Saying Basmala Before non-Qur’anic Supplications in Prayer

Answered by Ustadh Faraz A. Khan

Question: Could you please let me know if one should say bismillah before the non-quranic things one recites in salah e.g. tashahud or durood?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this reaches you in the best of health and faith.

One does not recite the basmala before non-Qur’anic litanies or supplications of the prayer, such as the final testification (tashahhud), sending blessings upon the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him (durud), etc.

In fact, it would be disliked to do so. One recites the basmala only before the Fatiha in every rak’a of the prayer, unless one is a follower in congregational prayer, since it is sinful for the follower to recite Qur’an. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi ‘l-Falah]

And Allah alone gives success.

wassalam
Faraz A. Khan

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Faraz A. Khan has lived in Amman, Jordan, for several years studying and teaching traditional Islamic sciences, with a focus on Hanafi jurisprudence, hadith studies, theology, logic, and Arabic grammar. He translated and annotated the classical Hanafi primer “Ascent to Felicity” (Maraqi ‘l-Sa`adat) by Imam Shurunbulali, recently published by White Thread Press.