Step 2 of 12
Saying Bismillah
Begin by saying "Bismillah", in the name of Allah. Many people add "al-Rahman al-Rahim", which is fine, but "Bismillah" alone is what is meant.
Say it quietly before you start washing. If you forget at the beginning, say it when you remember during the wudu.
A hadith says there is no wudu for one who does not mention Allah's name over it. Scholars have debated the strength of its chains, which is part of why the schools differ on how firmly it is required.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillah
In the name of Allah.
The four schools differ on some details. Show them
Each school's ruling, with the schools that share it named together.
Is saying Bismillah obligatory at the start of wudu?
2 of 4 schools agree. Differing: Maliki, Hanbali.
Show each school
- SunnahHanafi · Shafi'i
- Recommended (fadilah)Maliki
- Obligatory (wajib) when rememberedHanbali
- Hanafi
- Saying Bismillah at the start is a sunnah; the wudu is valid without it.
- Maliki
- It is counted among the recommended virtues (fada'il) of wudu, a level below its sunnahs; the wudu is valid without it.
- Shafi'i
- Saying Bismillah at the start is a sunnah; the wudu is valid without it.
- Hanbali
- In the relied-upon view it is obligatory for one who remembers and excused for one who forgets; another narration from Imam Ahmad holds that it is a sunnah.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 101Graded by Al-Albani: Sahih · Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih · Zubair Ali Zai: HasanSahih
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi 25Graded by Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Hasan · Al-Albani: Hasan · Bashar Awad Maarouf: Hasan · Zubair Ali Zai: HasanHasan
- Sunan Ibn Majah 397Graded by Al-Albani: Hasan · Muhammad Fouad Abd al-Baqi: Hasan · Zubair Ali Zai: Isnaad HasanHasan
What the hadith grades mean
- Sahih (authentic): an unbroken chain of trustworthy, precise narrators, free of hidden flaws or contradiction. It is acted upon.
- Hasan (good): like sahih, but a narrator's precision is slightly lighter. It is also accepted and acted upon. "Hasan sahih" means it reaches sahih by its routes.
- Da'if (weak): a break in the chain or a narrator who is not reliable enough. It is not used to establish beliefs or rulings.
- Very weak (munkar, matruk): a seriously flawed chain or a narrator accused of lying. It is not relied on at all.
- Mawdu' (fabricated): falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ. It may not be narrated as his words except to warn against it.
- The two Sahihs: every hadith with a full chain in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is accepted as sahih by the scholars of hadith.
- Historical report: biographies and histories (Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabari) record events with chains that are often incomplete. They are used for the story, not for rulings.
- Hadith scholars grade a narration; the four madhhabs do not. Where a hadith carries a ruling, the page shows which schools act on it.
The positions of the four schools are summarised from their standard references and are pending review by a qualified scholar. Follow the school you were taught, and for your own situation, ask a scholar.
Create a free account to keep your place as you go. Create a free account · Sign in