Saying: “Bismillah” and Its Effect on Wudhoo

[Shehzad Sattar]

Saying: “Bismillah” and Its Effect on Wudhoo

All praise is due to Allah, and may exaltation and safety be granted to Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who aid them.

To proceed:

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, may Allah protect him, wrote:

… Is saying: “Bismillah” at the beginning wudhoo recommended or obligatory? The majority of scholars are under the opinion that it is recommended. However, Imam Ahmad [d. 241 A.H.], may Allah have mercy on him, holds the view that it is obligatory when performing wudhoo.

This is due to the statement of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention and grant him safety, “There is no wudhoo for whoever does not mention the name of Allah in its beginning (1).”

So, Imam Ahmad, held the negation in the Messenger’s statement: “no wudhoo” to be a negation of validity or correctness. In other words: There is no valid wudhoo for whoever does not mention the name of Allah in its beginning. So, this negation is a negation of validity or correctness.

On the other hand, the majority of scholars hold the negation in the Messenger’s statement “no wudhoo” to mean: There is no perfected (2) wudhoo for whoever does not mention the name of Allah in its beginning. So, the negation according to their view is a negation of perfection. They also highlight the fact that the hadeeth being utilized has defects. (3)

[Based on the opinion that is obligatory] (4) to say: “Bismillah” before wudhoo, if one forgets, his wudhoo is correct, and if he remembers during the course of his wudhoo, he should mention it and finish his wudhoo, and if he doesn’t remember until after finishing, then its place of mention has passed, and his wudhoo is correct (5). (6)

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(1) Authenticated by al-Albaanee in Sunan at-Tirmithee, #25

(2) [TN]: However, the wudhoo is correct; yet, it is not as complete as it could be.

(3) [TN]: In order to prove that saying: “Bismillah” takes the ruling of a recommendation, they also utilize the Hadeeth of Rifaa’ah Ibn Raaf’i concerning the story of the man who prayed badly. In this Hadeeth, the Messenger commanded this man to: “Make wudhoo the way Allah commanded you to.” Authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Sunan Abee Dawood, #861.

The angle of proof from this Hadeeth is that the Messenger directed him to the verse in the Qur’aan (al-Maa’idah (5):6) which mentions how to make wudhoo, and in it, there is no mention of saying: “Bismillah.”

(4) [TN]: According to the opinion that it is recommended, a person’s wudhoo is fine without saying: “Bismillah,” whether he forgets it or not.

(5) [TN]: Shaykh Bin Baaz [d. 1420 A.H], may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The proof for this is the statement of Allah, The Most High: “Our Lord, do not impose blame on us if we have forgotten or erred. [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 286].

And it is authentically reported on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention and grant him safety, that Allah, The Most High, has answered this supplication.” – al-Fataawaa, 10/100 [End of the Shaykh’s words]

Importantly, not everything that is forgotten during worship is pardoned. One should examine each specific issue to ascertain its ruling.

(6) Saalih al-Fawzaan, An Explanation of Zaad al-Mustaqn’i, 1/119