Topic: Hadith (Bismillah)
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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
a除第九章以外, 每章前都有这一节; 27:31中也有。96:2也可看到。
با (Ba) 是一个虚词, 它有多种意义, 经中较常用的意义是 “以”。بِسْم (Bism) 是复合词, 因此, 意指 “以……的名义”。按照阿拉伯人的用法, 词语 اِقْرَاْ (Iqra’) 或 اَقْرَاُ (Aqra’u) 或 نَقْرَاُ (Naqra’u) 或 اِشْرَعْ (Ishra‘)或 اَشْرَعُ (Ashra‘u)或 نَشْرَعُ (Nashra‘u) 在 بِسْمِ الله (Bismillah) 前可以这样理解: “以安拉之名开始” 或 “以安拉之名诵读” 或 “我或我们以安拉之名开始” 或 “我或我们以安拉之名诵读。” 在这译文 بِسْمِ الله 这一用语被译成 “奉安拉之名”, 这是一个更为熟悉的译法 (Lane)。
اَلرَّحْمٰن (Ar-Rahman, 无限博爱者) 与 اَلرَّحِيْم (Ar-Rahim, 永久仁慈者) 都源于同一词根 رَحِمَ (Rahima) 意为: 他显示仁慈; 他是慈爱与善良的; 他宽恕。الرَّحْمٰن 这个词结合 رِقَّة (Riqqah) 即 “温柔” 与 اِحْسَان (Ihsan) 即 “善良” (مُفْرَدَات--------Mufradat)。اَلرَّحْمٰن 属于 فَعْلَان (Fa‘lan) 的范畴, اَلرَّحِيْم 属于 فَعِيْل (Fa‘il) 的范畴。按照阿拉伯语规则, 在词根上越多加字母, 它的意义就变得越广泛越深入细致 (كَشَّاف--------Kashshaf)。فَعْلَان 这个范畴传达丰满与广泛这么一个思想而 فَعِيْل 这个范畴表示重复与给予那些应得的人以慷慨的报酬 (مُحِيْط--------Muhit)。这样, اَلرَّحْمٰن 表示 “包括所有世界的仁慈”, 而 اَلرَّحِيْم 表示“有限范围但重复出现的仁慈”。鉴于上述词义, اَلرَّحْمٰن 是对一切造物, 不管他们是否努力或工作都表示他是赠予的与广泛的仁慈的主, 而 اَلرَّحِيْم 是对人类行动的反应而且作为这些行动的结果而慷概并重复地表示仁慈的主。前者仅用于安拉, 而后者也可用于人。前者的恩泽不仅及于信者与不信者, 而且及于整体造物; 后者多半及于信者。根据穆圣的话, 前一常德一般与今生有关而后一常德一般与后世有关 (مُحِيْط), 意思是, 由于今世多半是行动的世界而后世是这些行动将被一一报答的世界, 安拉的无限博爱这一常德向人们提供了今生他们各方面行动所需的物质, 而安拉的永久仁慈这一常德为将来人生带来结果。我们需要的以及我们生活所依赖的一切事物纯粹是安拉的一种恩典并且是在我们做任何事情之前或甚至在我们出生以前就向我们提供了, 而来日生活为我们预存的种种幸福将作为对我们行动的报答而给予我们。这说明, اَلرَّحْمٰن 是在我们出生之前给我们各种天赋的赐予主而 اَلرَّحِيْم 是作为我们已作的行为的报答而给予我们以种种幸福的授与主。
“اَلله” (安拉) 是真主的本名, 他是一切完美常德的惟一持有者并完全超脱一切可想像到的缺点。在阿拉伯语言中, “اَلله” (Allah) 这个词从不用于任何其他事物或神。其他语言对真主都没有一个有鉴别性的或专有的名字。其他语言中见到的许多名字都是其常德的或形容的名字而且常用作复数, 而 “اَلله” (Allah) 这个词从不用作复数, 它是一个单数的名词, 不是源于其他的词, 也从没有作过形容词。由于汉语中没有一个与之等同的单词, (因此) 就在全部译文中一直用原文的名字 “安拉”。这一看法由阿拉伯语言著名权威界所确证。“安拉”, 根据有关此词最为正确的意见, 是一个专有名词, 用于必然独自存在的真主, 包含着一切完美的常德, “ال” (Al) 这两个字母同这个词总是在一起的 (Lane)。
اِسْم (Ism) 意指一个名字或常德 (Aqrab)。在这节经文中它具有这两种意思。它意指安拉, 是安拉的本体名称, 而所述及的 اَلرَّحْمٰن (无限博爱的) 与 اَلرَّحِيْم (永远仁慈的), 那是安拉的常德的名字。بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم (奉无限博爱、永久仁慈的安拉之名), 是 «古兰经» 每章的第一节经文, «悔改» 一章除外, 不过这一章并非独立的一章而是 «战利品» 一章的继续。有一种说法, 相传是 伊本·阿巴斯 (اِبْنِ عَبَّاس, Ibn-e-‘Abbas) 说的, 大意是当启示任何一新章时, 启示的第一节经文是 بِسْمِ الله, 如无 بِسْمِ الله, 穆圣就不知道已开始新的一章 (داؤد--------Dawud)。这一说法说明: (1) بِسْمِ الله 这一节是 «古兰经» 的一部分而不是多余的事物, (2) «悔改» 章不是独立的一章。它也驳斥了有些人所表达的信念即 بِسْمِ الله 仅是 «开端» 章的一部分而不是 «古兰经» 每一章的一部分。相传穆圣曾进一步说过: بِسْمِ الله 这一节是 «古兰经» 每一章的一部分 («布哈里» 与 قُطْنِىْ--------Qutni)。这节居于每章之首, 具有以下重大意义。«古兰经» 是安拉的知识的宝库, 如无安拉的特殊恩典就不能接近它: “只有纯洁的人才能了解它 (的意义)” (56:80)。这样, بِسْمِ الله 被放在每章的开端来提醒一个穆斯林, 为了能接近并受益于 «古兰经» 中包含的安拉知识的宝藏, 他不仅应以一颗纯洁的心去接近它, 而且也应不断祈求安拉的帮助。بِسْمِ الله 这一节还有另一个重要目的。