Understanding the Absence of ‘Bismillah’ in Surah at-Tawbah: Insights from Ibn Kathir
WHY THERE IS NO BISMILLAH IN THE BEGINNING OF SURAH AT-TAWBAH
This honorable Surah (at-Tawbah) was one of the last Surahs to be revealed to the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ).
Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara said, “The last Ayah to be revealed was,
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى الْكَلَـلَةِ
They ask you for a legal verdict. Say: “ALLĀH directs (thus) about Al-Kalalah.” (4:176),
while the last Surah to be revealed was Bara’ah (at-Tawbah).”
The Basmalah was not mentioned in the beginning of this Surah because the Companions did not write it in the complete copy of the Qur’an (Mushaf) they collected, following the Commander of the faithful, ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan, may ALLĀH be pleased with him.
At-Tirmidhi recorded from Ibn Abbās, who said: “I said to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan: ‘What was your reasoning with Al-Anfal – while it is from the Muthani (Surah with less than one-hundred Ayat), and Bara’ah while it is from the Mi’in (Surah with about one-hundred Ayat), then you put them together, without writing the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and you placed them with the seven long (Surah) – why did you do that?’
So ‘Uthman said: ‘A long time might pass upon the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) without anything being revealed to him, and then sometimes a Surah with numerous (Ayat) might be revealed. So when something was revealed, he would call for someone who could write, and say: “Put these Ayat in the Surah which mentions this and that in it.” When an Ayah was revealed, he would say: “Put this Ayah in the Surah which mentions this and that in it.” Now Al-Anfal was among the first of those revealed in Al-Madinah, and Bara’ah among the last of those revealed of the Qur’an, and its narrations (those of Bara’ah) resembled its narrations (those of Al-Anfal), so we thought that it was part of it. Then the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) died, and it was not made clear to us whether it was part of it. So it is for this reason that we put them together without writing Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and we put that with the seven long (Surahs).'”
It was also narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak…
{Tafsir Ibn Kathīr}
#ibnkathir #tawbah (9:2)