🏷️ Tafsīr of “Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm”
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

🔹 The Letter Bā’ (بـ) in “Bismillāh”

The prepositional Bā’ (باء الجر) in Arabic carries multiple meanings:

🔸 Attachment (الإلصاق)

• Literal: مسحت برأسي – “I wiped over my head.”
• Figurative: مررت بزيد – “I passed by Zayd.”

🔸 Seeking Aid (الاستعانة)

• Example: ذبحت بالسكين – “I slaughtered with the knife.”

🔸 Cause (السبب)

• As in:
  ﴿فَبِظُلْمٍ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا﴾
  “So for the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made forbidden…” [An-Nisā’: 160]

🔸 Oath (القسم)

• بالله لقد قام – “By Allah, he stood.”

🔸 State (الحال)

• جاء زيد بثيابه – “Zayd came in his clothes.”

🔸 Location (الظرفية)

• زيد بالبصرة – “Zayd is in Basra.”

🔸 Transfer (النقل)

• قمت بزيد – “I stood with Zayd.”

🧭 Other Functions of “Bā’”

• Emphatic (زائدة للتوكيد):
  • شربن بماء البحر – “They drank of the sea water.”
• Substitution (البدل):
  • فليت لي بهم قوماً – “Would that I had a people instead of them.”
• Exchange (المقابلة):
  • اشتريت الفرس بألف – “I bought the horse for a thousand.”
• Exceeding (المجاوزة):
  • تشقق السماء بالغمام – “The sky will split from the clouds.”
• Elevation (الاستعلاء):
  • من أن تأمنه بقنطار – “[You trust him] with a great amount (a qintār).”

Some grammarians refer to “ḥāl” as accompaniment (المصاحبة) and add that it may indicate reasoning (التعليل). Others associate استعانة with سبب, and حال with the meaning of مع (with), aligning with the use of lām (لام).

🏷️ The Word “Ism” (Name)

There are various views regarding its etymology:

• Can be pronounced: ism (with kasrah), usm (with ḍammah), or sim/sum, and sumiya like “hudiya”.
• Basran grammarians: Its root is sīn–mīm–wāw (س-م-و).
• Kūfan grammarians: Its root is wāw–sīn–mīm (و-س-م).
  ✅ The preferred opinion is the first.

🔹➖ Types of “Al” (ال) in Grammar:

✅ Definite “Al” (العهد): Used for a known person or type:

• Person-specific: جاء الغلام – “The boy came.”
• Type-specific: اسقني الماء – “Give me the water.”

✅ Presence (للحضور):

• خرجت فإذا الأسد – “I went out, and suddenly saw the lion.”

✅ Implied Description (للمح الصفة):

• الحارث – “Al-Ḥārith” (a name implying cultivation).

✅ Dominance (للغلبة):

• الدبران – “Aldebaran” (the star known by dominance).

✅ Relative Pronoun (موصولة):

• Equivalent to “الذي/التي“.

🔹➖ Additional Uses of “Al”:

✅ Mandatory Extra (زائدة لازمة):

• الآن – “Now.”

✅ Non-mandatory Extra (زائدة غير لازمة):

• باعد أم العمر من أسيرها.

Did the span of life distance the captive from his captor?”

🔹➖ Nature of “Al”:

• Scholars differ: Is it one letter or two letters?
• If two letters, is the hamza additional or original?

🏷️ The Name “Allah” (الله): Origins & Linguistic Analysis 🎯

✅ Majority View:

• “Allah” is a proper noun (علم) exclusively denoting the Rightfully Worshipped One, non-derivative (مرتجل), according to most scholars.

✅ Derivative Opinions:

• Derived from “L-Y-H” (ليه): means “elevated,” hence the sun is also called “إلاهة”.
• Derived from “L-W-H” (لوه): meaning “concealment or hiddenness“.
• Derived from “A-L-H” (أله):
  • Ibn Isḥāq: Means “to seek refuge” (فزع).
  • Abū ‘Umar: Means “bewilderment” (تحير).
  • An-Naḍr: Means “to worship” (عبد).
  • Al-Mubarrad: Means “to settle, be tranquil” (سكن).

🔹 Hamza in “Allah”:

• Possibly dropped arbitrarily (as in ناس originally أناس), or due to transfer (النقل) with mandatory assimilation (الإدغام). Both explanations are uncommon (شاذ).

✅ Derived from “W-L-H” (وله):

• Means “intense passion or love.”
• Hamza substituted for wāw as in أشاح; considered weak due to necessity of substitution.

