Why is Bismillah not recited before Surah Taubah?

By Ustadha Fahmina

Do you know which Surah in Quran does not start with Bismillah?

Surah Taubah  is the only Surah in the Qur’an that does not have Bismillah written at the beginning.

Why is Bismillah not recited before Surah Taubah? Reason of  Bismillah not written at the beginning of Surah Taubah,

This is the only Surah of the Quran to which is not prefixed. Though the commentators have given different reasons for this, the correct one that which has been given by Imam Razi: namely,this is because the Holy Prophet himself did not dictate it at the beginning of the Surah.

Therefore the Companions did not prefix it and their successors followed them., This is a further proof of the fact that utmost care has been taken to keep the Quran intact so that it should remain in its complete and original form.

When a person is reciting Surah Anfal and then commences with Surah Bara’ah, he will not recite Bismillah because it cannot be conclusively determined whether the two are separate Surahs or not. It is best for the person who commences his recitation of the Qur’an from Surah Taubah that he also does not recite Bismillah. He will, of course, recite the Tawwudh (A’udhu Billahi Minash Shaytan nir Rajim).

This is the opinion of Allama Jazari and Allama Shatbi .When beginning recitation of the Qur’an from anywhere in Surah Taubah (except from the beginning), then the reciter has the option to either recite Bismillah or omit to do so.

See Quran Notes

Why is Bismillah not recited before Surah Taubah, Reference from Hadith :

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، وَسَهْلُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَوْفُ بْنُ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ الْفَارِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ، إِلَى الأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةَ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهُمَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ

فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ وَهُوَ تَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ السُّوَرُ ذَوَاتُ الْعَدَدِ فَكَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّىْءُ دَعَا بَعْضَ مَنْ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَؤُلاَءِ الآيَاتِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَإِذَا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكَانَتِ الأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا أُنْزِلَتْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَتْ بَرَاءَةُ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهَةً بِقِصَّتِهَا فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ فَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ ‏.‏

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ يَزِيدَ الْفَارِسِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ‏.‏ وَيَزِيدُ الْفَارِسِيُّ قَدْ رَوَى عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ غَيْرَ حَدِيثٍ وَيُقَالُ هُوَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هُرْمُزَ وَيَزِيدُ الرَّقَاشِيُّ هُوَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ أَبَانَ الرَّقَاشِيُّ وَلَمْ يُدْرِكِ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّمَا رَوَى عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَكِلاَهُمَا مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَيَزِيدُ الْفَارِسِيُّ أَقْدَمُ مِنْ يَزِيدَ الرَّقَاشِيِّ ‏.‏

Sayyidina Abdullah bin Abbas RA once asked Sayyidina Uthman RA, “Why is it that you have arranged Surah Anfal, which is from the Mathani (those Surahs that have less than a hundred verses) before Surah Bara’ah, whereas Surah Bara’ah has more than a hundred verses?

You have also joined the two and have not written Bismillah between them. By joining the two, you have included them among the seven long Surahs. What is the reason for this?”

Sayyidina Uthman RA replied, “It was the practice of the Holy Prophet SAW  that whenever any verses were revealed, he would instruct the scribes to include them in a certain Surah containing similar subject matter. Surah Anfal was revealed early in Madinah, while Surah Bara’ah was revealed towards the end.

The Holy Prophet SAW passed away without informing us whether Surah Bara’ah was part of Surah Anfal or not. I have joined the two because their subject matter was alike and I did not write Bismillah between them (because it cannot be determined with conviction whether they are one or two Surahs).

I have also included them among the seven long Surahs (because if they are one Surah, they belong with these six Surahs). 

Sequence of Surah in Quran

The sequence of the Quran is that after Surah Fatiha appears the long Surahs viz. Surahs Baqarah, Al Imran, Nisa, Ma’idah, An’am, A’raf, Anfal and Bara’ah. These are called the “Sab’u Tiwal.” Thereafter follow those Surahs that are called the ‘Mi’ain.”

These are those Surahs that consist of a little more than a hundred verses. Then, from Surah Yunus onwards up to Surah Hujurat, appear those Surahs called the “Mathani.” Thereafter, until the end of the Qur’an come those Surahs termed the “Mufassal.”

The Mufassal Surahs are further classified into three categories. The Surahs from Surah Hujurat (49) until Surah Buruj (85) are called the “Tiwal Mufassal.” Those from Surah Tariq (86) until Surah Bayyinah (98) are called the “Awsat Mufassal,” and from Surah Zilzal (99) up to Surah Nas (114) at the end are called the “Qisar Mufassal.”

Why is Bismillah not recited before Surah Taubah?

Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3086, Tafsir Al Quran-Illuminating Discourses

Written by

Ustadha Fahmina

Founder

Ustadha Fahmina holds a Sanad in Alimiyyah (6-year Dars-e-Nizami) from two recognized Islamic institutes and a Master's degree in Arabic from Indira Gandhi National University. She teaches Qur'an, Tafsir, Hadith, and Fiqh following the Hanafi school within Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah. She founded Islam Hashtag in 2015 to bring authentic Islamic learning to Muslim families online. She also holds a degree in Optometry and is the founder of Optometryskills.com.

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