A Deserted Sunnah :Saying, “ Bismillah “ when you Trip

- -
Abu Al-Malih narrated that a man said: “I was riding behind the Prophet (sallahu a
layhi wa salim) and his mount stumbled. I said: “May the Shaytan perish! The Proph
et (sallahu alayhi wa salim) said: “ Do not say” May the Shaytan perish,” because when
you say that he swells up so much that he becomes like a house and says,” By my p
ower.” Rather say say: Bismillah (In the name of Allah), “for if you say that the Sh
aytan shrinks until he becomes like a fly.”

Collected by Abu Dawud (4982 ) and Ahmed (5/59) graded Sahih by Shaykh Abdul Mu
hsin Al-Abbadd (may Allah preserve him)

Benefits for this topic:

· Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Salih Muhiyudeen (may Allah preserve him) said,
“Saying Bismillah when you trip is Sunnah as reported in this hadeeth. All mishap
s that befall the Muslim are result of Allah’s decree not Shaytan. [ Q/A between
Abu Aaliyah and Shaykh Abdur Rahman via telephone.]

· As-Sindi said: Shaytan says, “By my power” because Shaytan believes the per
son has made Dua against him. The person made dua against the Shaytan with the b
elief that this mishap occurred, because of Shaytan.

· “ Shaytan shrinks until he becomes like a fly.” Means nothing is attributed

to his power, because Allah’s remembrance makes him reduce in size and humiliates
him.[ Hasheeyah Musnad Imam Ahmed 5/59]

· “May the Shaytan perish!...” refers to his destruction. When a person makes
dua against Shaytan because of a mishap and calamity, he believes that Shaytan
is the one who caused it to take place.

· “he swells up so much that he becomes like a house… means he grows mighty, s
trong and arrogant. [ Awanul Ma’bude sharh Sunnan Abi Dawud]

· Sheikh Muhammad Adam (may Allah preserve him) views that saying, “ Bismill
ah “ can also be done, when a person is walking with his child in the street and
the child trips, or when a car accident happens, or a blowout on a tire, etc.
Translated and compiled by : Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar 1432 ©