What are the schools of thought among scholars regarding the recitation of "Bismillah" over food that a number of people gather to eat? And is the recitation of "Bismillah" by one person sufficient on behalf of the others, or is it incumbent upon each individual to say "Bismillah"?
The scholarly disagreement regarding whether the Basmala is obligatory or merely recommended is well-known. The opinion that it is obligatory is held by a group of Hanbalis, and Ibn Abi Musa chose this view. The Shafi'is hold that it is a kifayah (collective recommendation) for the congregation, and that the recitation by some suffices for the rest, though it is recommended for everyone individually. The Hanbalis, however, maintain that it is a sunnah for everyone individually; a discerning person recites it for himself, and it is recited on behalf of those who are not discerning. This latter opinion is closer to the apparent meaning of the texts.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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