Page-35 :Bismillah for distinguishing one surah from another: Bismillah is not an Ayat of Sura Al-Fatiha :Why Bismillah is not written at the beginning of Sura At-Tawbah or Barah?Which one is preferable to be recited-Bismillah or Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem?

 Bismillah  for  distinguishing one surah from another:

وفى سنن أبى داؤد بإسناد صحيح عن إبن عباس رضى الله تعالى عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان لايعرف فصل السور حتى ينزل عليه "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" It is reported in the Sunani Abi Dawud, with an authentic chain of narrators, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, (R.) that Allah’s Rasul (Sm.), did not understand the separation of Suras until بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم revealed to him. (Ref.1)

Bismillah is not an Ayat of Sura Al-Fatiha:

Abu bakr Ahmad Ibn Ali Ar-Razi Al-Jassas said:

 ومما سمعنا فى سنن أبى داؤد قال قال الشعبى ومالك وقتادة وثابت ان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكتب بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  حتى نزلت سورة النمل  وقد كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم حين أراد أن يكتب  بينه وبين سهيل ابن عمرو كتاب الهدنة بالحديبية قال لعلى ابن ابى طالب رضى الله عنه أكتب بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فقال له سهيل بإسمك أللهم فإنا لانعرف الرحمن إلى أن سمح بها فهذا  يدل على أن بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم لم تكن من القرأن ثم أنزلها الله تعالى فى سورة النمل                             

“And from what we heard in Sunan of Abu Dawud, he said that al-Sha’bi, Malik, Qatadah, and Thabit said that  Nabi (Sm.) did not write بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم until Surah An -Naml was revealed. The Nabi (Sm.) when he wanted to write down the treaty of Hudaibia between him and Suhail Ibn Amr at Hudaibia, he (Sm.) said to Ali Ibn Abi Talib  (R.): write down بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Then Sohail said to him,  “By your name, O Allah”, we do not know الرحمن (Ar-Rahman)until he (Sm.) allowed it. ( Gave permission to omit it.) This indicates that بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم was not from the Qur’an (Which is written at the beginning of all Suras). Then Allah the Almighty revealed it in Surat An-Naml.” (Ref.2)

Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Abi Bakr Al- Qurtubi said in his Tafsir:

واحتجوا من الاثر فى ذالك بما رواه منصور بن زاذان عن أنس إبن مالك قال : صلى بنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلم يسمعنا قرأة " بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" وما رواه عمار إبن رزيق عن الأعمش عن شعبة عن ثابت عن أنس قال صليت خلف النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وخلف أبى بكر وعمر فلم أسمع احدا منهم يجهر ببسم الله الرحمن الرحيم                                                              

“And the scholars of Hanafi Mazhab took their evidence in this regard from Hadith which was narrated by Mansour bin Zazan, under the authority of Anas Ibn Malik who said: Allah’s Rasul (Sm.), performed Salah with us, but we didn’t hear reciting " بسم الله الرحمن لبرحيم".  And Ammar Ibn Ruzaiq reported on the authority of A’mash, he reported on the authority of Shu’ba, he reported on the authority of Thabit from Anas, who said:  I performed Salah behind Abu Bakr and Umar(R.), but I did not hear any of them reciting بسم الله الرحمن لبرحيم" loudly.” (Ref.3)

Hadith reported by Muslim is also a clear evidence regarding " بسم الله الرحمن لبرحيم". He said-

حدثنا محمد بن المثنى وإبن بشار كلاهما عن غندر قال ابن المثنى حدثنا محمدبن جعفر حدثنا شعبة قال سمعت قتادة يحدث عن أنس قال صليت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأبى بكر وعمر وعثمان فلم أسمع أحدا منهم يقرأ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

“Muhammad Ibnul Muthanna and Ibn Bashshar both told us on the authority of Gundar, who said Ibnul Muthanna said, Muhammad Ibn Ja’far told us, he said: Shu’bah told us, he said: I heard Qatadah narrates from Anas that he said: I performed Salah with Allah’s Rasul (Sm.) Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (R.) I didn’t hear any of them reciting بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم”. (Sahih Muslim, – باب حجة من قال لا يجهر بالبسملة- كتاب الصلاة  Hadith no-890)

