — either at the beginning, or after a Taam or Kaafi stop.
Forced Restart (Idtirari): Resuming from wherever breath ran out or recitation was interrupted, even if not an ideal restart point.
Rule:
Voluntary: must begin where meaning is independent and no corrupt meaning is implied.
Forced: permissible out of necessity, but recommended to back up slightly to begin from connected speech.
Quranic Example:
Good restart: "You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help" [Al-Fatiha: 5] — sound meaning independently.
Bad restart: Starting at "Az-Zina (fornication)" in [Al-Isra: 32] without the full prohibition — not permissible.
Note:
It is Sunnah for the reciter to begin with Isti'adhah and Basmalah at every new voluntary restart.
Voluntary Restart (Ikhtiyari): Starting recitation from a chosen position — either at the beginning, or after a Taam or Kaafi stop.
Forced Restart (Idtirari): Resuming from wherever breath ran out or recitation was interrupted, even if not an ideal restart point.
Rule:
Voluntary: must begin where meaning is independent and no corrupt meaning is implied.
Forced: permissible out of necessity, but recommended to back up slightly to begin from connected speech.
Quranic Example:
Good restart: "You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help" [Al-Fatiha: 5] — sound meaning independently.
Bad restart: Starting at "Az-Zina (fornication)" in [Al-Isra: 32] without the full prohibition — not permissible.
Note:
It is Sunnah for the reciter to begin with Isti'adhah and Basmalah at every new voluntary restart.
Source: Matn Al-Jazariyya by Ibn Al-Jazari; Hidayat Al-Qari by Al-Mursifi
Test Yourself
What is recommended for the reciter in a forced restart?
Show Answer