Deeper into Dhikr
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The Meaning of Bismillah | Episode 9
Bismillah is the phrase Allah uses to start off the most important source of guidance: the Qur'an. It's the way to summon help, to clarify intentions, and to begin any task, worldly or for worship. Learn about the different variations of bismillah, when to use it, and its unique benefits and rewards.
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Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. Abdullah ibn Abbas radiAllahu ta'ala Anhumah says that whenever Jibreel alayhi salam would descend upon the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, and he would say Bismillah, the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam knew that Jibreel alayhi salam was coming with another chapter, another surah of the Qur'an. And so we knew, as Ibn Mas'ud radiAllahu anhu said, that the separation between the two chapters of the Qur'an is only through the Bismillah, through Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. Now I know some of you might be thinking, well, what about Surat At-Tawbah? Uthman radiAllahu ta'ala Anhu says that the reason why there is no Basmala on Surat At-Tawbah is because Surat Al-Anfal and Surat At-Tawbah are like one surah. And so there was no Basmala that was placed in between them. So Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim is the way in which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala starts off the most important matter, the most important of words, the most important source of guidance, the Qur'an itself. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. And the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam taught us that any matter of importance, which has not begun with the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, with the name of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala 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'ala 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'ala. 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'ala has taught us through our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam to say Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. 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 alayhi wa sallam 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 alayhi wa sallam taught us to say, as we've already covered, Bismillah tawakkaltu ala Allah, 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'ala. 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'ala that we find refuge in from the evil of his creation. Rasulullah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam taught us to say three times in the morning and in the evening, Bismillah alladhi la yadurru ma ismihi shay'un fil ardi wa la fissama wa huwa ssami'u al-'aleem You'll start to see some of the commonalities with these adhkar by the way. So Bismillah alladhi la yadurru ma ismihi shay'un fil ardi wa la fissama wa huwa ssami'u al-'aleem 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 alayhi wa sallam 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 Bismillah with istiAAadah in multiple functions. So for example in one narration he said sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam that when you are in pain that you put your hand on the
place where there is pain and you say Bismillah, Bismillah, Bismillah three times and then say a'udhu billah wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir 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 alayhi wa sallam said to say Bismillah with your name oh 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, but if it is not with the name of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then it is not going to have its full blessing, its full barakah and there's something very beautiful that even before we speak you know when you look at the letters of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam that he wrote to the leaders around the world, the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam always used the words Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. When the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam wrote the initial draft of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah of course dictating to Sayyidina Ali radiAllahu ta'ala anhu Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. When the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam 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-Rahim and this is even the Sunnah of the Prophets before our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam when Allah talks about Sayyidina Sulaiman alayhi wa sallam and the letter that he sent Innahu min Sulaiman wa innahu Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. 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 subhana wa ta'ala. His goal is to distract you from Allah subhana wa ta'ala and one narration the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam said la tasubbu sh-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 alayhi wa sallam 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 subhana wa ta'ala 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 Allahumma bismika amootu wa ahyaa bismillah bismillah bismillah a'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir
a'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir a'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir you
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