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THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD BISMILLAH (IN THE NAME OF GOD)
Bismillah,
In the Name of God, is the beginning of all good things. So we too
shall start with it. This blessed phrase is a sign of Islam, and
all creatures constantly recite it in their unique way. If you
want to understand what an inexhaustible source of strength and
blessing bismillah is, then listen to the following
allegory:
For a
stranger who travels in the deserts of Arabia, it is necessary to
get the protection of a tribal chief. Only then may he escape the
mischief of robbers and be sure his needs will be met. Traveling
alone would be a waste of time because of the enemies and unmet
needs he must face.
Two men
once set out on such a desert journey. One was humble, the other
arrogant. The humble man took the protection of a tribal chief,
but the arrogant one didn’t. The former traveled everywhere in
safety. Whenever he met a robber, he would say, “I’m traveling
in the name of such and such chief,” and the robber would move
on without molesting him. He would be treated with respect in
every tent he entered because of that name. By contrast, the
arrogant one suffered indescribable disasters throughout his
journey. He trembled in constant fear and was obliged to struggle
and beg for his every need. He became low and mean.
Man
is a traveler in the desert of the world
O arrogant
soul! You are that traveler and this world is the desert. Your
weakness and poverty know no bounds. You face countless enemies
and privations. So, invoke the name of the Eternal Owner and the
Everlasting Ruler of this world. Only then will you be saved from
having to beg from others and from constantly living in fear.
The phrase bismillah
is so blessed a treasure that, by connecting you to the infinite
Power and Mercy of the Omnipotent and Merciful One, it transforms
your weakness and poverty into the most heeded of intercessors at
His Exalted Court. The one who, uttering bismillah, acts in
the name of God, is like the one who joins an army and then acts
under the state’s name. He fears no one, does all things in the
name of the law and the state and persists against all odds.
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