Surah Al-Fâtihah 1:1

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1:1 “With the name of Allâh, Most Gracious, and Ever Merciful”. This verse is a revealed part of the chapter and not a later addition (Abû Dâ’ûd; Ibn Kathîr; Imâm Hanbal). No other verse is repeated so often in the Holy Qur’ân. It is repeated at the beginning of all chapters (Sûrah) of the Holy Qur’ân with the exception of Chapter 9 (Al-Taubah سورة التوبة). Besides this, a letter written by Solomon to Queen Sheba also begins with these words (27:30). The Holy Prophet attached great importance to this verse. According to him, any work that begins with these words carries Divine Blessings. His famous letters to the kings and the emperors of his time began with these words. It has become traditional among Muslims to recite this verse before the start of any work and enterprise, big or small, with the purpose of seeking Divine Blessings and Help.

The very first word starts with the Arabic alphabet “ba” بِ. In Arabic, if a words starts with “ba” بِ it means that there exists an expression before this that has not been mentioned, but is a part of the word. “Ba” بِ before a word signifies that this should be made a source or a cause of something that is to be achieved. Here the omitted word before Bi-Ism-Allâhبِسْمِ اللَّهِ (with the name of Allâh) is اقْرَأْ (meaning “Read!” (cf. 96:1 see also Kashshaf of Zamakhsharî). Bi-Ism-Allâhبِسْمِ اللَّهِ is a reply to the very first revealed word of the Holy Book that was at the same time the first Divine Command - “Read with the Name of your Lord!” اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ.

The word ismاسْمِ (- name) embedded in Bi-Isam-Allâhبِسْمِ اللَّهِ is a derivative of wasma and wasmun and means “the mark left by branding”. Ittasamar-rajulu is used when a person chooses a mark of identification by means of which people distinguish him from others. In popular parlance, the isam of a thing stands for its distinguishing mark but, in the view of the learned, it signifies its reality.

This blessed verse names the Supreme Lord, Allâh. Allâh is the proper name of the Being Whose excellences are the culmination of beauty and beneficence (cf. page 8), Who does not suffer from any shortcoming, and Who combines in Himself all perfect Attributes. Allâh is the Being, Imperceptible, above the reach of reason, beyond of beyond, finer than the finest towards Whom all objects of creation turn in worship: “Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares the Glory of Allâh. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise” (57:1). He has named Himself Allâh, which is comprehensive of all His other names and Attributes. He has not accorded that status to any other name when He says, “Do you not know that there is no one who is called with the same name?” (19:65). The meaning of the word Allâh is known only to Him.

Al-Rahmânالرَّحْمَـٰنُ and Al-Rahîm الرَّحِيمِ, translated as Most Gracious and Ever Merciful, are derived from the same root Rahama signifying love, tenderness, grace, mercy, pity, forgiveness, and goodness (Lane). All these qualities are required for exercising beneficence. Both Al-Rahmânالرَّحْمَـٰنُ and Al-Rahîm الرَّحِيمِ are active participial nouns of different measures denoting intensiveness of significance. An Arabic intensive is more suited to express Allâh’s Attributes than the superlative degree (Bahr al-Muhît). It is wrong to think that Rahmân and Rahîm are the repetition of one and the same Attribute, and they are placed in the first verse of the Holy Qur’ân one after another for the sake of emphasis. The fact is that these are two different Attributes of Allâh. Rahmân is in the measure of fa‘lân, which conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness and indicates the greatest preponderance of the quality of mercy, which comprehends the entire universe without regard to the effort and asking. It circumscribes the quality of abounding grace inherent in and inseparable from Him. Rahîm is in the measure of fa‘îl. This measure denotes the idea of constant repetition and giving of liberal reward again and again to those who ask for it and deserve it (Bahr al-Muhît).

The difference between Al-Rahmân and Al-Rahîm is that the Rahmân grants of His own accord out of pure grace and beneficence without reference to any deed or request, while Rahîm is the One Who causes good results to follow on good deeds, He would not nullify anyone’s work and labour (cf. 2:218). Allâh is Rahmân in the sense that He grants a pure nature to human beings, without the taint of sin, in the finest make and the best proportions with enormous capabilities for all-round advancement and for attaining proximity to the Creator (95:4). Allâh is Rahîm in the sense that when one makes use of his faculties Allâh blesses his efforts with good results (Ibn Qayyim in Zâd al-Ma‘âd). To punish every sin is incompatible with these Attributes.

In the words “With the name of Allâh, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful” بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ our Creator has signified His two Attributes that subsist in His Eternal Light.