Which of the two hadiths is more authentic, and which of them should be followed when commencing the prayer: the hadith of Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to commence with "{In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful}," or the hadith of Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs used to commence with "{All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds}"?

The first Hadith, concerning the opening of prayer with "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), has a weak chain of transmission. The second Hadith, narrated by Anas, states, "They would begin the recitation with 'Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'alamin' (All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds)." This Hadith is authentic, but scholars have differed concerning its meaning. Some view it as meaning that they would begin with Al-Fatiha, while affirming the Basmala. Others hold to the apparent meaning of the wording, which implies not reciting the Basmala.

As for the Basmala in prayer, the schools of thought have differed on its ruling: Al-Shafi'i holds that it is obligatory and that it is sunnah to recite it aloud. Malik dislikes it in obligatory prayers but permits it in supererogatory ones. Abu Hanifa and Ahmad consider it استحباب (recommended). In summary, Al-Shafi'i believes that Anas's statement means reciting Al-Fatiha and does not negate the Basmala, while Malik believes in starting directly with "Al-hamdu lillahi" without the Basmala.