它是每章意义的要旨, 由于影响道德与精神事态的一切问题总会在这方面或那方面与安拉的基本常德 رَحْمٰنِيَّة (Rahmaniyyah, 无限博爱) 与 رَحِيْمِيَّة (Rahimiyyah, 永久仁慈) 有关。这样, 每章实际上在详细显示这一切所提及的安拉的常德的某些方面。有人争论说 بِسْمِ الله 这一惯用语是从较早的基督教 «圣经» 借用的。萨尔 (Sale) 说, 它是从 «波斯琐罗亚斯德教圣书» (Zend-Avesta) 借用的, 而罗德伟尔 (Rodwell) 的意见, 它是在伊斯兰教以前的阿拉伯人从犹太教徒那里借来的, 随后收编入 «古兰经»。以上两种看法都显然是错误的。首先, 穆斯林从未声称过这一或与此相似的惯用语在 «古兰经» 启示以前是没有人知道的。其次, 如果因为以完全相同或相似形式来表达的这一惯用语在伊斯兰教甚至 «古兰经» 启示以前就被阿拉伯人有时用过, 那么, 它可能就不是起源于 «古兰经», 这种争论也是错误的。其实, 就在 «古兰经» 中说, 素莱曼 (سُلَيْمَان, Solomon) 给女皇希白 (سَباء, Sheba) 的一封信中用过这一惯用语 (27:31)。穆斯林声言的是 (而且这一声言从未被驳斥过), 事实上«古兰经» 是使用这一惯用语的第一部被启示的经典。以下一种说法也是错误的: 这一惯用语句在伊斯兰教以前的阿拉伯人中间非常流行; 因为阿拉伯人过去不喜欢对安拉使用 اَلرَّحْمٰن 这个名字, 这是大家知道的事实。再者,如果这样的一些惯用语句过去曾为人知的话,这仅能证实 «古兰经» 中这一教导的真理:每一个民族都有过传警告者 (35:25); 而且也证实了 «古兰经» 中包含着过去启示的许多经典中的一切永恒真理 (98:5)。当然, «古兰经» 增添了多得多的内容而且在接收任何内容时, 改进了其形式或用法, 或者形式和用法都改进。
بَاء کے معنے معیت اور استعانت کے ہیں اور اس کا لفظی ترجمہ’’ سے‘‘ اور ’’ساتھ‘‘ ہے مگر چونکہ ان الفاظ سے معنے واضح نہیں ہوتے اس لئے ’’لے کر‘‘ کا لفظ استعمال کیا گیا ہے جو دونوں معنوں پر مشتمل ہے۔
Ar-Rahman (The Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) are both derived from the same root Rahima meaning, he showed mercy; he was kind and good; he forgave. The word Rahmah combines the idea of Riqqah, i.e. 'tenderness' and Ihsan, i.e. 'goodness' (Mufradat). Ar-Rahman is in the measure of Fa‘lan and Ar-Rahim in the measure of Fa‘il. According to the rules of the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root-word, the more extensive or more intensive does the meaning become (Kashshaf). The measure of Fa‘lan conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, while the measure of Fa‘il denotes the idea of repetition and giving liberal reward to those who deserve it (Muhit). Thus, whereas the word Ar-Rahman would denote "mercy comprehending the entire universe", the word Ar-Rahim would denote "mercy limited in its scope but repeatedly shown." In view of the above meanings Ar-Rahman
Placed before every chapter except ch.9; also in 27:31. See also 96:2.
Important Words:
ب (in) occurring here in combination with اسم is a particle used to convey a number of meanings, the one more applicable here being that of 'with'. The compound word بسم therefore would mean 'with the name of.' According to the Arab usage, the words iqra’ or aqra’u or naqra’u or ishra’ or ashra‘u or nashra‘u would be taken to be understood before بسم اللّٰه. The expression بسم اللّٰه would thus mean 'begin with the name of Allah' or 'recite with the name of Allah,' or 'I or we begin with the name of Allah.' or 'I or we recite with the name of Allah.' In the translation the words بسم اللّٰه have been rendered as "in the name of Allah", which is a more familiar form (Lane).
