Is it valid to say "Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim" before eating instead of "Bismillah"?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The prescribed wording for naming (invoking God's name) when eating is "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah), as narrated by Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Scholars have differed on whether one says "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). Most of them hold that there is no harm in this addition, while others believe that it is better to stick to "Bismillah" only, as there is no specific evidence indicating the superiority of the addition.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/25592
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 25592
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy