“Bismillah”, (In the Name of God), is the start of all things good. We too shall start to it. If you want to know what an inexhaustible strength, what an unending source of bounty is “Bismillah”, listen to the following story which is in the form of a comparison
"Someone who makes a journey through the deserts of
Arabia has to travel in the name of a tribal chief and enter under his
protection, for in this way he may be saved from the assaults of bandits and
secure his needs. On his own he will perish in the face of innumerable enemies
and needs. And so, two men went on such a journey and entered the desert. One of
them was modest and humble, the other proud and conceited. The humble man
assumed the name of a tribal chief, while the proud man did not. The first
travelled safely wherever he went. If he encountered bandits, he said: "I am
travelling in the name of such-and-such tribal leader," and they would not hurt
him. If he came to some tents, he would be treated respectfully due to the name.
But the proud man suffered such calamities throughout his journey that they
cannot be described. He both trembled before everything and begged from
everything. He was abased and became an object of scorn. "
And so, my proud soul! You are the traveler, and this world is a desert. Your
impotence and poverty have no limit, and your enemies and needs are endless.
Since it is thus, take the name of the Pre-Eternal Ruler and Post-Eternal Lord
of the desert and be saved from begging before the whole universe and trembling
before every event. The person who acts saying, "In the Name of God," resembles
someone who enrolls in the army. He acts in the name of the government. In the
same way, all things act in the name of Almighty God. He has fear of no one; he
speaks, performs every matter, and withstands everything in the name of Allah.
Oh man! You should know that there is a way to ascend to the throne of Divine Mercy, and that is, bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm. If you want to understand how important this way of ascent is, look at the beginning of the one hundred and fourteen chapters of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, and at the beginnings of all estimable books, and at the start of all good works. And a clear proof of the God-determined grandeur of “Bismillah” is that the very foremost Islamic scholars like Imam Shafi'i (may God be pleased with him) said: "Although bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm is one verse, it
was revealed one hundred and fourteen times in the
Qur'an."
-Said
Nursi
Excerpt taken from “The First
Word” in Words
impotence and poverty have no limit, and your enemies and needs are endless.
Since it is thus, take the name of the Pre-Eternal Ruler and Post-Eternal Lord
of the desert and be saved from begging before the whole universe and trembling
before every event. The person who acts saying, "In the Name of God," resembles
someone who enrolls in the army. He acts in the name of the government. In the
same way, all things act in the name of Almighty God. He has fear of no one; he
speaks, performs every matter, and withstands everything in the name of Allah.
Oh man! You should know that there is a way to ascend to the throne of Divine Mercy, and that is, bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm. If you want to understand how important this way of ascent is, look at the beginning of the one hundred and fourteen chapters of the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition, and at the beginnings of all estimable books, and at the start of all good works. And a clear proof of the God-determined grandeur of “Bismillah” is that the very foremost Islamic scholars like Imam Shafi'i (may God be pleased with him) said: "Although bismillāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm is one verse, it
was revealed one hundred and fourteen times in the
Qur'an."
-Said
Nursi
Excerpt taken from “The First
Word” in Words