Meanings
bismillah1
- Alternative letter-case form of Bismillah.
Finally, the boy told the king that he would succeed only if he gathered all his citizens as witnesses, declared bismillah rab al-gholam—“in the name of Allah, the God of this boy”—and fired an arrow.
2013 September 20, Peter Hessler, “Keeping The Faith”, in The New Yorker
Bismillah2
alternative bismillah
- IslamIn the name of Allah! Used in belief of blessing the speaker's imminent action, especially prior to eating and drinking; sometimes used as an apotropaic.
On the night before his execution he calls God in Arabic - "Bismillah" - and so regains his soul from Satan.
2011 June 15, “Smashed Hits: What is a Bohemian Rhapsody?”, in BBC2 more examples
‘Bismillah!’ he exclaimed. ‘I call all here to witness that Rashîd, the son of Ali, called the Fair, is free henceforth to go what way he chooses.’
1918, Marmaduke Pickthall, Oriental Encounters: Palestine and Syria, London: W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., →OCLC, page 25Thus recitation of Bismillah creates a sort of firm conviction in the existence of Allah, and also develops the sense of gratitude, in the mind of the servant of Allah, for all that Allah has provided for him.
1984, Syed Anwer Ali, Qurʼan, the Fundamental Law of Human Life: Surat ul-Faateha to Surat-ul-Baqarah (sections 1-21) - IslamThe basmala; the phrase Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim (“in the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”).
In Bismillah, Allah has chosen to mention only two of His attributes, Rahman and Rahim, out of all His numerous attributes and the verse does not mention any other Divine attribute;...
2004, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Commentary on the Holy Quran: Surah Fatiha, Islam International, →ISBN, page 44
- IslamA male given name from Arabic بِاسْمِ اللَّه (bismi llāh, “in the name of God”).
It was only at the age of six years when Bismillah was sent to Varanasi to stay with his maternal uncle, Ali Baksh, who himself was a great musician and played shehnai in the premises of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
2020, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Prabhat Prakashan, →ISBN
Origin
- Arabicبِاسْمِ اللّٰه“in the name of God”
- EnglishBismillah
From Arabic بِاسْمِ اللّٰه (bismi llāh, “in the name of God”)
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bismillah. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bismillah
“bismillah.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bismillah. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bismillah,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bismillah.
Source: bismillah on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.