Significance of بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم might seem to be only 4 words or 19 alphabets but Allah, the Almighty has bestowed immense greatness and effect to these words.

In some traditions بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is referred to as a verse (ayat) from the Holy Quran, for example, Hazrat Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says – Whenever either for going to the toilet or for any other reason you remove your clothes say the verse  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  so that Shaitan does not get a chance to see you. In this tradition بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is referred to as a verse.

In many other traditions بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is referred to as  اسمor name of Allah. For example, Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) says - بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is from the lofty names of Allah, the Almighty. Due to the uttering of these blessed and holy names, Allah gives the servant whatever he asks for.

Also the very powerful and effective Dua, Dua e Mashlool starts with these words,

اللهم إني أسألك باسمك بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

O Allah! I beseech you, with your name, Bismillah hir Rahman nir Rahim

It is clearly evident from the fact that the first name of Allah that a supplicant calls out while reciting Dua e Mashlool is بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم and also from the two traditions mentioned above that the recitation of بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم has significant effects. We see in these two traditions at one place while reciting بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم safeguards a person from Shaitan and in the other instance due to the recitation of  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Allah, the Almighty bestows the servant whatever he wishes for.

Perhaps it is for this reason that saying بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is highly recommended in traditions before starting any work or before any action. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) says, Every action from the action of life, if it does not accompany the name of Allah, it will not bear any result or fruit.

Similarly, we also find traditions where the holy Imams have cautioned against not starting any work with بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. It is reported that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, there are many from our Shias who forgo  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم while starting their work and Allah makes them encounter hardship or discomfort so that they realize this.

It is also not at all surprising that Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful out of his infinite Mercy has apportioned huge rewards for the one who recites بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

Ibn Masood narrates from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), anybody who recites
 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم, for every word Allah will write in his book four thousand good deeds, remove four thousand from the bad deeds and raise his level by four thousand.

In another tradition the reward of saying بسم الله  is described as below:-

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) says, Anyone who says بسم الله, Allah makes for him seventy thousand palaces in Paradise of Yakut. In every palace seventy thousand rooms of white pearls. And in every room seventy thousand beds made of green gems (chrysolite) and on every bed there will be seventy thousand angels dressed in silk and gold.

There are many traditions which have been reported with regards to
 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. Below are few of them.

Saying بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم before Dua

Holy Prophet (sawa) said – A dua which has بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  at the beginning never gets rejected.

Saying  بسم الله before sleeping

Holy Prophet (sawa) said – Everytime when a servant says بسم الله before sleeping, Allah the Almighty says to the angels – account is breath as worship till morning.

Safety from Fire

Ibn Masood narrates from Holy Prophet (sawa) – If anyone desires to safeguard himself from the blaze of fire then he should bring the words بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  on his toungue. It has nineteen alphabets and every alphabet will act as a shield against the flames of fire.

Safety from the evil of Shaitan

If a believer after Namaz e Subh without moving from his place or without talking to any one while facing the Qibla recites بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم respectfully 100 times he will be safe from the evil of Shaitan in his daily life and will also prosper.

The body becomes pure if بسم الله recited at the time of Wuzu

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) says, One who utters a name of Allah while performing ablution his whole body will become pure. All his sins between two ablutions will be wiped off. One who does not utter a name of Allah while performing ablution only the parts of body concerned with ablution will become pure and not his whole body.

The greatness and magnificence بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is clear from the traditions mentioned above. It has also come in traditions that Allah, the Almighty bestowed wisdom to Hazrat Luqman (a.s.) because of his respect for بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. One day Hazrat Luqman (a.s.) saw a paper on which بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم was inscribed. He picked it up and ate it (out of respect). Allah bestowed him with wisdom.

We quote here one incident to further emphasize on the miracles which is possessed in the words بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

Ayatullah Dastagaib e Shirazi has mentioned, it is mentioned in some of the Tafasirs that the king of Rome wrote a letter to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and complained about a strange headache to him and sought a remedy for the same from him. He mentioned that whatever treatment he has taken so far has not benefited him. Hazrat Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) gave the messenger a cap and told him to put this cap on the head of the king when his headaches.

The messenger gave the cap to the king and thereafter every time the king would feel pain in the head he would wear the cap and on wearing the cap he would be relieved of the pain. It happened a few times that his head would ache and on wearing the cap it would go away. They thought let’s see what Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) has done that the cap is so effective. The king ordered the cap to be cut and opened. They found that inside it, it was written بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

We conclude this discussion with this tradition on the reward of saying
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

It is narrated there is a type Hoori on whose faces Allah, the Almighty has inscribed in Noori letters – on the right cheek it is inscribed, الله  محمد رسول. On the left cheek it is inscribed علي ولي اللهand on their foreheadالحسن و الحسين  is inscribed and on their lips بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is inscribed and Allah has created them for those who  say بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم with magnificence and recognition (عظمت و معرفت)