اسم (name), which is derived either from وسم (a mark) or سمو (height), means a name or attribute (Aqrab). Here it is used in both senses; for, firstly, it refers to 'Allah' which is the personal name of God; and, secondly, it refers to Ar-Rahman (Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (Merciful) which are His attributive names.
اللّٰه (Allah) is the name of the Supreme Being, Who is the sole possessor of all perfect attributes and is free from all defects. In the Arabic language, the word Allah is never used for any other thing or being. No other language has a distinctive name for the Supreme Being. The names found in other languages are all attributive or descriptive and are often used in the plural, but the word "Allah" is never used in the plural number. It is a simple substantive, not derived. It is never used as a qualifying word. Hence, in the absence of a parallel word in the English language, the original name "Allah" has been retained throughout the translation.
This view is corroborated by eminent authorities of the Arabic language. Lane says: "اللّٰه (Allah) according to the most correct of the opinions respecting it is a proper name, applied to the Being, Who exists necessarily by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection, the ال (al) being in-separable from it" (Arabic-English Lexicon). For a fuller discussion of the word 'Allah,' the reader is referred to Tafsir-e-Kabir by Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Head of the Ahmadiyya Community.
الرحمن (Gracious) and الرحیم (Merciful) are both derived from the same root رحم meaning, he showed mercy; he was kind and good; he forgave. The word رحمة combines the idea of رقة i.e. 'tenderness' and احسان i.e. 'goodness' (Mufradat). الرحمن is in the measure of فعلان and الرحیم in the measure of فعیل. According to the rules of the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root word, the more extensive or more intensive does the meaning become (Kashshaf). The measure of فعلان thus conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, while the measure of فعیل denotes the idea of repetition and giving liberal reward to those who deserve it (Muhit). Thus the word الرحمن would denote "mercy comprehending the entire universe," whereas the word الرحیم would denote "a mercy limited in its scope but shown repeatedly".
In view of the above, الرحمان is One Who shows mercy gratuitously and extensively to all creation without regard to effort or work, and الرحیم is One Who shows mercy in response to, and as a result of, the actions of man but shows it liberally and repeatedly. The former is applicable only to God, while the latter is applied to man also. The former extends not only to the believers and unbelievers but to the whole creation; the latter applies mostly to the believers. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: الرحمان رحمان الدنیا و الرحیم رحیم الآخرة i.e. the attribute الرحمن generally pertains to this life, while the attribute الرحیم generally pertains to the life to come (Muhit), meaning that as this world is mostly the world of actions and the next a world where actions will be particularly rewarded, God’s attribute of الرحمن provides man with material for his works in this life, whereas His attribute of الرحیم brings about results in the life to come.
The abundance of everything which we enjoy in this life, which is indeed all a favour of God, is provided for us before we do anything to deserve it or even before we are born, while the blessings in store for us in the life to come will be given to us as a reward of our actions. This shows that الرحمن is the Bestower of gifts which precede our birth, while الرحیم is the giver of blessings which follow our deeds as their reward.
Commentary:
(i) The verse بسم اللّٰه الرحمن الرحیم is the first verse of every chapter of the Quran, except the chapter Bara’ah, which, however, is not an indepen-dent chapter but a continuation of the chapter Anfal. There is a saying reported by Ibn ‘Abbas to the effect that whenever any new chapter was revealed, Bismillah was the first verse to be revealed, and without Bismillah the Holy Prophet did not know that a new chapter had begun (Dawud). This hadith goes to prove that (1) the verse Bismillah is part of the Quran and not something supernumerary and (2) that the chapter Bara’at is not an independent chapter. It also refutes the belief expressed by some that Bismillah is a part only of Al-Fatihah and not of all the Quranic chapters. Such views are further refuted by the hadith in which the Holy Prophet is reported to have said, definitely, that the verse Bismillah is a part of all the Quranic chapters (Bukhari & Qutni).
(ii) The Holy Prophet attached great importance to the verse Bismillah. He is reported to have said that any important work which is done without reciting Bismillah is apt to prove devoid of God’s blessings. Thus, it is a general practice among Muslims to commence every work with a recital of this prayer.
(iii) The place of this verse in the beginning of every chapter has the following significance:
1. The Quran is a treasure of divine knowledge to which access cannot be had without the special favour of God. In 56:80 God says regarding the Quran: None shall touch it except those who are purified, meaning that except the favoured ones who have been purified by the hand of God, none shall grasp the deeper meaning of the Quran. Thus Bismillah has been placed at the beginning of each chapter to remind the reader that in order to have access to and benefit from the treasures of divine knowledge contained in the Quran, he should not only approach it with pure motives but also constantly invoke the help of God and try to lead a righteous life.
2. In the Old Testament (Deut. 18:18,19) we read: "I will raise them (the Israelites) up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (Moses), and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." As the Holy Prophet of Islam was raised in the likeness of Moses (Quran, 73:16), so in fulfilment of the above prophecy God so ordained that each time a new Surah was revealed, it was begun by the words: In the name of Allah. This meant that every chapter of the Quran, i.e. every new proclamation made by God through the Holy Prophet, should commence with this verse so that on the one hand the prophecy made by Moses might be fulfilled and on the other, there might be a constant repetition of the warning to the Jews and Christians that if they hearkened not to the words of the new Prophet, they would be answerable to God.
