Beginning All Important Work with "Bismillah"

Recital of "Bismillah" when starting any work is a sign of Muslims. Our blessed and exalted Prophet has said,

"Every important work not began with Bismillah remains imperfect and half done".

According to the established sunnah of our eternally blessed Prophet, every important (all good work) work should be started with Bismillah and every Muslim must follow it and inculcate this habit. Bismillah should be recited when entering or leaving the house embarking upon a vehicle and upon and upon disembarking from it, when the steed or mount stumbles, when one himself stumbles, upon entering the mosque and coming out of it, a little before entering the lavatory and immediately upon coming out of it, before starting to eat and drink, upon starting to dress, before putting on shoes, before reading a book, before writing a letter or anything else, before starting day's work, before entering into a pact, in fact every change of state should be prefaced with Bismillah. Women too should recite it when starting to cook, when serving food, when stitching a dress, when dressing a child; they should also inculcate in their children the habit of reciting Bismillah is very easy and leads to rapid accumulation of much merit in one's record. Recital of Bismillah turn mundane activities into acts of worship.

A Muslim and an unbeliever both carry out the daily routines of life but there is immense difference between the two: the unbeliever does everything in a state of unawareness, while a Muslim does whatever he has to do by consciously accepting and realizing the fact that nothing can be accomplished without Divine Will Help and Pleasure. This realization change worldly acts into acts of devotion to, and worship of Allah.

The advantages of reciting Bismillah have been discussed in detail in "Bismillah kay Fadail-o-Masa'il" by the author's father Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi: its study shall be of great benefit.