Fāsila is a termed used to denote the last word in each Qur'anic āya. In this article, we explore this Qur'anic usage, examining in particular the connection between the choice of word, its semantic and rhythmic role in its immediate context, and its wider signification in the narrative. Previous writers on the subject drew attention to the apparent similarity between the fāṣila and the rhythmic schemes of poetry and rhyming prose. We argue that tire fāṣila, while certainly playing a role in the rhythmic structure of the text, has a wider significance, and that an examination of each occurrence underlines the organic connection between the ‘content’ of each sentence and its fāṣila. In a number of instances, it can be shown that the fāṣila and the rhythmic and semantic demands of the narrative account for differences between standard usage and the Qur'anic text. We discuss a number of specific instances of fāṣila, and, examine these in the light of the views of classical exegetes on this feature of the Qur'an.