3. In the Old Testament, we also read: "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die" (Deut. 18:20). The verse Bismillah (in the name of God) has, therefore, been placed at the beginning of every chapter of the Quran so that the fact might be brought home to the Jews and Christians in particular and to other peoples in general that the success which attended the career of the Holy Prophet was a positive proof of the fact that all that he spoke was spoken by the command of God; for if it had been otherwise, he would surely have met with early destruction. The verse Bismillah is thus a standing challenge to the Jews and Christians, and every time it is repeated at the head of a chapter it serves as an argument for the truth of the Holy Prophet. This result could not have been attained if the verse had been put only in the beginning of the Quran.
4. The verse Bismillah placed before every chapter of the Quran also serves another important purpose. It is a key to the meaning of each individual chapter. This is so because all questions affecting moral and spiritual matters are related in one way or another with these fundamental divine attributes: Rahmaniyyat (grace) and Rahimiyyat (mercy). Thus each chapter is, in fact, a detailed exposition of some aspect of the divine attributes mentioned in the verse.
(iv) Some Christian writers have raised the objection that the formula of Bismillah has been borrowed from earlier Scriptures, insinuating that it cannot therefore be of Divine origin. Wherry, in his commentary has expressed the opinion that it has been borrowed from the Zend-Avesta where it has the form: بنام ایزد بخشائنده وبخشائش گر i.e. With the name of God, Forgiving, Kind. A similar objection has been raised by Sale. Rodwell, however, has expressed the opinion that the Quran borrowed the formula from the Jews, among whom it was in vogue and from whom its use was borrowed by pre-Islamic Arabs. Both these criticisms are wrong and beside the point; for firstly it has never been claimed by the Muslims that the formula in this or similar form was not known before the revelation of the Quran; secondly it is wrong to argue that the formula could not be of Divine origin even if it was sometimes used by the pre-Islamic peoples in an identical or similar form before its revelation in the Quran. As a matter of fact, the Quran itself states that Solomon used the phrase in his letter to the Queen of Sheba (27:31). What Muslims claim—and this claim has never been refuted—is that the Quran was the first Scripture to use the formula in the way it did [see (iii) above]. It is also wrong to say that the formula was in common vogue among pre-Islamic Arabs, for it is well known that Arabs had an aversion to the use of the name Ar-Rahman for God. Again, if such formulae for the praise of God were known before, it only goes to corroborate the truth of the Quranic teaching that there has not been a people to whom a Teacher has not been sent (35:25), and that the Quran is a repository of all permanent truths contained in the previous Books (98:4). It adds much more, of course, and, whatever it adopts, it improves its form or use or both.
(v) It has been asked why the word اسم (name) has been used before the word اللّٰه (Allah) in the verse Bismillah. This may be explained in a number of ways:
1. In the Arabic language the particle ب is used not only to signify connection or invoke help, but also in swearing. So if the word اسم had been dropped, the phrase باللّٰه (billah) might have meant "I swear by Allah." The introduction of اسم (name) removes this ambiguity.
2. God being the source of all goodness, even the invoking of His names proves a blessing. Says the Quran (55:79): Blessed be the name of thy Lord, the Owner of Majesty and Honour. The Holy Prophet sometimes healed people by invoking the various names of God. Therefore, the word اسم (name) has been added in order to remind the Faithful that to remember the names of God is to merit a blessing.
3. The use of the word "name" further indicates that God is hidden and can be known only through His names, i.e. attributes. By reciting Bismillah, a believer seeks the help of God through His attributes of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim.
4. Again, the inner meanings of the Quran are a guarded treasure and nobody can have access to them, except under proper authority. The person who begins a recitation with the formula, In the name of Allah, says, as it were, to the guardian angels of this spiritual treasure, "I am approaching it in the name of Allah, so open to me the treasures of the inner meanings of the Quran." To the one who approaches the Quran in such a spirit, the treasures will indeed be opened. The verse, None shall touch it except those who are purified (56:80), likewise, shows that only the pure in spirit can find access to the deep secrets of the Quran.
5. Another reason for introducing the word "name" in Bismillah is to draw attention to the prophecy of Moses (Deut. 18:18-20) to which reference has already been made.
