The Guiding Light — Page 34
S u rah al-Kahf, Chapter 18, Verses 1-11 34 It also refutes the belief expressed by some that Bismill a h is a part only of Al-F a ti h ah and not of all the Qur’ a nic chapters. Such views are further refuted by the H ad i th in which the Holy Prophet sa is reported to have said definitely that the verse Bismill a h is a part of all the Qur’ a nic chapters ( S a hih Bukh a ri & Sunan D a r Qu t n i ). (ii) The Holy Prophet sa attached very great importance to the verse Bismill a h. He is reported to have said that any important work which is done without reciting Bismill a h is apt to prove devoid of God’s blessings. So it is a general practice among Muslims to commence every work with a recital of this prayer. (iii) The place of this verse in the beginning of every chapter has the following significance: 1. The Qur’ a n is a treasure of Divine knowledge to which access cannot be had without the special favour of God. In 56:80 God says regarding the Qur’ a n, None shall touch it except those who are purified , meaning that except the favoured ones who have been purified by the hand of God, none shall grasp the deeper meaning of the Qur’ a n. Thus Bismill a h has been placed at