🔹➖ Plural form (آلهة):

• Pattern “فعال”: Meaning “object of action,” e.g., كتاب meaning “what is written.”

🏷️ “Al” in “Allah”: Dominance (للغلبة) 🎯

• Originally “الإلاه” meaning “the deity.”
• Used specifically for the Rightfully Worshipped after removing hamza and assimilation.
• Became uniquely dominant, like “النجم” specifically denoting “الثريا” (Pleiades).

✅ Linguistic Objections:

• “Allah” after modification no longer applies to false deities, differing from “النجم“.

🔹➖ Alternative Opinions on “Al” in “Allah”:

• Considered a mandatory extra particle.
• Rare omission observed: “لاه أبوك” (as rare as dropping “أ” from “أقبل سيل“).

✅ Claim by Ibn Al-‘Arabī & As-Suhaylī:

• “Al” is inherent to “Allah” and hamza attached through frequent usage.
• Critique: Incorrect, as it implies the word’s original pattern “فعال,” leaving no grammatical reason for non-tanwīn (nunation). Indicates “Al” is an external particle causing omission of tanwīn.

🔹➖ Unique Linguistic Rules:

• “Allah” possesses special grammatical rules detailed in Arabic grammar.

🏷️ Rare Views & Historical References:

• Some claim “Allah” is from Syriac “لاها“:
  • Poetry cited:
    • كحلفة من أبي رياح
      يسمعها لاهه الكبار
  • Abū Yazīd Al-Balkhī states “لاها” used by Jews and Christians, adapted by Arabs as “الله“.

✅ Unusual View:

• Some scholars consider “Allah” a description (صفة), not a proper noun (اسم ذات):
  • Proper nouns identify entities directly.
  • Allah’s essence (ذات) isn’t directly perceived or described by names but through attributes (صفات). Hence, naming His essence is viewed as unnecessary.
  • Proper nouns act as pointers (إشارة), impossible for Allah, thus viewing it as an attribute.

🔹➖ Final Alif in “Allah”:

• Dropped to avoid confusion with “اللاه,” active participle from “لها يلهو” (meaning to play).
• Alternative explanations: for simplification or due to dialect in writing.

🏷️ EXPLANATION OF “الرحمن” (AR-RAHMĀN) 🎯

🔸 Linguistic Origin

• Derived from the root رحمة (mercy), constructed in the intensive form (فعلان) typically used for intransitive verbs (لازم) emphasizing great intensity.
• The form (فعلان) is unusual (شاذ) when derived from transitive verbs (متعدّي).

🔸 Usage Exclusivity

• The definite article (الـ) indicates exclusivity (للغلبة), similar to (الصعق), making “الرحمن” exclusively descriptive of Allah. Thus, it is not used as a proper name or attribute for anyone besides Allah.
• Historically referenced as: “رحمن الدنيا والآخرة” (The Merciful of this world and the hereafter).

🔸 Grammatical Debate

• There are two scholarly opinions regarding whether the word “رحمن” is declinable (مصروف):
  1. General Principle: Most proper nouns (الأسماء) are declinable by default.
  2. Special Principle: Words of the form (فعلان) are usually indeclinable due to their specialized intensive meaning.

🔸 Interesting Fact

• A peculiar opinion noted by Thaʿlab (ثعلب) claims that “رحمن” originally came from a non-Arabic (foreign) root pronounced with the letter خ (Khā’), and was Arabized by replacing it with ح (Ḥā’).

🏷️ EXPLANATION OF “الرحيم” (AR-RAḤĪM) 🎯

🔸 Linguistic Form and Meaning

• Derived from the root رحمة (mercy) as well, it follows the pattern (فعيل) converted from the active participle (فاعل) form, used to indicate intensification or exaggeration (للمبالغة).
• It belongs to one of the five known exaggerated forms in Arabic:
  ✅ فعال (e.g., غفار)
  ✅ فعول (e.g., شكور)
  ✅ مفعال (e.g., مقدام)
  ✅ فعيل (e.g., رحيم)
  ✅ فعل (e.g., حذر)
• Some scholars include فعيل in other contexts like سكير (habitual drunkard), making it a distinct grammatical chapter in Arabic grammar.

🔸 Secondary Meaning (Rare)

• Occasionally, “رحيم” can imply the meaning of مرحوم (one who is shown mercy).
  ➖ Example poetry from al-ʿAmalas ibn ʿAqīl (العملس بن عقيل): فأما إذا عضت بك الأرض عضة
  فإنك معطوف عليك رحيم
  (When the earth bites you severely, you are one upon whom mercy is bestowed.)