a
a除第九章以外, 每章前都有这一节; 27:31中也有。96:2也可看到。
1
با (Ba) 是一个虚词, 它有多种意义, 经中较常用的意义是 “以”。بِسْم (Bism) 是复合词, 因此, 意指 “以……的名义”。按照阿拉伯人的用法, 词语 اِقْرَاْ (Iqra’) 或 اَقْرَاُ (Aqra’u) 或 نَقْرَاُ (Naqra’u) 或 اِشْرَعْ (Ishra‘)或 اَشْرَعُ (Ashra‘u)或 نَشْرَعُ (Nashra‘u) 在 بِسْمِ الله (Bismillah) 前可以这样理解: “以安拉之名开始” 或 “以安拉之名诵读” 或 “我或我们以安拉之名开始” 或 “我或我们以安拉之名诵读。” 在这译文 بِسْمِ الله 这一用语被译成 “奉安拉之名”, 这是一个更为熟悉的译法 (Lane)。
2
اَلرَّحْمٰن (Ar-Rahman, 无限博爱者) 与 اَلرَّحِيْم (Ar-Rahim, 永久仁慈者) 都源于同一词根 رَحِمَ (Rahima) 意为: 他显示仁慈; 他是慈爱与善良的; 他宽恕。الرَّحْمٰن 这个词结合 رِقَّة (Riqqah) 即 “温柔” 与 اِحْسَان (Ihsan) 即 “善良” (مُفْرَدَات--------Mufradat)。اَلرَّحْمٰن 属于 فَعْلَان (Fa‘lan) 的范畴, اَلرَّحِيْم 属于 فَعِيْل (Fa‘il) 的范畴。按照阿拉伯语规则, 在词根上越多加字母, 它的意义就变得越广泛越深入细致 (كَشَّاف--------Kashshaf)。فَعْلَان 这个范畴传达丰满与广泛这么一个思想而 فَعِيْل 这个范畴表示重复与给予那些应得的人以慷慨的报酬 (مُحِيْط--------Muhit)。这样, اَلرَّحْمٰن 表示 “包括所有世界的仁慈”, 而 اَلرَّحِيْم 表示“有限范围但重复出现的仁慈”。鉴于上述词义, اَلرَّحْمٰن 是对一切造物, 不管他们是否努力或工作都表示他是赠予的与广泛的仁慈的主, 而 اَلرَّحِيْم 是对人类行动的反应而且作为这些行动的结果而慷概并重复地表示仁慈的主。前者仅用于安拉, 而后者也可用于人。前者的恩泽不仅及于信者与不信者, 而且及于整体造物; 后者多半及于信者。根据穆圣的话, 前一常德一般与今生有关而后一常德一般与后世有关 (مُحِيْط), 意思是, 由于今世多半是行动的世界而后世是这些行动将被一一报答的世界, 安拉的无限博爱这一常德向人们提供了今生他们各方面行动所需的物质, 而安拉的永久仁慈这一常德为将来人生带来结果。我们需要的以及我们生活所依赖的一切事物纯粹是安拉的一种恩典并且是在我们做任何事情之前或甚至在我们出生以前就向我们提供了, 而来日生活为我们预存的种种幸福将作为对我们行动的报答而给予我们。这说明, اَلرَّحْمٰن 是在我们出生之前给我们各种天赋的赐予主而 اَلرَّحِيْم 是作为我们已作的行为的报答而给予我们以种种幸福的授与主。
3
“اَلله” (安拉) 是真主的本名, 他是一切完美常德的惟一持有者并完全超脱一切可想像到的缺点。在阿拉伯语言中, “اَلله” (Allah) 这个词从不用于任何其他事物或神。其他语言对真主都没有一个有鉴别性的或专有的名字。其他语言中见到的许多名字都是其常德的或形容的名字而且常用作复数, 而 “اَلله” (Allah) 这个词从不用作复数, 它是一个单数的名词, 不是源于其他的词, 也从没有作过形容词。由于汉语中没有一个与之等同的单词, (因此) 就在全部译文中一直用原文的名字 “安拉”。这一看法由阿拉伯语言著名权威界所确证。“安拉”, 根据有关此词最为正确的意见, 是一个专有名词, 用于必然独自存在的真主, 包含着一切完美的常德, “ال” (Al) 这两个字母同这个词总是在一起的 (Lane)。
4
اِسْم (Ism) 意指一个名字或常德 (Aqrab)。在这节经文中它具有这两种意思。它意指安拉, 是安拉的本体名称, 而所述及的 اَلرَّحْمٰن (无限博爱的) 与 اَلرَّحِيْم (永远仁慈的), 那是安拉的常德的名字。بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم (奉无限博爱、永久仁慈的安拉之名), 是 «古兰经» 每章的第一节经文, «悔改» 一章除外, 不过这一章并非独立的一章而是 «战利品» 一章的继续。有一种说法, 相传是 伊本·阿巴斯 (اِبْنِ عَبَّاس, Ibn-e-‘Abbas) 说的, 大意是当启示任何一新章时, 启示的第一节经文是 بِسْمِ الله, 如无 بِسْمِ الله, 穆圣就不知道已开始新的一章 (داؤد--------Dawud)。这一说法说明: (1) بِسْمِ الله 这一节是 «古兰经» 的一部分而不是多余的事物, (2) «悔改» 章不是独立的一章。它也驳斥了有些人所表达的信念即 بِسْمِ الله 仅是 «开端» 章的一部分而不是 «古兰经» 每一章的一部分。相传穆圣曾进一步说过: بِسْمِ الله 这一节是 «古兰经» 每一章的一部分 («布哈里» 与 قُطْنِىْ--------Qutni)。这节居于每章之首, 具有以下重大意义。«古兰经» 是安拉的知识的宝库, 如无安拉的特殊恩典就不能接近它: “只有纯洁的人才能了解它 (的意义)” (56:80)。这样, بِسْمِ الله 被放在每章的开端来提醒一个穆斯林, 为了能接近并受益于 «古兰经» 中包含的安拉知识的宝藏, 他不仅应以一颗纯洁的心去接近它, 而且也应不断祈求安拉的帮助。بِسْمِ الله 这一节还有另一个重要目的。它是每章意义的要旨, 由于影响道德与精神事态的一切问题总会在这方面或那方面与安拉的基本常德 رَحْمٰنِيَّة (Rahmaniyyah, 无限博爱) 与 رَحِيْمِيَّة (Rahimiyyah, 永久仁慈) 有关。这样, 每章实际上在详细显示这一切所提及的安拉的常德的某些方面。有人争论说 بِسْمِ الله 这一惯用语是从较早的基督教 «圣经» 借用的。萨尔 (Sale) 说, 它是从 «波斯琐罗亚斯德教圣书» (Zend-Avesta) 借用的, 而罗德伟尔 (Rodwell) 的意见, 它是在伊斯兰教以前的阿拉伯人从犹太教徒那里借来的, 随后收编入 «古兰经»。以上两种看法都显然是错误的。首先, 穆斯林从未声称过这一或与此相似的惯用语在 «古兰经» 启示以前是没有人知道的。其次, 如果因为以完全相同或相似形式来表达的这一惯用语在伊斯兰教甚至 «古兰经» 启示以前就被阿拉伯人有时用过, 那么, 它可能就不是起源于 «古兰经», 这种争论也是错误的。其实, 就在 «古兰经» 中说, 素莱曼 (سُلَيْمَان, Solomon) 给女皇希白 (سَباء, Sheba) 的一封信中用过这一惯用语 (27:31)。穆斯林声言的是 (而且这一声言从未被驳斥过), 事实上«古兰经» 是使用这一惯用语的第一部被启示的经典。以下一种说法也是错误的: 这一惯用语句在伊斯兰教以前的阿拉伯人中间非常流行; 因为阿拉伯人过去不喜欢对安拉使用 اَلرَّحْمٰن 这个名字, 这是大家知道的事实。再者,如果这样的一些惯用语句过去曾为人知的话,这仅能证实 «古兰经» 中这一教导的真理:每一个民族都有过传警告者 (35:25); 而且也证实了 «古兰经» 中包含着过去启示的许多经典中的一切永恒真理 (98:5)。当然, «古兰经» 增添了多得多的内容而且在接收任何内容时, 改进了其形式或用法, 或者形式和用法都改进。
3
