Waṣl means continuing into the next segment without a recitational pause; faṣl means pausing before the next segment.
At the start of a sūrah (other than al-Tawbah), consider three segments: istiʿādhah | basmalah | opening verse. There are two boundaries, each either joined or separated: hence four possibilities.
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Waṣl and faṣl
Istiʿādhah, Basmalah and the Rules of Joining and Pausing
Waṣl means continuing into the next segment without a recitational pause; faṣl means pausing before the next segment.
At the start of a sūrah (other than al-Tawbah), consider three segments: istiʿādhah | basmalah | opening verse. There are two boundaries, each either joined or separated: hence four possibilities.