Who Was the First to Write Bismillah?
من أول من كتب "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم"؟
Prophet Sulaiman PBUH in a letter he sent to the Queen of Sheba.
(She said, "O eminent ones, indeed, to me has been delivered a noble letter. Verily! It is from Sulaiman (Solomon), and verily! It (reads): In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful;") [An-Naml 27:29-30]
النبي سليمان عليه السلام في كتاب أرسله لملكة سبأ.
(قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ) [النمل 27: 29-30]
1. No One Wrote It Before Sulaiman | لم يكتبها أحد قبل سليمان
The Queen of Sheba told her chiefs that a noble letter had been delivered to her: it is from Sulaiman, and it is: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; do not exalt yourselves against me, but come to me in submission (27:30-31). Sulaiman sent the letter with the hoopoe, a bird named only once in the Quran, as explained in how many times the hoopoe is mentioned in the Quran. Ibn Kathir says this letter is of the utmost eloquence and brevity, conveying the meaning in the easiest and best words, and reports: the scholars said, no one wrote Bismillah before Sulaiman, peace be upon him. The story of the letter is told in Sulaiman’s letter to the Queen of Sheba.
إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ (سورة النمل: 30)
قال تعالى: (إنه من سليمان وإنه بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ألا تعلوا علي وأتوني مسلمين) (النمل 27: 30-31)، قال ابن كثير: وهذا الكتاب في غاية البلاغة والوجازة والفصاحة، فإنه حصل المعنى بأيسر عبارة وأحسنها، قال العلماء: ولم يكتب أحد (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) قبل سليمان عليه السلام.
2. The Prophet’s Letters Opened With It | البسملة في كتب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
The letter of the Prophet to Heraclius opened: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows the guidance (Sahih al-Bukhari 7).
كان في كتاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى هرقل: "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، من محمد عبد الله ورسوله إلى هرقل عظيم الروم، سلام على من اتبع الهدى" (صحيح البخاري 7).
3. The Surah With Two Basmalas | سورة فيها بسملتان
Because of this letter, the Basmala comes twice in Surah An-Naml: at its opening and inside verse 30, as explained in the surah that has the Basmala twice. Only one surah, At-Tawbah, does not open with it, explained in which surah does not start with the Basmala.
ولهذا وردت البسملة في سورة النمل مرتين: في أولها، وفي الآية الثلاثين منها، وسورة التوبة هي السورة الوحيدة التي لا تبدأ بالبسملة.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who was the first to write Bismillah?
Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon), peace be upon him, in his letter to the Queen of Sheba; Ibn Kathir reports that the scholars said no one wrote it before him.
Where is the letter mentioned in the Quran?
In Surah An-Naml 27:29-31.
What did the letter say?
It is from Sulaiman, and it is: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; do not exalt yourselves against me, but come to me in submission (27:30-31).
Did the Prophet Muhammad open his letters with Bismillah?
Yes. His letter to Heraclius opened with it (Sahih al-Bukhari 7).