A Study of Non-Mention of “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni 'r-Raḥīm” at the Beginning of the
Qurʾānic Chapter of al-Barāʾah with an Emphasis on the Chapter's Content
The only Qurʾānic chapter that does not begin with the verse “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm” (“In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful”) is al-Barāʾah. Different reasons have been cited for this non-mention. The present study addresses the non-mention of the Basmalah at the beginning of the al-Barāʾah chapter. To this end, different viewpoints were examined. Moreover, the relevant circumstances surrounding the revelation of the chapter were taken into account. The Tabūk battle was the major event in the year 9 AH. The different behavior shown by the Prophet's companions at the time of this battle was an indication of the existence two groups: the faithful and the hypocrites. The year 9 AH was a turning point in the history of the Arabian Peninsula. Most people's inclination toward Islam was for political, security, and economic reasons. Their approach to Islam was based on their interests. The predominant feature was unbelief under the guise of faith, i.e., hypocrisy. This is also evidenced in the chapter's content. The Basmalah mentioned by God Almighty at the beginning of every Qurʾānic chapter is a way of inviting people to benefit from God's general and specific mercy. However, the barrier of unbelief created by hypocrites prevents God's mercy from reaching them. In fact, the consequence of their behavior was that their ties with God and with the Islamic ʾummah were severed. In a sense, this was their inward wish and God deprived them of His mercy because of their own behavior.
Amini, F., & Razi Bahabadi, B. S. (2016). A Study of Non-Mention of “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni 'r-Raḥīm” at the Beginning of the
Qurʾānic Chapter of al-Barāʾah with an Emphasis on the Chapter's Content. Journal of ًQuranic Theological Exegesis, 3(1), 57-80.
MLA
Farideh Amini; Bibi Sadat Razi Bahabadi. "A Study of Non-Mention of “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni 'r-Raḥīm” at the Beginning of the
Qurʾānic Chapter of al-Barāʾah with an Emphasis on the Chapter's Content", Journal of ًQuranic Theological Exegesis, 3, 1, 2016, 57-80.
HARVARD
Amini, F., Razi Bahabadi, B. S. (2016). 'A Study of Non-Mention of “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni 'r-Raḥīm” at the Beginning of the
Qurʾānic Chapter of al-Barāʾah with an Emphasis on the Chapter's Content', Journal of ًQuranic Theological Exegesis, 3(1), pp. 57-80.
VANCOUVER
Amini, F., Razi Bahabadi, B. S. A Study of Non-Mention of “Bi 'smi 'Llāhi 'r-Raḥmāni 'r-Raḥīm” at the Beginning of the
Qurʾānic Chapter of al-Barāʾah with an Emphasis on the Chapter's Content. Journal of ًQuranic Theological Exegesis, 2016; 3(1): 57-80.