The Ruling on the Basmala and Seeking Refuge at the Beginning of Surahs

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Question:
May Allah reward you. This questioner from Ha'il, spelled H-A-Dal, says: I hope for a clarification of the ruling on the Basmala and seeking refuge when beginning a surah?

Answer:
The basmalah and the seeking of refuge at the beginning of surahs are recommended, and the basmalah or the seeking of refuge is not obligatory; rather, this falls under the category of recommendation. This is because Allah the Exalted said:

So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

[An-Nahl 16:98]

and because the basmalah was revealed or sent down from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to open the surahs. It is a verse of the Qur'an, an independent verse that does not belong to a specific surah; rather, it was revealed to separate the surahs, except for al-Bara'ah and al-Anfal. It is part of a verse from Surat al-Naml, where Allah the Exalted said:

Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it reads: 'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

[An-Naml 27:30]

So in that location, it is part of a verse from Surat al-Naml. As for in any other location, it is an independent verse, not part of Surat al-Fatihah or any other surah. Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 6473- حكم البسملة والاستعاذة في بداية السور - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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