Page -37: Preferable opinion of Hanafi Mazhab regarding Bismillah: Importance of Bismillah:Rule of reciting Bismillah in Salah :

 

Preferable opinion of Hanafi Mazhab regarding Bismillah:

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Abu Bakr Al-Qurtubi described in his Tafsir:

إن مذهبنا يترجح فى ذالك بوجه عظيم وهو المعقول وذالك أن مسجد النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بالمدينة إنقرضت عليه العصور ومرت عليه الأزمنة والدهور من لدن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى زمان مالك ولم يقرأ أحد فيه قط بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إتباعا للسنة                                                                            

“Our Mazhab (Hanafi) is preferable in this regard i-e Bismillah is not an Ayah of Sura Al-Fatiha for a great reason which is rational. The reason is that the Masjid of Nabi (Sm.) at Madinah, times and ages have passed over it from the time of Allah’s Rasul (Sm.) to the time of Malik, and no one has ever read in it Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, (Loudly in Salah)following the Sunnah. ” (Ref.1)

Importance of Bismillah:

وروى وكيع عن الأعمش عن أبى وائل عن عبد الله إبن مسعود قال من أراد أن ينجيه الله من الزبانية التسعة عشر  فليقرأ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ليجعل الله تعالى له بكل حرف منها جنة من كل واحد فالبسملة تسعة عشر حرفا على عدد ملائكة أهل النار الذين قال الله فيهم " عليها تسعة عشر" و هم يقولون فى كل أفعالهم بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فمن هنالك قوتهم وببسم الله استضلعوا                       

Waki’ narrated on the authority of Al-A’mash on the authority of Abu Wael on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Masud, he said, “Who wants that Allah will save him from the nineteen Zabaniyah  (Stern and severe angels of punishment) in Jahannam, let him recite Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) So that Allah the Almighty can make a protection for him  from every one of the Angels with each letter of it  .” Bismillah consists of nineteen letters by the number of the Angels of Jahannam. Allah said about them: عليها تسعة عشر  Over It ( In Charge of Jahannam) there are “nineteen(Angels).” (Al-Mudassir, Ayat no – 30), and they say in all their actions بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم, from there they get their power and by Bismillah they become efficient. الزبانية this word is used in Sura Al-Alaq, Ayat no-18:  Allah the almighty said: سندع الزبانية   “ Very soon I will call the Zabaniah” Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Abu Bakr Al-Qurtubi said:

   “الشداد الملئكة - الزبانية أى الغلاظ Zabaniyah means the strong and rigorous Angels. فهم يدفعون الكفار فى جهنم “They drive the Kafirs into Jahannam.”(Ref.2)

Nazmuddin Umar Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad An-Nasafi Al-Hanafi described in his Tahsir:

 وفى الخبر : أن عبدا يؤتى كتابه فيقول بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فينشره فإذا هو أبيض لاشىء فيه فيقال له كان مملوأ سيئات فمحى ببركتة التسمية وإذا مر على الصراط وأريد به الخير ألهم أن يقول بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم                                

وفى الخبر : أن المؤمنين إذا وضعوا أقدامهم على الصراط يقولون بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فيمرون عليها وثيابهم ندية من العرق

 

“And in the Hadith: A servant of  Allah will be given his book of record (On the day of Judgement), he will say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم, (“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”) Then he will spread it, while it is white, there is nothing in it. Then it will be said to him, “It was full of(With the description of) bad deeds.” Then it was deleted for the blessing of Bismillah. And Allah’s Servant, when he passes over the Sirat (Path over Jahannam)  and if goodness is wished with him, he will be indicated secretly to say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.   (He will get an Ilham to say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.)                          

And in the Hadith: If the Mumins put their feet on Sirat (The path over Jahannam), they will say, بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم   “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”They will pass over it while their clothes are wet from sweating.”(Ref.3)

Rule of reciting Bismillah in Salah :

It is described in Raddul Muhtar Alad –Durril Mukhtar Sharhu Tanweeril Absar, renowned as Fatwa Shami:وسمى سرا فى كل ركعة لا بين الفاتحة والسورة مطلقا   Bismillah will be recited in every Rakat, not in between of Sura Fatiha and other Surah generally. (It means to recite Bismillah at the beginning of every Rakat is Sunnah and recitation of Bismillah in between Sura Fatiha and another Surah is not Sunnah, Whether the recitation is aloud or secretly). ولا تكره إتفاقا “Based on the agreed opinion, the recitation of Bismillah in between Sura Fatiha and another Surah will not be Makruh.”

ولهذا صرح فى الذخيرة والمجتبى بأنه إن سمى بين الفاتحة والسورة المقرؤة سرا أو جهرا كان حسنا عند أبى حنيفة ورجحه المحقق إبن الهمام   

That is why it is stated in the book named “Az-Zakhirah” and the book  “Al-Mujtaba” that if  Bismillah is recited between Fatihah and the surah read secretly or loudly, it will be Hasan to Abu Hanifa.” (Ref.4)

References:(المراجع)

1. الجامع لأحكام القرأن renowned as Tafsir -i -Qurtubi, Author- Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Abu Bakr Al-Qurtubi, Volume-1, Page-148  Title of the topic-  مقدمة المصنف

2. الجامع لأحكام القرأن renowned as Tafsir -i -Qurtubi, Author- Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Abu Bakr Al-Qurtubi, Volume-1, Page-143 Title of the topic- ألقول فى البسملة

3. ألتيسير فى التفسير ,Page-50,Volume-1 ,Author-Nazmuddin Umar Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad An-Nasafi Al-Hanafi.

4. Raddul Muhtar Alad –Durril Mukhtar Sharhu Tanweeril Absar, renowned as Fatwa Shami,كتاب الصلاة-باب صفة الصلاة    Author- Muhammad Amin, renowned as Ibnu Abedin, Study, investigation, and commentary made by  Adel Ahmad Abdul Maujud and Ali Muhammad Mu’awez, Special Edition- 2003, Volume-1, Page-192, printed by Darul Kutubil Ilmih, Beirut, Lebanon.

 

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