InsyaAllah, and as I have mentioned before, I hope to make this blog one that carries a positive message. I've decided to start writing some posts about Islam. At first, i was (and still am) a bit apprehensive and unsure whether to include Islamic issues here. But now I've decided to give it a go and hope that it will act as a reminder to myself first, my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters and for my non-Muslim friends, i hope that it will help you to understand a lil' bit about Islam even though we may have a different faiths and beliefs =) *does peace sign with fingers* haha. I hope you do give it a read so that we can understand each other more and only through understanding will respect, cooperation, harmony and peaceful co-existence follow suit. Any questions or comments are welcomed but please do keep it polite. Well, here it goes...
The Basmalah
This is the Basmalah, read as 'Bismillah-hirRahman-nirRahim'. Muslims usually recite the Basmalah before reciting the al-Quran, before performing the ablution (air sembahyang), heading of a prayer or surah, before eating or before doing anything significant. For most of my convent friends, even though you're non-muslim, I'm sure your well accustomed to this term and some of you ada yang dah hafal the bismillah and the al-fatihah too. Habis dah berapa tahun dengar budak-budak Islam recite this during monday assemblies kan, termasuk pulak dalam kepala, haha.
But why do Muslims say Bismillah and what does it mean?
The Basmalah is commonly translated as:
"In the name of God (Allah), most Gracious, most Passionate."
"Dengan nama Allah, yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang."
Let's brake this down a bit. Bismillah refers to 'In the name of Allah'. The phrase 'In the name of' is actually an idiom because it doesn't make much sense on a literal word-by-word basis. The phrase 'In the name of' is an idiom having the connotation of with the blessings of, under the guidance of, as an instrument of, with the support of, or for the glory of. In each of these cases, the idiom 'In the name of' means submitting to, honoring or glorifying that which is referred to.
In this case, we are referring to Allah, which is the Arabic name of the One. The Semitic roots of the word Allah extend back several thousand years to the Canaanite Elat, Hebrew El and Elohim, and Aramaic Alaha. These roots point toward unity, oneness, the eternal power which includes all of existence and of non-existence. In modern English this would generally be translated as God (which is old English, likely based on the Sanskrit word hu, meaning that which is worshipped, honored or adored).
Bismillah then can also be translated as:
- By means of the very essence of God
- For the glory of our Creator
- With the light of the One
- With the guidance of The Divine
- As an instrument of the One
- In harmony with Divine Presence
The two terms Rahman and Rahim refer to attributes of the One. While they are often translated simply as Merciful/Gracious and Compassionate, the roots of the words point to a deeper meaning. Rahman points toward the Beneficent One whose endless outpouring of love and mercy are continually showered upon all of creation, while Rahim points toward the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested in that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.
So, the phrase ir rahman ir rahim is a recognition and honoring of the very source of all existence, the source of all blessings, the source of all compassion, the source of all mercy who gives endlessly to us and who also responds according to our moral integrity, our harmony with all of creation and our love of Allah.
The central idea of the basmalah is that whatever we do, every step that we take, every breath that we breathe, is done for, because of, and through the essence of, the One who has created us. It is not us that does the work, it is not us that makes opportunities appear, it is not us that produces fruits from every action. We alone are powerless. The Creator has given us life and has given us the ability to move and think and feel, yet we are totally dependent upon the Creator for the very essence of life itself.
The two terms Rahman and Rahim refer to attributes of the One. While they are often translated simply as Merciful/Gracious and Compassionate, the roots of the words point to a deeper meaning. Rahman points toward the Beneficent One whose endless outpouring of love and mercy are continually showered upon all of creation, while Rahim points toward the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested in that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.
So, the phrase ir rahman ir rahim is a recognition and honoring of the very source of all existence, the source of all blessings, the source of all compassion, the source of all mercy who gives endlessly to us and who also responds according to our moral integrity, our harmony with all of creation and our love of Allah.
The central idea of the basmalah is that whatever we do, every step that we take, every breath that we breathe, is done for, because of, and through the essence of, the One who has created us. It is not us that does the work, it is not us that makes opportunities appear, it is not us that produces fruits from every action. We alone are powerless. The Creator has given us life and has given us the ability to move and think and feel, yet we are totally dependent upon the Creator for the very essence of life itself.
Antara sabda Rasulullah s.a.w:
"Setiap urusan atau pekerjaan yang tidak dimulakan dengan bismillah, maka ia terputus dari berkat Allah."
Start with Bismillah.
Assalamualaikum...
Reference: http://wahiduddin.net/words/bismillah.htm, 'Fadhilat ayat dan surah al-Quran' by Ustaz HJ. MD. Yusof HJ. Mohd. Sidek
Hey,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for explaining! I do remember it from the doa sessions. But I didn't know what it meant, or that it meant something so deep and beautiful.
Hope you continue this series! :)
Pui Yee