What is the benefit of uttering Allah’s name before starting anything?

Question: It is said that at the time of starting any work ‘Bismillah’ should be said, what is the benefit of this?

Answer: With regard to the purity of man’s action, keeping in mind the effect of the attention being paid towards Allah, it becomes evident that at the time of starting every work taking Allah’s name makes the man attentive to doing the work correctly and towards uprightness. And if in this precious command of religion there is no other benefit, then too it is enough for its importance that to say ‘Bismillah’ and to seek help from His Exalted self before the beginning of every work is itself a lesson in training and invites man towards doing the work correctly, sincerely and in upright manner and keeps away from breach of trust and evil (which in the present age is a fountainhead of most of social misfortunes).

Other than this, weak and restricted man is in need of help from Allah in every moment of his life. By saying ‘Bismillah’ he shows his humility and seeks helps from the Almighty whose Power has no end. Then the Merciful, affectionate, Almighty and Powerful Lord also puts him into His special Grace, favor and attention.

The Quran is safe from distortion

Question: Was the Quran revealed to the Prophet of Islam (a.s.) in the same form as it is presently? And what is the proof of that there was no tampering with it?

Answer: It should be kept in mind that the song of tampering with Quran was mostly sung by the Christians and the Jews. Since according to the admitted testimony of history the heavenly books of both those religions had became prey to change and tampering as the time passed and have lost their original charm, value and credence. That is why they make efforts that the Holy Quran also be polluted with allegations of distortion.

History testifies that copies of Taurah (Old Testament) were destroyed many a times during different historical calamities and especially in attack by Nebuchadnezzar on the Jews. Afterwards some Jew scholars rewrote it.[1]

Testimony is available that all the four Gospels were written many years after Hazrat Isa (a.s.) by some people. That is why there is no trace of the Injeel (New Testament), which was sent down on Hazrat Isa (a.s.).[2] Those people who have kept the foundation of all their religious principle and the field of knowledge on books, which has become so much unreliable, unauthentic and without any real value, they like that the Holy Quran also should be brought to face this same kind of destiny and say that with passing time the Holy Quran also became prey to distortion. Though in all the periods of Islamic history the collection and care of the Holy Quran was never worthy of comparison with the history of Taurah (Old Testament) and Injeel (New Testament) in the periods of Judaism and Christianity.

History shows that the style of the Holy Quran never in any Islamic period came face to face with ambiguity and complication. In this regard we should pay attention to two postulates, which provide answer to many questions.

(1) The Holy Quran is such a book, which had established revolution in all the spheres of social life of Muslims. It scattered their previous life and in that place gave existence to a new life, the foundation of which was secured on the belief of human rights. On this basis the Holy Quran was such a book, which was consistent with the actual conditions of Muslims and they were getting their political, worldly life, laws of etiquette to the extent that their homely customs and compliments were also derived from this heavenly book. They were contacting with this book during Prayers five times a day. And lastly they use to turn first towards the Holy Quran in all the affairs of their daily life and then to Holy Prophet’s (a.s.) traditions and manners.

How then is it possible that distortion can take place in the book, which is so much engrossed in the life of people and they turn towards it and take benefit from it to such an extent. And neither common nor the scholars had noticed this happening? Is there a possibility that distortion might have taken place in the Holy Quran and nobody even took note of it? It is something like that we think it to be possible that in some big community of the world, tempering with their basic laws is done and no one pays any attention to it? Is it possible that the basic laws of any community become prey to tempering but people do not understand anything? And no voice of protest is raised? The influence of basic laws on the communities of the present world is less than the influence of the Holy Quran on the community life of Muslims many times more. And that way people used to commit it to the memory that if there had been a slightest tempering in that it would have faced too much of protest, rejection and rebuttal. And objection would have come from all the corners.

 (2) Whether in the time of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) or after that history is consistent about the collection of the Holy Quran and with great importance which the Prophet (a.s.) and the Muslims were giving to the protection and copying of the Holy Quran, it is proved that in the Holy Quran due to any reason also there was no chance of even a word being reduced at any time.

