Subject:
After finishing a surah and starting another (other than Al-Tawbah) — how does the reader handle "Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem" between the two surahs?
Three Permissible Readings:
- Full Stop (Qat): Stop at the end of the previous surah, stop at the Bismillah, then start the next surah — three breaths.
- Full Connection (Wasl): Connect the end of the previous surah with Bismillah and the start of the next without stopping — one breath.
- Separation (Fasl — preferred): Stop at the end of the previous surah, recite Bismillah, then connect it to the start of the next — two breaths.
The Forbidden Reading:
Connecting so that Bismillah is read with the end of the previous surah then stopping — this makes Bismillah the ending of the previous surah when it is actually independent.
Bismillah in Surah Al-Tawbah:
Bismillah is not recited at the start of Al-Tawbah — whether starting from it or connecting from Al-Anfal, begin directly with "Bara-atun mina-llah" without Bismillah.
Question: What is the forbidden way of reading Bismillah between surahs? Why is it forbidden?
Answer: Connecting the end of the previous surah with Bismillah then stopping — because it makes Bismillah belong to the end of the previous surah rather than being independent.