The Quranic Pauses of Abu Jaafar Al-Dinawari in the Book Al-Muktafa by Al-Dani: A Compilation and Study from the Beginning of Surah al-Baqarah to the End of Surah Al-Isra

Abstract

The science of Qurʾanic pauses and beginnings occupies a significant position within the framework of Qurʾanic studies. Its purposes are closely linked to the various aspects of interpreting the Book of Allah and clarifying its meanings, and it is considered one of the essential tools of the seven canonical readings. For this reason, early scholars undertook the compilation of extensive works and treatises in this field, some of which have reached us, while others have been lost, particularly the writings of the earliest generations.

Among the traces preserved, we find certain transmitted pauses attributed to earlier scholars scattered throughout the works of the predecessors. One of these scholars, whose writings were lost but whose pauses were transmitted, is Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Jaafar Al-Dinawari (d. 289 AH), a distinguished grammarian of his time.

Imam al-Dani transmitted some of these pauses in his work al-Muktafa fi Al-Waqf wa Al-Ibtida. Motivated by this, we sought to collect these scattered pauses in a concise study, accompanied by analysis, in the hope that Allah may grant benefit thereby. We entitled this study: The Pauses of Abu Jaafar Al-Dinawari in al-Dani’s Al-Muktafa from the Beginning of Surah al-Baqarah to the End of Surah al-Isra – A Compilation and Study.

In total, we identified thirteen such pauses attributed to him. These were confined to what is found in Al-Muktafa—though they also appear in Al-Qataʿ wa Al-Iʾtinaf and other works—in order to keep the research concise. The main purpose of this study is to draw the attention of researchers to the importance of such topics, particularly the collection and examination of the dispersed pauses reported from various scholars, whether specialists in Qurʾanic readings, grammar, or other related sciences.