بَاء کے معنے معیت اور استعانت کے ہیں اور اس کا لفظی ترجمہ’’ سے‘‘ اور ’’ساتھ‘‘ ہے مگر چونکہ ان الفاظ سے معنے واضح نہیں ہوتے اس لئے ’’لے کر‘‘ کا لفظ استعمال کیا گیا ہے جو دونوں معنوں پر مشتمل ہے۔
a
Placed before every chapter except ch.9; also in 27:31. See also 96:2.
1
Important Words:
ب (in) occurring here in combination with اسم is a particle used to convey a number of meanings, the one more applicable here being that of 'with'. The compound word بسم therefore would mean 'with the name of.' According to the Arab usage, the words iqra’ or aqra’u or naqra’u or ishra’ or ashra‘u or nashra‘u would be taken to be understood before بسم اللّٰه. The expression بسم اللّٰه would thus mean 'begin with the name of Allah' or 'recite with the name of Allah,' or 'I or we begin with the name of Allah.' or 'I or we recite with the name of Allah.' In the translation the words بسم اللّٰه have been rendered as "in the name of Allah", which is a more familiar form (Lane).
اسم (name), which is derived either from وسم (a mark) or سمو (height), means a name or attribute (Aqrab). Here it is used in both senses; for, firstly, it refers to 'Allah' which is the personal name of God; and, secondly, it refers to Ar-Rahman (Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (Merciful) which are His attributive names.
اللّٰه (Allah) is the name of the Supreme Being, Who is the sole possessor of all perfect attributes and is free from all defects. In the Arabic language, the word Allah is never used for any other thing or being. No other language has a distinctive name for the Supreme Being. The names found in other languages are all attributive or descriptive and are often used in the plural, but the word "Allah" is never used in the plural number. It is a simple substantive, not derived. It is never used as a qualifying word. Hence, in the absence of a parallel word in the English language, the original name "Allah" has been retained throughout the translation.
This view is corroborated by eminent authorities of the Arabic language. Lane says: "اللّٰه (Allah) according to the most correct of the opinions respecting it is a proper name, applied to the Being, Who exists necessarily by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection, the ال (al) being in-separable from it" (Arabic-English Lexicon). For a fuller discussion of the word 'Allah,' the reader is referred to Tafsir-e-Kabir by Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Head of the Ahmadiyya Community.
الرحمن (Gracious) and الرحیم (Merciful) are both derived from the same root رحم meaning, he showed mercy; he was kind and good; he forgave. The word رحمة combines the idea of رقة i.e. 'tenderness' and احسان i.e. 'goodness' (Mufradat). الرحمن is in the measure of فعلان and الرحیم in the measure of فعیل. According to the rules of the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root word, the more extensive or more intensive does the meaning become (Kashshaf). The measure of فعلان thus conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, while the measure of فعیل denotes the idea of repetition and giving liberal reward to those who deserve it (Muhit). Thus the word الرحمن would denote "mercy comprehending the entire universe," whereas the word الرحیم would denote "a mercy limited in its scope but shown repeatedly".
