The key to the treasure of eternity: Bismillâh-ir-Rahmân-ir-Rahîm.
The A’ûdhu (A’ûdhu billâhi min-ash-shaytân-ir-rajîm)
The Basmala (Bismillâh-ir-Rahmân-ir-Rahîm).
’Abdullah ibni ’Abbâs ‘radiy-Allahu ’anh’ says: Rasûlullah (Muhammad ‘sallAllâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’) declared: “Respecting the Qur’ân is beginning to read it by saying the A’ûdhu, and the key to the Qur’ân is the Basmala.”
Those who want to be close to Allâhu ta’âlâ must hold tightly to the A’ûdhu, and those who fear Him must trust themselves to the A’ûdhu. Those with many sins have trusted themselves to the A’ûdhu, and fugitives have looked for relief in the A’ûdhu. Allâhu ta’âlâ commands His Prophet in the 97th âyat of Sûra-t-an-Nahl, “Say the A’ûdhu when you are to read the Qur’ân.” It means, “Pray for yourself by saying ‘I trust myself to Allâhu ta’âlâ, take refuge in Him, wail and cry out to Him against the devil, who is far from Allah’s mercy and who, incurring His wrath, was cursed in this world and in the next.’ ”
Our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ declared: “When the teacher says Basmala to the child and the child repeats it, Allâhu ta’âlâ has a voucher written down lest the child and his parents and his teacher go to Hell.” ’Abdullah ibni Mas’ûd ‘radiyAllâhu ’anh’ says, “He who wants to escape from the 19 angels who will torment him in the next world, should say the Basmala.” The Basmala consists of 19 letters. It is the Basmala that was written first in the Lawh-i mahfûz[1]. It is the Basmala that descended to Hadrat Âdam first. Muslims will pass the Sirât[2] with the help of the Basmala.
The Basmala is the signature on the invitation to Paradise. Here is the meaning of the Basmala: “I am able to write these sentences with the aid of Allâhu ta’âlâ who has been kind to all beings by creating them, by keeping them in existence and by protecting them against annihilation. The ’ârifs[3] knew Him as the ilâh. Beings found food through His mercy. Sinners are saved from Hell through His pitying.” Allâhu ta’âlâ has begun the Qur’ân al-kerîm with these three Names of His because man has three states: his states in the world, in the grave, and in the Hereafter. If man worships Allâhu ta’âlâ, He facilitates his works in the world, pities him in the grave, and forgives his sins in the Hereafter.
[1] In eternity, Allâhu ta’âlâ knew everything that would happen in the world. He explains His knowledge of eternity and His eternal word to angels at a place called Lawh-i mahfûz. Angels do what they learn from the Lawh-i mahfûz.
[2] An explanation of the bridge of Sirât is presented in other articles in our website.
[3] Great scholars who comprehended through their hearts the knowledge about Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Attributes. For one to be an ’ârif, it is necessary to make progress and be promoted in a path of Tasawwuf. Tasawwuf is explained in other articles in our website.
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Source: Endless Bliss (Se’âdet-i Ebediyye) by Hüseyn Hilmi Işık, Nineteenth Edition, Hakikat Kitabevi, 20014
