Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
Bismillah meaning
Also written Bismillah, Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, Bismilah, Bismillahi
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
bismillāh
“In the name of Allah”
The sound button uses your device’s built-in Arabic voice. It is a computer voice, so use it as a rough guide and learn the exact sounds from a teacher or a reciter.
Bismillah (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ) means “in the name of Allah”. The full form, bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm, means “in the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”. Muslims say it before eating, drinking, reading the Qur’an and starting anything good.
What Bismillah means
The phrase starts with an unstated verb: “I begin (or I eat, or I read) in the name of Allah”. It asks for Allah’s help and blessing in what you are about to do, and reminds you to do only what is fit to begin with His name.
The full sentence is called the basmala. It begins every surah of the Qur’an except at-Tawbah, and it is the first ayah of al-Fatiha in the counting of many scholars.
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بِ | bi | with / in |
| اسْمِ | smi | the name of |
| اللَّهِ | Allāh | Allah |
| الرَّحْمَٰنِ | ar-Raḥmān | the Most Compassionate |
| الرَّحِيمِ | ar-Raḥīm | the Most Merciful |
When to say it
- Before eating and drinking.
- Before reading the Qur’an (with the full basmala at the start of a surah).
- Before wudu, entering or leaving home, getting into a vehicle, and going to bed.
- When slaughtering an animal (with Allahu akbar).
- At the start of any letter, talk or task.
How to reply
There is no reply. If you see someone start eating without it, you can gently remind them, as the Prophet ﷺ reminded a boy at his table.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
bismillāhir-raḥmānir-raḥīm
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Qur’an 1:1
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
bismillāhi awwalahu wa ākhirah
In the name of Allah at its beginning and its end. (If you forgot at the start of a meal.)
Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيْمَٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it reads: 'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
۞ وَقَالَ ٱرْكَبُوا۟ فِيهَا بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ مَجْر۪ىٰهَا وَمُرْسَىٰهَآ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
And [Noah] said, "Embark therein; in the name of Allah is its course and its anchorage. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."
In the hadith
“Young man, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5376; Sahih Muslim 2022
If you forget to say it at the start of a meal, say bismillāhi awwalahu wa ākhirah.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
Leaving home: bismillāh, tawakkaltu ‘alallāh, lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.
Sunan Abi Dawud 5095
Common mistakes
- Writing 786 instead. 786 is the letter-number sum of the basmala. It is a custom, not a replacement: the sunnah is to say and write the words.
- Saying it before something sinful. Allah’s name is for good and permitted acts.
- Merging the words in writing. In Arabic it is بسم الله (two words); “bismillah” in English is just a transliteration.
Use it today
Frequently asked questions
What does bismillah mean?
Bismillah means “in the name of Allah”. The full form, bismillahir rahmanir raheem, adds “the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”.
What do you say if you forget bismillah before eating?
Say bismillāhi awwalahu wa ākhirah, “in the name of Allah at its beginning and its end” (Abu Dawud 3767).
Is bismillah part of al-Fatiha?
The Shafi’i school counts it as the first ayah of al-Fatiha. The Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali schools treat it as a separate ayah placed before the surah.
What does 786 mean?
It is the total of the basmala’s letters in the abjad number system. Scholars say it does not replace writing or saying the words.
Which surah does not start with bismillah?
Surah at-Tawbah (9). Surah an-Naml has the basmala twice: at its start and inside ayah 30.
Related phrases
How this page works and sources
Qur’an text and its English meaning are taken from the same Uthmani text and translation the Niyat app uses, and each ayah links to its place in our Qur’an reader. Hadith are cited by collection and number (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah); where a narration has a weak chain we say so. Hadith wording is summarised in plain English. Where the schools of law differ, the page says so in one line. The sound button uses your browser’s own Arabic voice; nothing is sent anywhere.
Keep this dhikr with you
Niyat has duas and adhkar with Arabic, transliteration and audio, plus prayer times with adhan alerts, qibla and the Qur’an word by word. Rated 4.9 stars.
Download Niyat for iPhone Get it on Google Play