In view of the above, الرحمان is One Who shows mercy gratuitously and extensively to all creation without regard to effort or work, and الرحیم is One Who shows mercy in response to, and as a result of, the actions of man but shows it liberally and repeatedly. The former is applicable only to God, while the latter is applied to man also. The former extends not only to the believers and unbelievers but to the whole creation; the latter applies mostly to the believers. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: الرحمان رحمان الدنیا و الرحیم رحیم الآخرة i.e. the attribute الرحمن generally pertains to this life, while the attribute الرحیم generally pertains to the life to come (Muhit), meaning that as this world is mostly the world of actions and the next a world where actions will be particularly rewarded, God’s attribute of الرحمن provides man with material for his works in this life, whereas His attribute of الرحیم brings about results in the life to come.
The abundance of everything which we enjoy in this life, which is indeed all a favour of God, is provided for us before we do anything to deserve it or even before we are born, while the blessings in store for us in the life to come will be given to us as a reward of our actions. This shows that الرحمن is the Bestower of gifts which precede our birth, while الرحیم is the giver of blessings which follow our deeds as their reward.
Commentary:
(i) The verse بسم اللّٰه الرحمن الرحیم is the first verse of every chapter of the Quran, except the chapter Bara’ah, which, however, is not an indepen-dent chapter but a continuation of the chapter Anfal. There is a saying reported by Ibn ‘Abbas to the effect that whenever any new chapter was revealed, Bismillah was the first verse to be revealed, and without Bismillah the Holy Prophet did not know that a new chapter had begun (Dawud). This hadith goes to prove that (1) the verse Bismillah is part of the Quran and not something supernumerary and (2) that the chapter Bara’at is not an independent chapter. It also refutes the belief expressed by some that Bismillah is a part only of Al-Fatihah and not of all the Quranic chapters. Such views are further refuted by the hadith in which the Holy Prophet is reported to have said, definitely, that the verse Bismillah is a part of all the Quranic chapters (Bukhari & Qutni).
(ii) The Holy Prophet attached great importance to the verse Bismillah. He is reported to have said that any important work which is done without reciting Bismillah is apt to prove devoid of God’s blessings. Thus, it is a general practice among Muslims to commence every work with a recital of this prayer.
(iii) The place of this verse in the beginning of every chapter has the following significance:
1. The Quran is a treasure of divine knowledge to which access cannot be had without the special favour of God. In 56:80 God says regarding the Quran: None shall touch it except those who are purified, meaning that except the favoured ones who have been purified by the hand of God, none shall grasp the deeper meaning of the Quran. Thus Bismillah has been placed at the beginning of each chapter to remind the reader that in order to have access to and benefit from the treasures of divine knowledge contained in the Quran, he should not only approach it with pure motives but also constantly invoke the help of God and try to lead a righteous life.
2. In the Old Testament (Deut. 18:18,19) we read: "I will raise them (the Israelites) up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (Moses), and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." As the Holy Prophet of Islam was raised in the likeness of Moses (Quran, 73:16), so in fulfilment of the above prophecy God so ordained that each time a new Surah was revealed, it was begun by the words: In the name of Allah. This meant that every chapter of the Quran, i.e. every new proclamation made by God through the Holy Prophet, should commence with this verse so that on the one hand the prophecy made by Moses might be fulfilled and on the other, there might be a constant repetition of the warning to the Jews and Christians that if they hearkened not to the words of the new Prophet, they would be answerable to God.
3. In the Old Testament, we also read: "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die" (Deut. 18:20). The verse Bismillah (in the name of God) has, therefore, been placed at the beginning of every chapter of the Quran so that the fact might be brought home to the Jews and Christians in particular and to other peoples in general that the success which attended the career of the Holy Prophet was a positive proof of the fact that all that he spoke was spoken by the command of God; for if it had been otherwise, he would surely have met with early destruction. The verse Bismillah is thus a standing challenge to the Jews and Christians, and every time it is repeated at the head of a chapter it serves as an argument for the truth of the Holy Prophet. This result could not have been attained if the verse had been put only in the beginning of the Quran.
4. The verse Bismillah placed before every chapter of the Quran also serves another important purpose. It is a key to the meaning of each individual chapter. This is so because all questions affecting moral and spiritual matters are related in one way or another with these fundamental divine attributes: Rahmaniyyat (grace) and Rahimiyyat (mercy). Thus each chapter is, in fact, a detailed exposition of some aspect of the divine attributes mentioned in the verse.