🏷️ SURAH AL-FĀTIḤAH (الفاتحة): MAKKAN OR MADINAN? 🎯

🔸 Majority Opinion:

• Ali ibn Abi Ṭālib, Ibn ʿAbbās, Ali ibn al-Ḥusayn, Qatādah, Abū al-ʿĀliyah, ʿAṭā’, Ibn Jubayr, Muhammad ibn Yaḥyā ibn Ḥabbān, and Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq all concur that Al-Fātiḥah is a Makkan revelation.
• This is supported by the verse:
  📖 (وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبْعًا مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمَ)
  (And indeed, We have given you seven of the often-repeated verses and the great Qur’an.) [Al-Ḥijr 15:87]
• Surah Al-Ḥijr is unanimously agreed upon as Makkan.

🔸 Supporting Hadith:

• Narrated from Ubayy (حديث أبي), the Prophet ﷺ identified Al-Fātiḥah as “السبع المثاني” (the seven oft-repeated verses), revealed shortly after Surah Al-Ḥijr.
• There is a scholarly consensus that obligatory prayer was established in Makkah, and no prayer in Islam is performed without reciting Al-Fātiḥah.

🔸 Minority Opinion:

• Scholars including Abū Hurayrah, ʿAṭā’ ibn Yasār, Mujāhid, Sawād ibn Ziyād, al-Zuhrī, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr argued it was Madinan, or possibly revealed in both cities (مكية مدنية).

🏷️ GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF “بِسْمِ اللَّهِ” (BISMILLĀH) 🎯

🔸 Prepositional Particle (باء الجر): Indicates seeking assistance (الاستعانة), e.g., “كتبت بالقلم” (I wrote with the pen).

🔸 Grammatical Placement (موضع): Scholars differ:

• Kūfan Opinion: The implied verb is “بدأت” (I began); thus, the phrase “بسم الله” is in the accusative case (نصب), with the verb omitted and implied.
• Al-Zamakhsharī’s View: Suggests a later implied verb (“أقرأ” or “أتلو” – “I recite/read”) because the action (reading) follows the phrase “بسم الله”. He argues fronting it implies emphasis (الاختصاص), though others dispute this claim.
• Sībawayh’s Statement:
  • Explains that both “ضربت زيدًا” (I hit Zayd) and “زيدًا ضربت” (Zayd, I hit) are equally eloquent, with the difference being one of emphasis rather than grammatical correctness.

🔸 Basran Opinion:

• The phrase “بسم الله” is in nominative case (رفع), implying:
  1. “ابتدائي (My beginning) is with Allah’s name,” or
  2. “مستقر (My starting point) is with Allah’s name.”

🔸 Most Reliable Opinion:

• Preferable to take the Kūfan opinion because verbs inherently have primacy in driving grammatical action, or the Basran view due to preserving clear attribution of action.

🔹📢 DEFINITION OF “NAME” (الاسم)

✅ Meaning of “Name” (الاسم) 🎯

• A “name” (الاسم) is a word that indicates something existing in reality if it is tangible, or in the mind if it is abstract, without its structure implying any specific time.
• Its meaning or referent is the entity named (المسمى).
• Therefore, the renowned linguist Sībawayh said:
  📌 (فالكل اسم وفعل وحرف)
  “Everything in language is either a noun, a verb, or a particle.”

✅ Difference Between Name, Named, and Naming (الاسم والمسمى والتسمية) 🎯

• Naming (التسمية) refers to making a certain word denote a specific meaning.
• Clearly, there’s a distinction between:
  • The name itself (الاسم),
  • The named entity (المسمى),
  • And the act of naming (التسمية).

🔹📢 LITERAL VS. METAPHORICAL USAGE

✅ Literal Attribution 🎯

• Sometimes you attribute a statement literally to the name itself.
  📌 Example: “Zayd is your son’s name.” (زيد اسم ابنك)

✅ Metaphorical Attribution 🎯

• Sometimes attribution to the name is metaphorical, where you say the “name” but mean the entity itself.
  📌 Quranic Examples:
  • (تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ) – “Blessed is the name of your Lord.” [Surah Ar-Rahmān: 78]
  • (سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ) – “Exalt the name of your Lord.” [Surah Al-A‘lā: 1]
  • (مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا) –
    “You worship besides Him only names which you and your forefathers invented.” [Surah Yūsuf: 40]

🔹📢 SCHOLARLY DEBATE: IS THE NAME THE SAME AS THE NAMED?

