Beginning with the name of Allah,the Extremely merciful,the Bestower of mercy

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Starting to do something saying the “Basmalaah” means, starting the action mentioning the name of الله , seeking aid through the name of الله and seeking blessings thereby. 

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الله is the Greatest name, the title of the sole Rabb Who Created and Fashioned everything. It's a name exclusive to الله only which means the only One Who is worshiped with love and submission. الله is the name of His which all of His other names follow on from.

“Alif-Lâm-Râ. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is) a Book which We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and polytheism) into light (of belief in the Oneness of Allâh and Islâmic Monotheism) by their Rabb’s Leave to the Path of the All-Mighty, the Owner of all Praise—Allâh to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that  is in the earth!” [Soorah Ibraaheem: 1-2]

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Ar Raḥmān (The Most Merciful) means the Possessor of vast mercy, One Who has as His attribute a very great & extensive Mercy. It is one of the names which are specific to الله Alone and cannot be applied to or shared with other than Him.

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Ar Raḥīm (The Bestower of Mercy) meaning the one who is merciful to others. Ar Raḥmān is the One Who Possesses vast mercy and Ar Raḥīm is, He has mercy upon whomever He Wishes from His servants.

“He punishes whom He wills and shows mercy to whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned.” [Soorah al ‘Ankaboot: 21]

It is a name of الله , the Mighty and Majestic,which may be restrictedly applied to others as well.

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“He began, may Allaah have mercy upon him, this treatise with the Basmalah, following the example of the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, since the first thing which you see in the mus-haf (the printed copy of the Qur’aan), and before every soorah of it is, “Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm”.

So therefore it is used to begin treatises, or letters and books and works following the example of the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. And likewise the Prophetﷺ used to write it at the start of his letters when he wrote to the governors and the chiefs and to those who were in the different regions of the earth,calling them to Islaam, he would begin his letter with, “Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm”. And he ﷺ used to begin his talks and his speech with, “Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm”, which shows that beginning with, “Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm”, is the sunnah of the Messenger sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam, just as Sulaymaan ‘alaihissalaam when he wrote to Bilqees the Queen of Saba’ he began his letter with, “Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm”:

She said: O chiefs, a noble letter has been delivered to me, it is from Sulaymaan,and it reads, “In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”. Do not be haughty, and refuse what I call you to, but rather come to me in submission”. [27:29-31]

So it is befitting to begin with, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, in every important affair and in every work which has importance and value, and in every letter. So therefore those people who do not begin their works and their letters with, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, those people have left the Prophetic sunnah and left following the example of the Book of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and perhaps because of that these books of theirs and these letters of theirs do not contain blessing and do not contain benefit, because they are deprived of, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm. So therefore, they are deprived of benefit.

Why did they abandon, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm? They abandoned it because it is a sunnah, and they flee away from the sunnah, or they blindly follow those people who flee away from the sunnah. So it is befitting that attention is given to the like of this.

So the meaning of, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, is seeking aid through the Name of Allaah.

So his saying, “Bismi Allāh (With the Name of Allaah)”, this is a preposition, and a word which is governed by the preposition, connected to something which is left unmentioned, whose meaning is taken to be, “I seek aid through the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful,the Bestower of Mercy”, or, “I begin with the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”, seeking blessings by means of it and seeking the aid of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.So therefore it is a tremendous preface for speech and for books and for letters, so a person seeks the aid of Allaah in its beginning and seeks blessing by means of His Name,He the Perfect and Most High.”

[Shaykh Saleh Al Fawzaan, explanation of Three Fundamental Principals of Islaam|Translated by Dawud Burbank|Maktabah as-Sunnah Publication & Distribution]

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