(iv) Some Christian writers have raised the objection that the formula of Bismillah has been borrowed from earlier Scriptures, insinuating that it cannot therefore be of Divine origin. Wherry, in his commentary has expressed the opinion that it has been borrowed from the Zend-Avesta where it has the form: بنام ایزد بخشائنده وبخشائش گر i.e. With the name of God, Forgiving, Kind. A similar objection has been raised by Sale. Rodwell, however, has expressed the opinion that the Quran borrowed the formula from the Jews, among whom it was in vogue and from whom its use was borrowed by pre-Islamic Arabs. Both these criticisms are wrong and beside the point; for firstly it has never been claimed by the Muslims that the formula in this or similar form was not known before the revelation of the Quran; secondly it is wrong to argue that the formula could not be of Divine origin even if it was sometimes used by the pre-Islamic peoples in an identical or similar form before its revelation in the Quran. As a matter of fact, the Quran itself states that Solomon used the phrase in his letter to the Queen of Sheba (27:31). What Muslims claim—and this claim has never been refuted—is that the Quran was the first Scripture to use the formula in the way it did [see (iii) above]. It is also wrong to say that the formula was in common vogue among pre-Islamic Arabs, for it is well known that Arabs had an aversion to the use of the name Ar-Rahman for God. Again, if such formulae for the praise of God were known before, it only goes to corroborate the truth of the Quranic teaching that there has not been a people to whom a Teacher has not been sent (35:25), and that the Quran is a repository of all permanent truths contained in the previous Books (98:4). It adds much more, of course, and, whatever it adopts, it improves its form or use or both.
(v) It has been asked why the word اسم (name) has been used before the word اللّٰه (Allah) in the verse Bismillah. This may be explained in a number of ways:
1. In the Arabic language the particle ب is used not only to signify connection or invoke help, but also in swearing. So if the word اسم had been dropped, the phrase باللّٰه (billah) might have meant "I swear by Allah." The introduction of اسم (name) removes this ambiguity.
2. God being the source of all goodness, even the invoking of His names proves a blessing. Says the Quran (55:79): Blessed be the name of thy Lord, the Owner of Majesty and Honour. The Holy Prophet sometimes healed people by invoking the various names of God. Therefore, the word اسم (name) has been added in order to remind the Faithful that to remember the names of God is to merit a blessing.
3. The use of the word "name" further indicates that God is hidden and can be known only through His names, i.e. attributes. By reciting Bismillah, a believer seeks the help of God through His attributes of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim.
4. Again, the inner meanings of the Quran are a guarded treasure and nobody can have access to them, except under proper authority. The person who begins a recitation with the formula, In the name of Allah, says, as it were, to the guardian angels of this spiritual treasure, "I am approaching it in the name of Allah, so open to me the treasures of the inner meanings of the Quran." To the one who approaches the Quran in such a spirit, the treasures will indeed be opened. The verse, None shall touch it except those who are purified (56:80), likewise, shows that only the pure in spirit can find access to the deep secrets of the Quran.
5. Another reason for introducing the word "name" in Bismillah is to draw attention to the prophecy of Moses (Deut. 18:18-20) to which reference has already been made.
a
Placed before every Chapter except Chapter 9; also in 27:31. See also 96:2.1
Ba’ is a particle used to convey a number of meanings, the one more applicable here being 'with'. The compound word Bism, therefore, would mean 'with the name of'. According to Arab usage, the words Iqra’ or Aqra’u or Naqra’u or Ishra‘ or Ashra‘u or Nashra‘u would be taken to be understood before Bismillah which expression would thus mean, 'begin with the name of Allah' or 'recite with the name of Allah', or 'I or we begin with the name of Allah', or 'I or we recite with the name of Allah'. In the translation the expression Bismillah has been rendered as 'in the name of Allah' which is a more familiar form (Lane).2
Ism means, a name or attribute (Aqrab). Here it is used in both senses. It refers to Allah which is the substantive name of God; and to Ar-Rahman (The Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) which are His attributive names.3
Allah is the name of the Supreme Being Who is the Sole Possessor of all perfect attributes and is completely free from all conceivable defects. In the Arabic language, the word Allah is never used for any other thing or being. No other language has a distinctive or proper name for the Supreme Being. The names found in other languages are all attributive or descriptive and are often used in the plural, but the word "Allah" is never used in the plural number. It is a simple substantive, not derived and is never used as a qualifying word. In the absence of a parallel word in the English language, the original name "Allah" has been retained throughout the Translation. This view is corroborated by eminent authorities of the Arabic language. "Allah", according to the most correct of the opinions respecting it, is a proper name, applied to the Being Who exists necessarily by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection, the al being inseparable from it (Lane).4
Ar-Rahman (The Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (The Merciful) are both derived from the same root Rahima meaning, he showed mercy; he was kind and good; he forgave. The word Rahmah combines the idea of Riqqah, i.e. 'tenderness' and Ihsan, i.e. 'goodness' (Mufradat). Ar-Rahman is in the measure of Fa‘lan and Ar-Rahim in the measure of Fa‘il. According to the rules of the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root-word, the more extensive or more intensive does the meaning become (Kashshaf). The measure of Fa‘lan conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, while the measure of Fa‘il denotes the idea of repetition and giving liberal reward to those who deserve it (Muhit). Thus, whereas the word Ar-Rahman would denote "mercy comprehending the entire universe", the word Ar-Rahim would denote "mercy limited in its scope but repeatedly shown." In view of the above meanings Ar-Rahman