FatwaPerlisEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
Baris Sebenar Bacaan بسم الله أوله وآخره
What is the correct wording if one forgets to say bismillah before eating, and what is the correct vowelling of the words awwal and akhir?
Short answer
A person who forgets to say bismillah at the start of a meal should say bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu, based on the hadith reported by Abu Daud, al-Tirmizi and Ibn Majah.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Perlis State Mufti Department
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Panduan Hukum
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
A person who forgets to say bismillah at the start of a meal should say bismillah awwalahu wa akhirahu, based on the hadith reported by Abu Daud, al-Tirmizi and Ibn Majah. The phrase may be recited in two ways: awwalahu wa akhirahu (accusative, as an adverbial, following Abu al-Baqa' as cited by al-Bujairami) or awwalihi wa akhirihi based on the narration of Ibn Hibban from Ibn Mas'ud. The word for the end in the phrase covers the middle and the end of the meal.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Bacaan ini boleh dibaca dengan dua cara bacaan:
Read the full fatwa on the Perlis website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Perlis State Mufti Department. “Baris Sebenar Bacaan بسم الله أوله وآخره”, 22 January 2025. https://muftiperlis.gov.my/index.php/panduan-hukum/1025-baris-sebenar-bacaan. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/correct-recitation-bismillah-forgotten-before-eating/