Page-33 :Meaning of Rahmatullah: Translation of Bismillah in detail: Bismillah is a part of an Ayat of Sura An-Naml: Bismillah is not an Ayat of Sura Al-Fatiha:

Meaning of  رحمة الله (Rahmatullah):

ورحمة الله هى إرادته الخير بأهله “And Allah's Rahmat means   His will for the good of His all the creatures.” (Ref.1) Abu Muhammad Al-Husain Ibn Masu’d  Al-Bagawi said: فالرحمن من تصل رحمته إلى الخلق على العموم والرحيم من تصل رحمته اليهم على الخصوص

“So, Rahman is He whose mercy reaches all the creatures in general,( To all human beings, Jinns animals birds, insects, and all the known -unknown creatures irrespective of good or bad, righteous or sinners) and Rahim is He whose mercy reaches them in particular.” (Mumins and righteous). He also described in his Tafsir- هما بمعنى واحد مثل ندمان والنديم     Rahman and Rahim mean the same (The most gracious the most merciful) as Nadman and Nadim (Most shameful most disgraceful). (Ref.2)  Alauddin Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn  Ibrahim Al-Bagdadi, famous as Al-Khazen described in his Tafsir-

وإنما جمع بينهما للتأكيد  “The word Rahman and Raheem are put together for emphasize.” (Ref.3)  (It means- to emphasize that Allah's Rahmat is unique and incomparable).

So, no one should have an atom measure doubt in Allah’s Rahmat.

Wordily Translation:  I begin in the name of Allah the most gracious the most merciful.

Explanatory Translation: I begin (My work or speech )  in the name of Allah, the most gracious to all the creatures in this world irrespective of religion, faiths, virtues, sins, and especially the most merciful to the Mumins in Akhirah.

Muhammad Ali As-Sabuni said: it means -

أبدأ بتسمية الله وذكره قبل كل شيئ مستعينا به جلا وعلا فى جميع أمورى طالبا منه وحده العون فإنه الرب المعبودذو الفضل والجود واسع الرحمة كثير التفضل والإحسان الذى وسعت رحمته كل شيئ وعم فضله جميع الأنام                                               

I begin in the name of Allah and His remembrance, before everything I seek help from Him, the Glorified, the great, in all my affairs, asking Him alone for help, because He is the Rob, the Ma’bud, possessor of grace and generosity, abundant in mercy, abundant in kindness and benevolence, whose mercy surrounds everything and His grace generally includes all the creatures. (Ref.4)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  is a  part of an Ayat of Sura An-Naml :

واتفق العلماء على انها بعض أية من سورة النمل “And Islamic scholars agreed on this point that بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is a part of an Ayat of Sura An-Naml.” (Ref.5)

It was written in the letter sent by Sulaiman (A.) to Bilqis and the story was as reported by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir-  ان سليمان كتب كتابا إلى بلقيس وقومها وأعطاه ذالك الهدهد فحمله وجاء إلى بلادهم فجاء إلى قصر بلقيس إلى الخلوة التى كانت تختلى فيها بنفسها فألقاه إليها من كوة هنالك بين يديها ثم تولى ناحية أدبا ورياسة فتحيرت مما رأت وهالها ذالك ثم عمدت إلى الكتاب فأخذته ففتحت ختمه وقرأته فإذا فيه:" إنه من سليمان وإنه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" (النمل٣٠)                                                                                      

“Solaiman (A.) wrote a letter to Bilqis (A.  ) and her nation. He (Sulaiman (A.) gave that letter to a bird named Hudhud. Hudhud bird carried that letter and came to their country (Nation of Bilqis). Then that bird went to the palace of Bilqis and went to a lonely place where Bilqis (A.) used to spend her lonely time (Private room). Then the bird Hudhud threw it in front of her through a window and stepped aside for the sake of etiquette and royal custom. That (activity of the bird) made her scared. Then she went to the letter, took it, opened its seal, and read it. Suddenly she found, it is written in this letter-

“إنه من سليمان وإنه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" “Indeed it (This letter) is from Solaiman (A.) and surely it is (To be read ) in the name of Allah the most gracious the most merciful” (Sura An-Naml, Ayat no-30)(Ref.6).

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ( Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem )is not an Ayat of Sura Al- Fatiha and any of the Suras of the Quran except Sura An-Naml: Abul Qasem Muhammad Ibn Umar Az-Zamakhshari described in his Tafsir-

قراء المدينة والبصرة والشام وفقهاؤها على أن التسمية ليست بأية من الفاتحة ولا من غيرها من السور وإنما كتبت للفصل والتبرك بالإبتداء بها كما بدىء فى كل أمر ذى بال وهو مذهب أبى حنيفة رحمه الله ومن تابعه ولذالك لايجهر بها عندهم فى الصلاة

“The Qaries of Madinah, Basra, Syria, and its Faqihs (Experts in Islamic Shariah rules) agreed on this point that بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is not an Ayat of Fatiha or any of the other Suras, but it is written (At the beginning of all Suras except Sura At-Tawba) for the separation (Between tow Suras) and having Baraka (Blessing) by beginning with it, as all-important matters are begun with it (With بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم). It is the Mazhab of Abu Hanifa, (R) and those who follow him and that is why to them بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is not to be read loudly in Salah.” (Ref.7)

 References:(المراجع)

1. التيسير فى التفسير – Author – Amr Ibn Muhammd Ibn  Ahmad Ibn  Ismail Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibni Luqman An-Nasafi Al-Hanafi ,Page-51 ,Volume-1

2. Tafsirul Bagawi معالم التنزيل ,Volume-1, Page -51

3. الخازن المسمى لباب التاؤيل فى معانى التنزيل   تفسير, Volume-1, Page-17

4. صفوة التفاسير -Author-Muhammad Ali As-Sabuni, Volume -1, Page no-24

5. Tafsir –i-Ibn Kathir, Page no-171 Volume-1

6. Tafsiru Ibni Kathir, Page no-669, Volume-5 (تفسير سورة النمل (

7.الكشاف عن حقائق غوامض التنزيل وعيون  الأ قاويل فى وجوه التأويل  , Author –Abul Qasem Mahmud Ibn Umar Az-Zamakhshari, Volume-1,Page no-99