- Abdullah Bin Abbas, radi Allahu ta'ala Anhuma says that,
whenever Jibril Alayhis Salaam
would descend upon the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
and he would say, "Bismillah."
The prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam knew
that Jibril Alayhis Salaam
was coming with another chapter,
another surah of the Quran.
And so we knew, as Ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu Anhu said,
that the separation between the two chapters of the Quran
is only through the basmalah,
through Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.
Now, I know some of you might be thinking,
well, what about Surat At-Tawbah?
Uthman radhi Allahu ta'ala anhu says,
that the reason why there is no Basmalah on Surat At-Tawbah
is because Surah Al-Anfal and Surat At-Tawbah
are like one Surah.
And so there was no Basmala that was placed in between them.
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem
So Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem,
is the way in which Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala
starts off the most important matter,
the most important of words,
the most important source of guidance, the Quran itself.
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.
And the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
taught us that any matter of importance
which has not begun with the remembrance
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala,
with the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala,
remains defective.
Bismillah is the way in which we gain barakah
in what we are trying to do.
Bismillah is the way in which we summon the help
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala before we embark on any task.
Bismillah is the way that we clarify our intentions
that what we are doing is purely with the name of Allah,
in the name of Allah, and seeking the pleasure of Allah.
And so Bismillah is what we do when we start anything
in our lives.
And we know this SubhanAllah for both our acts of worship
as well as our worldly acts
which can become acts of worship
through the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala.
And so when it comes to acts of worship like Ghusl,
the ritual bath, or our wudu, our tayammum,
or our recitation of the Quran, or before our Salah,
we find that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala has taught us
through our prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam to say,
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.
And we find that with the worldly acts,
whether it is our eating or our drinking
or even in intimacy,
we say bismillah before we do anything.
The prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said before you eat,
say bismillah.
And if you forget to say it in the beginning of your food
then say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa akhirihi.
In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end.
When you step out of your home,
the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam taught us to say,
as we've already covered,
Bismillah tawakkaltu 'alAllah,
wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
With the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah,
and there is no power or strength except with
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala.
When we seek protection
from anything that's going to happen during the day
remember that it is the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala
that we find refuge in
from the evil of his creation.
Rasulullah SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
taught us to say three times in the morning
and in the evening,
Bismillahilladhi laa yadurru ma'asmihi shay'un
fi al-ard wa laa fi al-samaa
wa huwa as-Samee' al-Alim.
You'll start to see some of the commonalities
with these adhkar, by the way.
So Bismillah alladhi laa yadurru ma'a ismihi shay'un
fi al-ard wa laa fi al-samaa
wa huwa as-Samee' al-Alim means:
With the name of Allah,
with whose name there can be no harm to accompany it,
not in the heavens or in the earth,
and he is the All-hearing and the All-knowing.
He said SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam,
that whoever says this dhikr
three times in the day
will be protected throughout the day.
And whoever says it three times in the evening
will be protected throughout the evening.
And we find that there's of course a combination
of the Basmalah with istiadha in multiple functions.
So for example, in one narration he says
SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
that when you are in pain, that you put your hand
on the place where there's pain and you say
"Bismillah, bismillah, bismillah" three times
and then say,
A'oodhu billah wa qudratih min sharr maa ajjid wa 'uhaadhir
seven times.
I seek refuge in Allah and in his power
from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against.
Before we sleep,
the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said to say,
Bismika Allahumma amootu wa ahyaa.
With Your name, O Allah,
I die and I seek to be revived once again.
I seek life once again.
So you find it with all of the acts of worship
with all of our worldly acts,
bismillah,
if it is not with the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala
then it is not going to have its full blessing,
its full barakah.
And it's something very beautiful
that even before we speak, you know,
when you look at the letters of the
prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
that he wrote to the leaders around the world,
the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
always used the words,
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.
When the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
wrote the initial draft
of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah,
of course dictating to Syedna Ali radi Allahu ta'ala anhu.
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.
When the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
would stand up to address the Ummah,
whether it is the elite of the Ummah
or the most common person of the Ummah.
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.
And this is even the Sunnah of the prophets
before our prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam.
When Allah talks about Sayyidina Sulaiman Alayhi-salam
and the letter that he sent,
Innahu min Sulayman wa innahu Bismillahi'r Rahmani'r Raheem.
Verily, it is from Sulaiman
and verily, it is with the name of Allah,
the most compassionate, the most merciful.
And I want to end with a very interesting hadith here
because we said the shaytan really does not
want you to remember Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala.
His goal is to distract you from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala.
In one narration,
the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said,
la tasub al shaytan.
Don't curse the devil.
Now seek refuge in Allah from him,
but don't curse the devil.
Meaning, you know, don't sit there and insult the devil.
Why? Because when you do so, then you make him greater
than he actually is.
Until it's as if he's bigger than a house,
the prophet SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said.
So you're giving him way too much weight
and way too much credit when you sit there and curse him.
He said, but instead, say bismillah.
And he said, when you say bismillah,
the shaytan becomes so little until he's smaller than a fly.
It's as if to say that remember,
that All-power, All-strength, is from Allah
and the shaytan is nothing in front of
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'Aala.
And so when you say bismillah,
and you seek refuge in Allah, and you remember Allah,
through what entrance is the shaytan going to enter
into your heart, your soul,
or any of your affairs.
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