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The Importance of Reciting Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

16 April 2010 Burton, Michigan

Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque

Yaa ayyuhal-muminoon al-hadiroon, ittaquallah wa ati`ooh.

O Muslims, O mu'mins! This dunya is daaru 'l-fanaa (temporary home) and akhirah is daaru 'l-baqaa (permanent home). This dunya is the life that will disappear and extinguish one day, and akhirah will be everlasting. That is why it is more important to look after our Akhirah over our dunya. Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said:

لو وزنت الدنيا عند الله جناح بعوضة لما سقي الكافر منها شربة ماء

law zinat ad-dunya `indallahi janaaha ba`ooda lamaa saqaa kaafir minha shurbatu maai.

If this dunya weighed the wing of a mosquito, Allah (swt) would not have given a cup of water to anyone to drink.

That means this dunya has no value; He would prevent water from reaching all Creation as it has no value, but if it has value He will not prevent it.

So Allah (swt) will not give you something of value, like Heaven, Paradise, if it has no value. But dunya has no value, so He gives you what you want, He lets you run loose, and at the end He pulls you back. What will you say? Can you say anything when he pulls you back? When Allah (swt) sends the Angel of Death to pull out your soul, can you say no? You leave dunya and go! And your parents, family, children are crying for you; you leave them crying and go. Yes, out of love they cry, but he left dunya to go to a better place.

When the Prophet (s), and this is an example of Sayyida Fatimah as-Zahra (r), when she saw Prophet was sick she was taking care of him, and putting cold water pads on his forehead to cool him down from his high fever. And she was crying because he is the Seal of Messengers (s). She has the right to cry. She was crying and then Prophet (s) told her, “Come, give me your ear, I want to whisper something to you.” He said something and she was laughing

Sayyida A`yesha (e) said, “What did he say to you to make you laugh and smile after you were crying?”

Fatimah as-Zahra (r) said, "I will not tell you, this is between me and my father."

When Prophet (s) left dunya, Sayyida A`yesha kept asking, “What did your father tell you in your ear?”

She said, “Now I can tell you. He said, ‘When I pass away, you will follow me in six months.’ So I was happy that I am going to be with him and leave this dunya of no value.”

O Listeners! We are getting this knowledge from women, from the wives of the Prophet (s)! If not for his wives (r), we would not get all this information of how to behave with the women and family. They were teaching the Sahaaba (r). Allah (swt) did not leave us without support.

كل أمر ذي بال لا يبدأ بالحمد لله فهو أقطع

kullu amrin dhi baal la tabda bi Bismillahilla aqta`.

Anything you do that does not begin with Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem will be cut one day.

It is not going to be everlasting. Any matter you need to be Eternal must be supported with that. The first revelation was:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

Iqra bismi rabbik alladhee khalaq.

Read! In the name of your Lord, Who created! (96:1)

Don't say, “I am not doing well in business,” and in this and that. Rather, begin everything with Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. When you open your store in the morning, say Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. You open your door in the morning to go out, say Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem as there are too many shaytans around.

عن جابر بن عبد الله قال: لما نزل ( بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ) هرب الغيم إلى المشرق وسكنت الرياح ،وهاج البحر وأصغت البهائم بآذانها، ورجمت الشياطين من السماء، وحلف الله تعالى بعزته وجلاله أن لا يسمى اسمه على شيء إلا بارك فيه

Idhaa nazal Bismillahi 'r-rahmaani 'r-raheem harab al-ghaym ila ’l-mashriq wa sakanat ar-reeyaahu wa haaja ’l-bahru wa asghat al-bahaa’im bi-adhaanihaa, wa rujamiti ’sh-shayaateen, min as-samaa’i wa halafa ’Llahu ta`ala bi-`izzatihi wa jalaalihi an laa yusama ismuhu `ala shayin illa baaraka feeh.

The hadith states: When ‘Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem’ came down, clouds were running to the east and the wind became still, and the ocean waves began to rise up, and the animals were listening to that verse, and the devils were stoned. And Allah (swt) gave an oath that anyone who recites ‘Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem’, the barakah will continue on that. So recite ‘Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem’ on anything.

And Prophet (s) said, “Anyone who likes to be safe from the angels of punishment, let him keep reciting Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem.”

وعن النبيّ الأكرم محمد (صلى الله عليه وسلّم)، قال: من قرأ {بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ}كتب اللّه له بكلّ حرف أربعة آلاف حسنة، ومحى عنه أربعة آلاف سيئة، ورفع له أربعة آلاف درجة.

Allah (swt) will give you a paradise from every letter you are reciting of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem; it is comprised of nineteen letters, and on every letter you are given a paradise! man qara bismillah. kataballah `ala kull harfin 4000 hasanat. Who recites Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem, Allah (swt) writes on every letter 4000 good tiding and erases for him 4000 sins, sayyi`aat. wa rafa`ahu 4000 daarajah, and he will raise him 4000 levels in Paradise.

O Muslims! Don't leave reciting Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem! It is the way for you to the heavens. Allah revealed Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem to Sayyidina Sulayman (a) and when he wrote the letter to Queen Bilqees to surrender and become Muslim, it is with the Name of Allah (s). Don't think you are high; with Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem a tryant will be down.

O Allah, rabbal-`izzati wal-`azhama. Don't let us to be tyrants! Take Shaytan from us by the barakah of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem! Let us to keep remembering bismillah!

And Ibn Abbas (r) narrated a hadith of Prophet (s):

إذا قال للصبي قل بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فقال الصبي بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم كتب الله براءة للصبي وبراءة لوالديه وبراءة للمعلم من النار

Idhaa qaala lis-sabee qul Bismillahi ’r-rahmaani ’r-raheem kataballahu bara'atun lis-sabee wa bara'atun li-waalidayhi wa bara'atun li'l-mu`allim min an-naar.

When the teacher teaches the child to say Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem You must teach your children and remind them to say Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem upon everything they do. When they put on clothes, say, Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. When they take a shower, say, a`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani ‘r-rajeem, Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. When they eat, say, Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. Allah (swt) will write for the teacher and the parents and the child, bara’tun min an-naar, safety from the Fire, and that person and parents and teacher will go directly to Paradise when they die.

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