Alauddin Abu Bakr Ibn Masu’d Al-Kasani Al-Hanafi described in his book of Fiqh:

إنعقد ألإجماع من الفقهاء والقراء أن سورة الكوثر ثلاث أيات وسورة الإخلاص أربع أيات ولو كانت التسمية منها لكانت سورة الكوثر أربع

أيات وسورة الإخلاص خمس وهو خلاف الإجماع

  A consensus was held from the Faqihs and Qaries that the number of Ayats in Surat Al-Kawthar is three and the number of Ayats in Surat Al-Ikhlas is four. If Bismillah were from it, Surat Al-Kawthar would have four Ayats and Surah Al-Ikhlas, five Ayats, which is contrary to the consensus. (Ref.4)

 Muhammad Amin, renowned as Ibnu Abedin described in his book of Fiqh-

ولم تجز الصلاة بها     “Salah will not be lawful (Jayez) with Bismillah” It means if anyone recites only Bismillah in Salah, his Salah will not be Jayez. Because  Bismillah is not a complete Ayat of the Quran. It’s a part of Ayat. (Ref.5)                                               

Why Bismillah is not written at the beginning of Sura At-Tawbah or Barah?

Ibn Kathir described in his Tafsir- وإنما لم يبسمل فى أولها لأن الصحابة لم يكتبوا البسملة فى أولها فى المصحف الإمام والإقتداء فى ذالك بأمير المؤمنين عثمان إبن عفان رضى الله عنه                                                                                

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is not written at the beginning of Sura At-Tauwbah, because Sahaba-i-Kiram didn’t write it at the beginning of Sura At-Tawbah in the manuscript. Ameerul Mumineen(Leader of the Mumins) Uthman Ibn Affan (R.) was followed In this regard,  (Ref.6).

Which one is preferable to be recited-Bismillah or Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem?

أجمعوا على أن الوقف على قوله " بسم" ناقص قبيح وعلى قوله "بسم الله" أو على قوله "بسم الله الرحمن" كاف صحيح وعلى قوله "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" تام                                                                                                                              

“Fakhruddin Ar-Razi said that Muslim scholars agreed on this point that to give pause on" بسم" (Bisme) is incomplete and ugly, to give pause on "بسم الله" (Bismillah) or"بسم الله الرحمن" (Bismillahir Rahman) is correct enough and to give pause on "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" (Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim) is complete.

وأطبق القراء على ترك تغليظ اللام فى قوله بسم الله"

And Qaries (People who are experts in the recitation of the Qur’an) agreed on giving up the recitation of Lam ((اللام in بسم الله (Bismillah) with a heavy sound.” (Ref.7)

References:(المراجع)

1.Tafsiru Ibni Kathir, Page no-171, Volume-1 (تفسير سورة  الفاتحة  (

2.Ahkamul Qura’n , Author- Abu bakr Ahmad Ibn Ali Ar-Razi Al-Jassas, volume-1 Page-7&8 ,             

Printed in Daru Ihya At- Turasul Arabi

3.  الجامع لاحكام القرأن Known as Tafsirul Qurtubi, Author- Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Abi Bakr A- Qurtubi, Volume-1, page- 149 (ألقول فى البسملة)

4. بدائع الصنائع فى ترتيب الشرائعuthor-Alauddin Abu Bakr Ibn Masu’d Al-Kasani Al-Hanafi, Page 35, كتاب الصلاة

 5. Raddul Muhtar Alad –Durril Mukhtar, Sharhu Tanwiril Absar, Renowned as Fatawa Shami, Author- Muhammad Amin, renowned as Ibnu Abedin, Study, investigation, and commentary made by  Adel Ahmad Abdul Maujud and Ali Muhammad Mu’waez Special Edition 2003, Volume-1, Page -242, كتاب الطهارة, printed by Darul Kutubil Alamih, Beirut, Lebanon

6.Tafsiru Ibni Kathir, volume-4,page- 143 , تفسير سورة التوبة

7. Mafatihul Gayeb, Renowned as  “Tafsir Al-Kabir” with Tafsir of Abus Saud in its margin, Author- Muhammad Ar-Razi Fakhruddin  Ibn Zia Uddin Umar(Rah.), Volume-1, page -81, Edition-1^st