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2010-03-26
The Basmalah
Published in: Islamic Ideology
The first sentence of the Quran, and therefore, also of the Fatihah or Opening is بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem i.e. In the name of Allah the "Rahman" the Merciful. The above sentence is known as the Basmalah. It is the first ayah (or verse) of the Opening, or in other words the first of the Seven Oft-Repeated-Ones.
The Basmalah appears 114 times in the Quran. It appears at the beginning of 113 of the 114 surahs of the Qur'an except surah At-Taubah (i.e. Repentance), also called Baraat (i.e. Immunity) as the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not mention the Basmalah when he recited it to his followers.
The word bism (in the name) appears in the Qur'an in three ayats (or verses) in the Arabic script form consisting of three letters namely: ba, seen and meem. In all the first three cases the word is followed by the word Allah.
Muslims believe that the translation of the Qur'an is impossible because it consists of words of Allah and is both a linguistic and literary miracle. The Qur'an also contains many scientific facts which were not known to humanity at the time it was revealed, and that is one of the other aspects of the miraculousness of the Quran.
Bismillah is translated in many of available translations of the meanings of the Qur'an as: "In the name of God". However the word God does not convey the full meaning of the one and only God: Allah. God is a word which has the plural gods, whereas Allah is an Arabic word that does not take a plural.
The next word in the Basmalah is Ar-Rahman. This has been translated as: The Merciful, Most Merciful, The All Merciful, The Mercy-giving, The Source of Mercy, Beneficent, The Beneficent, The Most Beneficent, Compassionate, The Compassionate and Most Gracious, The Infinitely Good. An approximation may be the Source of Infinite Mercy.
Muslims are supposed to say the Basmalah before reading the Quran, before they do their ablution, before entering their house, before eating or drinking, before slaughtering an animal for food and even before intimacy with their spouses. Muslims usually start their public speeches, their letters and many of their actions with the Basmalah.
The Basmalah appears 114 times in the Quran. It appears at the beginning of 113 of the 114 surahs of the Qur'an except surah At-Taubah (i.e. Repentance), also called Baraat (i.e. Immunity) as the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not mention the Basmalah when he recited it to his followers.
The word bism (in the name) appears in the Qur'an in three ayats (or verses) in the Arabic script form consisting of three letters namely: ba, seen and meem. In all the first three cases the word is followed by the word Allah.
Muslims believe that the translation of the Qur'an is impossible because it consists of words of Allah and is both a linguistic and literary miracle. The Qur'an also contains many scientific facts which were not known to humanity at the time it was revealed, and that is one of the other aspects of the miraculousness of the Quran.
Bismillah is translated in many of available translations of the meanings of the Qur'an as: "In the name of God". However the word God does not convey the full meaning of the one and only God: Allah. God is a word which has the plural gods, whereas Allah is an Arabic word that does not take a plural.
The next word in the Basmalah is Ar-Rahman. This has been translated as: The Merciful, Most Merciful, The All Merciful, The Mercy-giving, The Source of Mercy, Beneficent, The Beneficent, The Most Beneficent, Compassionate, The Compassionate and Most Gracious, The Infinitely Good. An approximation may be the Source of Infinite Mercy.
Muslims are supposed to say the Basmalah before reading the Quran, before they do their ablution, before entering their house, before eating or drinking, before slaughtering an animal for food and even before intimacy with their spouses. Muslims usually start their public speeches, their letters and many of their actions with the Basmalah.
© 2026 Dr. Shihab Ghanem. All rights reserved.