Islam > Quran > Tajweed > Basmalah
Updated on 04 October 2026 at 11:01 PM
📖 3 min readThe basmalah is the verbal noun (masdar) of bassamala, that is: when one says "Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim", just as hasbala: when one says "Hasbiyallahu", and hawqala: when one says "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah".
There is no divergence among the scholars: it is part of a verse of Surah an-Naml, just as there is no divergence among the reciters on its establishment at the beginning of al-Fatihah.
The seven reciters also agreed to pronounce it when the recitation begins with the beginning of a surah of the Quran other than Surah Bara'ah; this on account of its being written in the mushaf, and of what is established by the authentic hadiths: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) did not know that the surah had ended until "Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim" was sent down to him¹.
As for the parts of the surahs, the reciter has the choice between pronouncing the basmalah or not pronouncing it, and to this the imam al-Shatibi refers in his saying:
ولا بد منها في ابتدائك سورة ... سواها وفي الأجزاء خُيِّر من تلا"It is indispensable when you begin a surah... other than it; and in the parts of the surahs, the one who recites has been given the choice"
As for Surah Bara'ah, it is left out at its beginning by unanimity.
And to this the imam al-Shatibi refers in his saying:
ومهما تَصِلْها أو بَدَأتَ براءةً ... لِتَنْزِيلِها بالسيفِ لستَ مُبَسْمِلا"Whatever you join to it or begin with Bara'ah... for its being sent down with the sword, you are not one of those who pronounce the basmalah"
He explained (may Allah have mercy on him) the leaving out of the basmalah at its beginning by the fact that it was sent down wrapped in the sword, by which he meant what Surah Bara'ah contains: the command to kill, to seize, to besiege and to break the pact, the threat and the punishment, and it contains the verse of the sword, which is verse number 29. The scholars reported this explanation from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I asked 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): why was the basmalah not written at the beginning of Bara'ah? He said: because "Bismillah" is a protection (aman), and Bara'ah contains no protection; for it was sent down with the sword, and there is no compatibility between protection and the sword¹.
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
Surah 16, 98: The verse prescribing the isti'adhah before the recitation, the foundation of the basmalah chapter in tajweed.
إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah 27, 30: The basmalah as part of a verse of Surah an-Naml, proof that it belongs to this surah.