Dua Before Eating — Bismillah and the Forgotten-Meal Sunnah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ

Transliteration: Bismillāh

English translation: In the name of Allah.

Spiritual context

The Prophet (ﷺ) told the young ‘Umar ibn Abi Salama: “O young boy, say Bismillah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you” (Bukhari 5376). If a person forgets at the start, the Sunnah is to say: Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu — “In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end” (Abu Dawud 3767, Tirmidhi 1858).

Word-by-word meaning

• بِسْمِ — Bismi: In the name of
• اللَّهِ — Allāh: Allah
• أَوَّلَهُ — awwalahū: its beginning (if forgotten)
• وَآخِرَهُ — wa ākhirahū: and its end

How to recite

1. Say Bismillah clearly before the first bite or sip.
2. Eat with the right hand from what is nearest to you.
3. If you remember after starting, say: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ (Bismillāhi awwalahū wa ākhirahū).
4. When finished, praise Allah. A transmitted wording is: Al-hamdu lillahi hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih.

Key benefits

• Invites barakah into the meal and keeps Shaytan from sharing the food.
• Teaches children a one-word habit that scales into every daily action.
• Has a clear recovery formula if you forget, so guilt does not replace the Sunnah.

Frequently asked questions