• Scholars debated whether the name (الاسم) is identical to the named (المسمى) or not.
• Notable works were written by:
  • Al-Ghazālī (الغزالي)
  • Ibn al-Sayyid (ابن السيد)
  • As-Suhaylī (السهيلي)
• They compiled the evidence for both views in detail.

🔹📢 AS-SUHAYLĪ’S INTERPRETATIONS

✅ On the Verse (سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ) [Surah Al-A‘lā: 1] 🎯

• As-Suhaylī noted that mentioning the name is a way to highlight that one must glorify the Lord both:
  • Inwardly (heart) — attached to the named
  • Outwardly (tongue) — attached to the word itself

✅ On the Verse (مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً) [Surah Yūsuf: 40] 🎯

• These are false names, not grounded in any real entities.
• It’s as if they are worshipping names alone, a powerful metaphor (مجاز بديع).

🔹📢 ORTHOGRAPHY: WHY “BISM” IS WRITTEN WITHOUT ALIF

✅ Alif Omission in “بسم” 🎯

• The alif in “بسم” is omitted due to frequent usage for lightness in writing.
• Scholars’ views:
  • Al-Kisā’ī and Al-Akhfash: It can be omitted in all names of Allah.
  • Al-Farrā’: It should only be omitted in بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم, due to its repetition.
    In all other names, the alif remains.

🏷️ Understanding “Al-Rahman” and “Al-Raheem”

🔹➖ Is “Al-Rahman” an Attribute or a Proper Name?

• Al-Rahman (الرحمن) is generally accepted among scholars (الجماعة) as an attribute (صفة) of Allah.
• Al-A’lam (الأعلم) and others argue it is a proper noun (علم) derived from “رحمة” (mercy), yet not akin to “Raheem” (رحيم) or “Raahim” (راحم). Rather, it resembles the name “Aldabaran (الدبران),” derived from “Dabr (دبر),” uniquely structured as a proper noun and not used descriptively.
• Evidence supporting its status as a proper noun includes its independent use without following another name, as in:
  • 🎯 {الرحمن على العرش استوى} (“Al-Rahman rose over the Throne.” – [Qur’an 20:5])
  • 🎯 {الرحمن علم القرآن} (“Al-Rahman taught the Qur’an.” – [Qur’an 55:1-2])
• When confirmed as a proper noun (علمية), it cannot be an adjective (نعت); hence, it must be بدل (substitute).

🔸 Abu Zayd Al-Suhayli’s Perspective

• Al-Suhayli rejects viewing “Al-Rahman” as بدل or عطف بيان (clarifying conjunction) because:
  • “Allah,” the primary name, requires no clarification, being the most evident and distinct name.
  • Qur’anic usage confirms this, with people asking “وما الرحمن” (“And what is Al-Rahman?”) but never “وما الله” (“What is Allah?”).
• Thus, Al-Rahman remains a descriptive term for praise (ثناء), despite sometimes being treated as a proper noun.

🔹➖ Comparing “Al-Rahman” and “Al-Raheem”

• Some scholars see “Al-Rahman” (الرحمن) and “Al-Raheem” (الرحيم) as identical in meaning, like “ندمان” and “نديم.”
• Others suggest distinct nuances:
  • “Al-Rahman” conveys greater intensity (مبالغة), covering broad mercies and essential blessings.
  • “Al-Raheem” complements “Al-Rahman,” covering finer, subtler mercies, as chosen by Al-Zamakhshari.

🎯 Nuances in Linguistic Intensity:

• “Al-Rahman” (pattern “فعلان“) signifies overwhelming fullness and dominance (e.g., “غضبان,” “سكران“), thus not directly transitive.
• “Al-Raheem” (pattern “فعيل“) emphasizes repeated and consistent action, directly transitive, e.g., “زيد رحيم المساكين” (“Zayd is merciful to the needy”).

🔹➖ Interpretations & Scholarly Opinions

Scholars with distinct interpretations propose:

