What is the ruling on a reciter starting a recitation from the middle of a verse in recorded and published recitations, not for the purpose of citing evidence or drawing conclusions, such as reciting: (by their faith, rivers flow beneath them in gardens of bliss) instead of starting from the beginning of the verse?

Firstly: There is no harm in starting from the middle of a verse if the pause (waqf) and the resumption (ibtida') are not awkward. For example, pausing at "لقد كفر الذين قالوا" (Certainly, disbelievers are those who say) and resuming with "إن الله هو المسيح ابن مريم" (Indeed, Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary) is awkward, and whoever intentionally means this has disbelieved. It is not advisable to begin with something that is related to what precedes it in both wording and meaning.

Secondly: A pause may be good, but it is not good to resume with what comes after it if it is connected to it in wording and meaning. Thus, beginning with "بإيمانهم تجري من تحتهم الأنهار" (by their faith, rivers flow beneath them) is not good, because "بإيمانهم" (by their faith) is related to "يهديهم" (He guides them), and not to "تجري" (flow).

Ibn al-Jazari pointed out that not everything that some grammarians or reciters strain to interpret should be deliberately paused at. Rather, one should seek the most complete meaning and the most appropriate pause. It is not permissible to begin with something that is connected to what precedes it in wording and meaning, unless it is the head of a verse. One should learn the rules of pausing and resuming.