بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ
bismillāh
Bismillah in Arabic is بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ (bismillāh), which means in the name of God.
Muslims say بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ before starting almost any routine action, such as eating, drinking or beginning a task, to seek God's blessing.
What does it mean word for word?
The first word بِسْمِ is made of the preposition bi, meaning in or with and ism, meaning name. The second word ٱللَّٰهِ is the word for God.
Which one should you use?
The longer form Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim means in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. It is the most common full and formal version.
When do people say it?
You will hear it said quietly before a meal, before a journey or before starting work. The full formula opens almost every chapter of the Quran.
Did you know?
- When someone is praised for their skill or beauty, a listener might say bismillah or a related phrase to ward off the 'evil eye' and protect the person from jealousy.
- The phrase bismillah is so central to daily life that it appears as a common decorative motif in Islamic calligraphy across architecture, textiles and jewelry.
- When a person forgets to say bismillah before eating and remembers halfway through the meal, they often say a specific corrective phrase bismillāhi fī awwalihī wa ākhirihī to bless both the start and end of the meal.
Examples in context
- قُلْ بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ عِنْدَ البَدْءِ.qul bismillāhi 'inda al-bad'.Say Bismillah when starting.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are sitting down to eat lunch.
- أحمد Ahmedأنا جائع جداً.Ana ja-i'un jiddan.I am very hungry.
- نور Nourالطعام جاهز يا أحمد.At-ta'am jahiz ya Ahmad.The food is ready, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedبِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ.Bismillahi.In the name of God.
- نور Nourبالهناء والشفاء.Bil-hana' wa ash-shifa'.Enjoy your meal.