• Mujahid: 🎯 Al-Rahman – Mercy of this world; Al-Raheem – Mercy of the Hereafter.
• Prophetic Hadith (حديث) narrated by Ibn Mas’ud & Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنهما):
  • 📌 “Al-Rahman is Merciful in this world; Al-Raheem is Merciful in the Hereafter.”
• Al-Qurtubi: Al-Rahman – Mercy in the Hereafter, Al-Raheem – Mercy in this world.
• Al-Dahhak: Mercy for heavens and earth.
• Ikrimah: Al-Rahman as one mercy; Al-Raheem as a hundred mercies.
• Al-Muzani: Blessings of worldly life and religion.
• Al-Azizi: Al-Rahman – general blessings (rain, senses); Al-Raheem – specific believer’s guidance and kindness.
• Al-Muhasibi: Mercy on souls and hearts.
• Yahya ibn Mu’adh: Mercy for worldly interests and Hereafter’s welfare.
• Al-Sadiq: Al-Rahman – General sustenance; Al-Raheem – Specific forgiveness for believers.
• Tha’lab: Al-Rahman – more praiseworthy (أمدح); Al-Raheem – gentler (ألطف).
• Others: Al-Rahman – blessings unimaginable by humans; Al-Raheem – blessings humans can understand.
• Abu Ali Al-Farisi: Al-Rahman – General mercy exclusive to Allah; Al-Raheem – Specifically directed towards believers, as stated:
  • 🎯 {وكان بالمؤمنين رحيماً} (“He is ever Merciful to believers.” – [Qur’an 33:43])

🔹➖ Mercy (رحمة): Attribute of Essence or Action?

• Allah’s mercy refers metaphorically to His benevolence (إنعام) upon creation.
• Like a compassionate king whose affection translates to practical benevolence, Divine mercy manifests as practical mercy (صفة فعل).
• Some scholars regard mercy as Allah’s inherent desire for good (صفة ذات), sparking theological debates:
  • Are Allah’s attributes of essence eternal (قديمة) and attributes of action emergent (محدثة)? Scholars have divergent views.

🔹➖ Human Mercy (رحمة)

• Defined by some as tenderness or emotional softness in the heart.
• Others describe it as intending good or repelling harm, as humans sometimes aid others without emotional attachment.

🏷️ Eloquence and Rhetoric in “Bismillah”

In the phrase بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), two types of eloquence (بلاغة) stand out:

🔹➖🔹

🏷️ 1. Omission (الحذف)

What is omitted here: The verb associated with the preposition “بـ” (in “بسم”).

Reasons for omission:

• Some suggest the omission aims at simplifying speech, similar to common Arabic expressions such as:
  • بالرفاء والبنين (“With prosperity and offspring”)
  • باليمن والبركة (“With blessings and good fortune”)
  • Saying briefly: إلى الطعام (“Come to eat!”) or as Allah says: {فِي تِسْعِ آيَاتٍ} (“in nine signs” meaning: I married; come; go ahead.)

🔸 Critical View by Abul Qasim al-Suhayli (أبو القاسم السهيلي):

• He disagrees, emphasizing:
  • If the purpose were merely simplification, the verb would sometimes appear and sometimes disappear arbitrarily. But the omission here has a deeper purpose:
    • Priority to Allah’s Name: Mentioning the verb necessitates mentioning its subject, which would prevent starting directly with Allah’s name.
    • Matching the Words to the Meaning: As when saying الله أكبر (“Allah is Greatest”) in prayer, the phrase implicitly means “Allah is Greater than everything,” but the omitted comparison aligns the tongue’s utterance perfectly with the heart’s intent, which is pure remembrance of Allah alone.

🔸 Another form of omission: Dropping the letter alif (ا) in the written form of بسم الله and الرحمن due to frequent use.

🔹➖🔹

🏷️ 2. Repetition (التكرار)

Purpose of repetition (e.g., الرحمن الرحيم):

• Magnifying the described (تعظيم الموصوف)
• Emphasis and reinforcement (تأكيد), so the meaning becomes deeply rooted in the heart.

🔹➖🔹

🏷️ Scholarly Discussions & Recitation Variants

• Scholars extensively discuss the ruling of reciting بسم الله in prayer and differ widely, elaborating greatly in their books of tafsīr and fiqh.
• Similarly, discussions around seeking refuge (التعوذ) are common, despite unanimous agreement that it’s not part of the Qur’an.

🎯 Our Approach in This Book:

• We will not delve into purely jurisprudential (فقهية) rulings unless explicitly indicated by the Qur’anic text or clearly derivable from it.

🔸 Reading Variations:

Connection of الرحيم with الحمد:

Some Kufan reciters pause on الرحيم with a silent mīm (م), then begin الحمد with a hamzah (همزة) pronounced separately.

The majority connect الرحيم directly to الحمد, pronouncing the mīm with kasrah (مِ), thus smoothly joining the two words.

• Al-Kisāʾī (الكسائي) mentioned an unusual Arab reading:
  • الرحيم الحمد with fatḥah (مَ) on the mīm, connecting it directly, as if originally silent mīm, and a separately pronounced hamzah whose vowel shifted onto the preceding mīm, removing the hamzah altogether. (Not widely adopted)