Bismillah and It's Blessings.

Bismillah is a special verse of the Quran that appears at the beginning of every surah (chapter) of the Quran (except for one)

The meaning of this verse is "In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful."

When Bismillah was revealed, the clouds gave way, the winds ceased blowing, and the sea became calm. All creatures listened intently and the Shaytaan (devil) was pelted with fire from the heavens. Then Almighty Allah, swearing by His Oath and Honor declared "Anyone who says this name of mine (ie Bismillah) upon anything, I will surely impart Barakah in that thing."

The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) encouraged Muslims to read Bismillah before doing any work for this very reason. Abdullah bin Abbaas (RA) is reported to have said that as soon as a tutor asks the child to recite Bismillah, the teacher, the child and the child's parents are all forgiven.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Masood has narrated that there are 19 letters in Bismillah and there are also 19 angels of Jahannum (Hell). Anyone who says Bismillah will be sageguarded from these angels.

Reciting Bismillah also has many other blessings. It is a means of safeguarding a person against sickness, a means of granting riches, a freedom from the Fire of Hell and a means of safeguard against being swallowed by the earth. It also protects a person from having his face distorted and from having stones being rained down from the heavens as a from of the Azaab (punishment) of Allah.

Reading Bismillah before eating imparts blessings on the food, so that a person becomes contented with less food and doesn't overeat.When a person reads Bismillah when entering his home and when eating his meals, Shaytaan (the devil) says to his companions "There is no food or sleeping place for us here."

The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) has said that any prayer which begins with Bismillah is not rejected. Sayyidina Ali (RA) is reported to have said that Bismillah is an effective dua (prayer) for simplifying a difficult task and it removes all grief and brings happiness into the heart."

The books of history are replete with many fascinating stories about the blessing of Bismillah and I will share them with you in upcoming articles. In the meantime, why not make it a point to recite Bismillah before you do anything this week. Almighty Allah is sure to bless you work and make it easy for you.