The Obligation of Reciting the Basmalah for Soorah Al-Faatihah and Evidence that it one of its Verses:
ِِAboo Sa`eed Al-Muhallaa (radiyallaahu `anhu) said: “While I was praying in the Mosque, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) called me but I did not respond to him. Later I said:
“O Messenger of Allaah! I was praying.” He said:
“Did Allaah not say:
“Answer Allaah (by obeying Him) and His Messenger when he calls you.”?* He then said to me:
“I will teach you a Soorah which is the greatest Soorah in the Qur’aan, before you leave the Mosque.” Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the Mosque), I said to him:
“Did you not say to me, “I will teach you a Soorah which is the greatest Soorah in the Qur’aan?”” He said:
“It is Al-Hamdulillahi Rabb-il-`Aalameen (i.e. Soorah Al-Faatihah) which is “the Seven Oft-recited Verses and the Grand Recitation”** which has been given to me.”
* Soorah Al-Anfaal (8):24.
**C.f. Soorah Al-A`raaf (7):204.
Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (4474, 4647, 4703, 5006) in his Saheeh.
Aboo Hurairah (radiyallaahu `anhu) said: “When you recite Soorah Al-Faatihah, recite ‘Bismillaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem.’ It (Al-Faatihah) is the Mother of the Book, the Mother of the Qur’aan and ‘the Seven Oft-repeated Verses’* and ‘Bismillaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem’ is one of its Verses.”
*C.f. Soorah Al-A`raaf (7):204.
Authenticated by Ibn-us-Sakan (Khulaasat-ul-Badr, 386), Al-Ishbeelee (C.f. Mawsoo`at-ul-Haafiz, 1/449), Ibn-ul-Mulaqqin (Al-Badr, 3/558; Tuhfat-ul-Muhtaaj, 1/292), Ibn Hajar (1/445), Al-Albaanee (As-Saheehah, 1183; Saheeh-ul-Jaami`, 729) and `Awwaad Ar-Ruwaithee (Makhtulifa fee Raf`ihee wa Waqfih, 117).
Ad-Daaraqutnee (C.f. Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/375; Khulaasat-ul-Badr, 386), Al-Ghassaanee (Takhreej-ul-Ahaadeeth-id-Di`aaf, 232), Al-Haithamee (Al-Majma`, 2/112) and Ibn Sayyid-in-Naas (C.f. Nayl-ul-Autaar, 3/85) said: “Its narrators are reliable.”
However, the scholars differed as to whether it is a statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), or that of Aboo Hurairah (radiyallaahu `anhu) or of them both, and the second view is more correct, and Allaah knows best. C.f. `Ilal-ud-Daaraqutnee (8/148-149); Sunan-ul-Baihaqee (2/45); At-Tahqeeq (1/347); Bayaan-ul-Wahm wal-Eehaam (5/140-142); Nasb-ur-Raayah (1/343); Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/374-375, D. Ibn-ul-Jawzee); Makhtulifa fee Raf`ihee wa Waqfih (117).
`Abd Khayr said: “`Alee (radiyallaahu `anhu) was asked about “the Seven Oft-repeated Verses”* so he replied:
“It is Al-Hamdulillaah (i.e. Soorah Al-Faatihah).” It was said to him:
“It is six verses.” He replied:
“Bismillaah-ir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem is one of its verses.”
*C.f. Soorah Al-A`raaf (7):204.
Authenticated by As-Suyootee (Al-Itqaan, ) and Al-Huwainee (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/375).
Al-Ghassaanee (Takhreej-ul-Ahaadeeth-id-Di`aaf, 234) and Ash-Shaukaanee (An-Nayl, 3/86) said: “Its narrators are reliable.”
Ibn Hajar authenticated the first part of it narrated from `Umar and `Alee (radiyallaahu `anhumaa). (Al-Fath, 8/233).
It is also authentically narrated from Ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa) that the Basmalah is a verse of Soorah Al-Faatihah.
Authenticated by Al-Haakim (2/257), and Adh-Dhahabee agreed, Ibn Katheer (Tuhfat-ut-Taalib, 6), Ibn Hajar (1/445, 446) Hikmat Basheer Yaaseen (At-Tafseer-us-Saheeh, 1/72) and Zakariyyaa Al-Baakistaanee (Aathaar-us-Sahaabah, 1/215).
And its authenticity was alluded to by Ibn `Abdil-Barr (Al-Istidhkaar, 1/504).
