Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 244
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ إِيَاسٍ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَبَايَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعَنِي أَبِي، وَأَنَا فِي الصَّلاَةِ، أَقُولُ: (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ) فَقَالَ لِي أَىْ بُنَىَّ مُحْدَثٌ إِيَّاكَ وَالْحَدَثَ . قَالَ وَلَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ أَبْغَضَ إِلَيْهِ الْحَدَثُ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ يَعْنِي مِنْهُ . قَالَ وَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَمَعَ عُمَرَ وَمَعَ عُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ أَسْمَعْ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ يَقُولُهَا فَلاَ تَقُلْهَا إِذَا أَنْتَ صَلَّيْتَ فَقُلِ: (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ) . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْهُمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ وَعَلِيٌّ وَغَيْرُهُمْ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ وَبِهِ يَقُولُ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ وَابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ لاَ يَرَوْنَ أَنْ يَجْهَرَ بِـ (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ) قَالُوا وَيَقُولُهَا فِي نَفْسِهِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn Mani narrated to us: Ismail ibn Ibrahim narrated to us: Sa‘id ibn Iyas al-Jurayri narrated to us, from Qays ibn Abayah, from Ibn Abd Allah ibn Mughaffal, who said: My father heard me say ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful’ while I was praying. He said: ‘My son, this is a newly introduced practice; beware of innovation.’ The narrator said: I have not seen any of the Prophet’s Companions more averse to innovations in Islam than he was. My father said: ‘I prayed with the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, and I did not hear any of them say it. So do not say it; when you pray, say: Praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.’
Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abd Allah ibn Mughaffal is hasan. Most of the Prophet’s Companions, including Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and others, as well as the Successors who came after them, acted on this. This was the view of Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, Ahmad, and Ishaq: they did not consider that one should recite the basmalah aloud; they said it should be said silently.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The compiler’s final legal note distinguishes reciting the basmalah silently from reciting it aloud.
وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْهُمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ وَعُثْمَانُ وَعَلِيٌّ وَغَيْرُهُمْ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ وَبِهِ يَقُولُ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ وَابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ لاَ يَرَوْنَ أَنْ يَجْهَرَ بِـ (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ) قَالُوا وَيَقُولُهَا فِي نَفْسِهِ .
The reported position rejects audible recitation, while expressly retaining silent recitation.
Is the distinction between audible and silent recitation unmistakable?