FatwaFederal TerritoriesEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
AL-KAFI #1603: HUKUM MEMBACA BASMALAH KETIKA MELAKUKAN PERKARA YANG DIMAKRUHKAN
What is the ruling on reciting bismillah when doing futile activities such as playing musical instruments or video games?
Short answer
According to this fatwa, reciting the basmalah while engaging in futile or idle activities such as playing musical instruments is makruh (disliked).
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
According to this fatwa, reciting the basmalah while engaging in futile or idle activities such as playing musical instruments is makruh (disliked). The basmalah is recited to seek blessing in lawful acts, and the fatwa cites scholars who held that beginning a disliked act with the basmalah is itself disliked. Leaving out the recitation in such cases is considered better.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
dapat kami simpulkan bahawa makruh hukum menyebut nama Allah SWT atau lafaz basmalah ketika melakukan sesuatu perkara yang lagha atau perkara yang sia-sia seperti bermain alat muzik dan lain-lain.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1603: HUKUM MEMBACA BASMALAH KETIKA MELAKUKAN PERKARA YANG DIMAKRUHKAN”, 13 February 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4178-al-kafi-1603-hukum-membaca-basmalah-ketika-melakukan-perkara-yang-dimakruhkan. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-reciting-bismillah-futile-activities/