Begin With Bismillah

At the outset of our actions, we begin in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful, like a life-bearing seed planted in the most fertile of soils from which towering, strong trees with sinuous branches and shade providing, verdant leaves emerge and sprawling forests grow, providing shelter from the scalding heat of the sun, fruits of all variety and tastes to eat, healthy habitats for living, and oxygen that sustains the delicate balance of life, in addition to innumerable other benefits. “In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful” is an antidote to the disease of wandering intentions by which so many actions go astray. It is like an amulet, an effulgent, shining shield against the evil of the whispering one, revealed to believers 114 times in The Holy Quran as an invocation of our Most Loving and Kind Creator’s unbounded Grace and Mercy.

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful” is like an invitation from The Divine to the spiritual feast of blessings which our lives have the potential to be if we but accept it. “In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful” is like a key to an immense treasure of divine mercy, delights, and grace – if only we had the good fortune of knowing how to use the key… knowing to insert it into the door of our intentions and unlocking the blessings of our Lord, Allah, whose mercy knows no comparison and whose grace knows no bounds.

Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." (Al-Quran: 17:110). Allah reveals to us in the above verse that he wants us to call upon Him by His beautiful names. What great fortune for those who are seeking their Lord! Oh soul, when one calls their beloved, do they not use the sweetest terms of affection? It would be unnatural to do otherwise. Who is more Beloved and deserving of our sweet and repeated invocations than the Beloved Friend of all creation, The Loving and The Beloved of all who seek Truth and Goodness, The Most Generous in His kindness and The Most Indulgent in his favors and forgiveness, which are insurmountable and beyond quantification? It is to Allah, and Allah alone, that all praise and worship belong.

It is well known that many successful athletes and business people utilize visualization techniques prior to important events. For example, Muhammad Ali used to visualize himself as a champion long before actual fights, and Michael Jordan used to visualize himself taking the game winning shot prior to games.¹ For Muslims, reciting “In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful” can be a sort of spiritual visualization technique, by which one can invoke the blessings of Allah upon their actions and purify their intentions. “In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful” provides gravity and positive energy to our actions. The invoker internally validates their intention, and minimizes any frivolity or negativity that may be lingering in their thoughts prior to engaging in the action.

Beginning our actions in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful, is an indicator of spiritual enlightenment and success. "In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful" opens doors that would otherwise be shut. As the angel Jibreel first revealed The Holy Quran to the beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him and his family), the holy Prophet responded that he was not able to read, according to hadith, until the verse "Read in the name of Your Lord who created." (Al-Quran, 96:1). This illuminates the immense power of beginning actions in the name of Allah (Great and Glorious is He!). Moreover, when the Prophet Sulaiman (May Allah Bless Him), a noble and wise prophet, sent a letter to the Queen of Sheba, he began it with 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.' (Al-Quran, 27:30).

The benefits of beginning virtuous actions with the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful, are too abundant to fully enumerate here, and there is a vast literature on this topic by many venerated and noteworthy scholars of the Islamic tradition, may Allah be pleased with them. This is merely a reminder, to the writer and his friend reading this essay, to take pause and reflect on the magnificent phrase "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful" at the inception of all we do.

1. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242373; retrieved April 21, 2016.