The term basmalah is an acronymic abbreviation taken from the fi rst two words of the formula bi- smi llahi l- rahmani l- rahim: In the name of God, the Merciful (and) the Compassionate. This invocation precedes each surah in the Qur’an except surah 9 (and it also appears at 27:30). It has become the most widely used Islamic expression of piety. The basmalah is a ubiquitous feature of Islamic calligraphy and ornament. It is also used as a magical tool and symbol. Starting an act in the name of God appeals powerfully to God’s protection, grace,and mercy. To invoke God’s name in the right sort of way suggests that the result could be divine intervention. The two divine attributes, rahman and rahim, which appear in the basmalah are derived from the same root, associated with rahmah or mercy. Qur’anic commentators often note that though the terms are related, these divine names or attributes carry subtle differences of meaning: while rahman is an exclusively divine epithet, rahim can be attributed to God and his creatures. Why the basmalah is missing in surah 9 is unclear, and is itself the source of much commentary. Some have argued that the subject matter of surah 9, which describes God’s wrath and the punishment of idolators, made an allusion to God’s mercy inappropriate, yet there are other surahs which combine reports of punishment and mercy. Since the basmalah is the traditional introduction to each separate surah, other commentators regard surah 8 and surah 9 as originally constituting one surah precisely since the basmalah between them is missing (Source: Islam, Key Concepts, by Leamann).
Who Is Allah the Lord of Islamic Religion and All Worlds?
