Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. -Interpretation

1 – My father - may Allah have mercy on him - narrated to us; he said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us from Ahmad b. Muhammad b.`Isa from Qasim b. Yahya from his grandfather Hasan b. Rashid from `Abdullah b. Sinan, from Abi `Abdillah (al-Sadiq) [a]. He said: I asked him [a] about Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. He replied: “The baa’ is for Allah’s brilliance (Bahaa’ Allah) and the seen is for Allah’s sublimity (Sanaa’ Allah) and the meem is for Allah’s glory (Majd Allah) -- and some others have narrated: Allah’s Kingdom (Mulk Allah) --  And Allah (means) the God of all things, the Beneficent (Rahman) towards the entire world and the Merciful (Raheem) for the select faithful.”.  ن 2 – Muhammad b. al Hasan b. Ahmad b. al Waleed - may Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us; he said: Muhammad b. al Hasan al Saffaar narrated to us from al `Abbas b. Ma`ruf from Safwan b. Yahya from the one who narrated it to him, from Abu `Abdillah (al-Sadiq) [a] that he asked about Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. Then he [a] said: The baa’ is for Allah’s brilliance (Bahaa’ Allah) and the seen is for Allah’s sublimity (Sanaa’ Allah) and the meem is for Allah’s kingdom (Mulk Allah).  He said: I said: (And what about) Allah?  So he replied: The alif is for those bounties (aalaa’) of Allah upon His creation which are favours (bestowed on them) due to our mastership. And the laam is the obligation (ilzaam) of our mastership by Allah upon His creation.  I said: Then the haa’?  He said: (It stands for) humiliation (hawaan) of the one who opposes Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, blessings of Allah be upon them all. He said: (What about) the Beneficent (ar-Rahman)?  He replied: (It means His Mercy) Towards the entire world.  He said: (What about) The Merciful (ar-Raheem)?  He replied: (It means His Mercy) Towards the faithful, in particular. 4 - Another chapter on the meaning of Bismillah Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. Ishaq al-Taliqani - may Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us, he said: we were informed by Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Sa`eed, the master of Bani Hashim, from `Ali b. Hasan b. `Ali b. Fadal, from his father who said: I asked ar-Rida, `Ali b. Musa [a] about Bismillah (In the name of Allah). He replied: The meaning of the saying of a speaker "Bismillah" is that he imprints upon himself a mark (simh) from the marks (simat) of Allah, the Mighty the Exalted, and this is worship. I said to him: What is simh? He replied: It is a sign (`alamah). 5 - Chapter on the meaning of "Allah" the Mighty and Exalted    1 - My father - may Allah have mercy on him - said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah narrated to us from Ahmed b. Muhammad b. `Isa, from Qasim b. Yahya, from his grandfather Hasan b. Rashid, from Abi Hasan Musa b. Ja`far [a]: Once, a question was asked (from the Imam) about the meaning of “Allah”. He (the Imam) replied, ‘It (the word “Allah”) means one who dominates the small and the large.’ 2 - Muhammad b. al Qasim al Jarjani al Mufassir - may Allah be pleased with him - narrated to us; he said: Abu Ya`qub Yusuf b. Muhammad b. Ziyad and Abul Hasan `Ali b. Muhammad b. Sayyaar narrated to us, and these two were from the Imami Shi`i, and they from their fathers, from al Hasan b. `Ali b. Muhammad (al-Askari) [a] about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Exalted,: Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. So he [a] said:  “Allah is He towards whom are placed the desires and distresses of all creation. And when all hopes are severed from everyone apart from Him, and all provisions are cut off from all besides Him, you say:Bismillah. That is, I seek help in all my affairs from Allah, whom no one befits worship but Him, the One who helps when His help is sought, and the One who responds when called upon. And He is what, when a man said to al-Sadiq [a]: O son of the Messenger of Allah! Guide me regarding Allah, what is He? For often those who engage in arguments argue with me and perplex me.  So he (al-Sadiq [a]) said to him: “O `Abdullah! Have you ever sailed on a ship alone?” He said: Yes. He said: “Then has it ever broken down on you (during the joyrney) where there was no (other) ship to save you, nor was there any skilled swimmer to save you?”  He said: Yes.  He [a] said: “Then did it occur to you in your heart that there is a thing from the things which has the power to rescue you from your getting drowned?”  He said: Yes.  Al Sadiq [a] said: That very thing is Allah, the One capable of saving when there is no saviour, and of helping when there is no helper.