(3) According to Tarikhul Quran by Abu Abdillah Zanjani, in the time of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) many learned Muslims whose number is written to be as much as 43, as per the order of the Prophet (a.s.), every verse and Surah were being written as soon as they were revealed. And those written texts of the Holy Quran were being kept among Muslims with every possible effort and arrangement the care was taken. Out of them those well-known gentlemen, who with regard to the copying of the Holy Quran doing arrangement which was many times more compared to others. Among them the name of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) tops the list. Thus the copies of the Holy Quran, which were written by young people, were present among the Muslims. And they used to come to them day and night with respect to recitation and getting benefit of the Holy Quran.

Other than that, many of the Muslims had remembered by heart the Verses and Surahs of the Holy Quran. They were very careful in memorizing the Holy Quran. And they made efforts that not a single word of that heavenly book be forgotten. Those gentlemen were called Qari (reciter of Holy Quran) and people with regard to the recitation of Quran, used to turn always towards them and get the benefit.

Muslims were so strictly guarding and taking care and were vigilant against the tempering of Quran that in the time of Caliphate of Abu Bakr many reciters of Holy Quran were killed in the battle of Yamama, so Muslims decided to pay more attention towards guarding and protecting the Holy Quran. And to fulfill this purpose they collected all the copies of the Holy Quran at a place and they ended all the possibilities of increase or decrease in it. Once again more vigorous attention was paid towards guarding those copies of the Holy Quran. In the Caliphate of Uthman also four editions were prepared from the original copies and were sent to all the Islamic provinces so that they all make the copies which they held before according to the one sent to them. And while reciting the Holy Quran they follow them. The gentlemen who were reciters of Holy Quran and other Muslims paid attention towards guarding the Holy Quran to such an extent that one day between Ubayy bin Ka’b and the Caliph of that period Uthman a difference arose regarding the Verse No. 34 of Surah Taubah.

And (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way…

Uthman bin Affan said that in the revelation by Allah the word allazina (those who) is there (i.e. without ‘Waw; coordinating conjunction’) and this letter should be removed from the editions of the Holy Quran. Whereas Ubayy’s stand was that we have heard this Verse from the Prophet (a.s.) in this way only. When the discussion prolonged Ubayy suddenly said in a very harsh tone:

“I will put sword on the shoulder and spill the blood of the person who wishes to remove this alphabet from Quran.”

Due to insistence of Ubayy the caliph took back his words.

When this all took place on the question of removing just one alphabet can it be said that the Quran has become prey to distortion? And some of it Verses are omitted?

Other than the two basic things narrated above it should also be remembered that in many Verses of the Holy Quran specific mention is there that there will be no tempering and that this heavenly book will remain protected from any alteration. It is stated that:

“We have sent Quran, and We are its Protector and Caretaker.” [Surah Hijr 15:9]

Islamic scholars and intellectuals also have in the books of exegesis and theology specifically mentioned that Islamic experts have consensus that there has been no change or tempering in the Holy Quran and if any such person who is born from among the wise persons also who has trust on the subject of the tempering, then the reason of his belief are the forged traditions which have been added into the books of traditions by those selfish people. Otherwise in the Holy Quran itself there is no indication whatsoever regarding their claim. It is obvious that such false traditions are eliminated from the angle of credence.

In other form under the influence of those traditions such belief is created whose real meaning and sense is not revealed till now. Anyway many of our intellectuals and research scholars have written books regarding this and have amply proved that alteration or change in the Holy Quran is not possible at all.

As regards the traditions that Amirul-Momineen Ali (a.s.) had a copy of Quran, which was different from other copies. These traditions are not contrary to the issue of non-existence of tempering in the Holy Quran. Because as the scholars have said, the Quran, which was collected by Amirul-Momineen Ali (a.s.) consisted of explanation of circumstances of revelation of Verses and commentaries and its elucidation, which he had heard from the Holy Prophet (a.s.). And its difference with other editions of the Holy Quran was not regarding the original text of the Quran, but it was only regarding this.

Footnotes: 

[1] Ref. Qamus-e-Maqaddas and Al-hoda Eladdinil Mustafa 
[2] Qamoos-e-Muqaddas