In Islam, many phrases are meant to increase baraka in our lives both in this dunya and the hereafter, and this baraka comes from our remembrance of Allah. We call such phrases “Dhikr”, and dhikr means “remembrance” in Arabic.

One of the most important and commonly used phrases of dhikr in a Muslim’s daily life is the blessed phrase “Bismillah” (بِسْمِ اللهِ).

What does Bismillah mean?

The phrase Bismillah means “In the name of Allah”. It is a shorthand version of the full phrase: “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim”. This full phrase means “In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.”
Let’s break this down for a deeper understanding of the translation!
“B” is an Arabic sound that means by, with, or in.

“Ism” is the Arabic word for “name”.

“Allah” is one of the 99 blessed names of our creator. Only “llah” is written in the English version of Bismillah because of the way it is pronounced in Arabic. However, in Arabic, the entirety of the word “Allah” is written in the phrase.

All three of these meanings work in the context of “Bismillah.”

When do we use Bismillah?

Saying Bismillah is a Sunnah (prophetic habit) of the Prophet (ﷺ). There are multiple hadiths (sayings of the Prophet ﷺ ) that urge us to say Bismillah often! Especially before we eat or drink, and before important activities such as an exam, a speech, or anything really!

Here are some hadiths that mention Bismillah:

-        Say Bismillah and eat with your right hand.

-        Say bismillah before drinking water

Some sources report that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has said “Any action of importance that has not begun with Bismillah is devoid of blessing and therefore incomplete.”

Importance of Saying Bismillah?

Saying Bismillah before anything provides baraka (blessings).

When we say Bismillah, in the name of Allah, we are remembering Allah. In Islam, remembering Allah and being constantly conscious of Allah brings many benefits to our day-to-day life and our Akhira as well:

-       By saying Bismillah, we get strength and baraka from Allah swt in the activity we are about to do.

-       We develop more gratitude to our creator. The more Allah is on our mind, the more we can remember to thank him for his blessings.

-       The increased consciousness of Allah can restrain wrongful activity. If you make saying Bismillah a habit before anything and everything you do, then you will shy away from doing wrongful activity, as you are aware Allah is watching.

Bismillah in the Quran.

The first Ayah (verse) revealed of the Quran is in Surat Al- ‘Alaq.

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ١

“Read in the name of your Lord who created.”

96:1

Translated by Saheeh International.

Before we read any surah in the Quran, we say Bismillah.

“Basmalah” vs. “Bismillah”

You might see the word “Basmalah” and wonder is it a typo? Did the person misspell Bismillah?

However, it is not a typo! Basmalah is a word, and it refers to the phrase Bismillah and/or the longer version Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim.

“Basmalah” is simply the name of the phrase. So, if someone says “Don’t forget to say the basmalah!” they mean don’t forget to say Bismillah.

Hope that helps!

Salamu alaikum.

The meaning of Bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim