Basmala

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Basmala (Arab.). The saying of Bismi'llah, ‘in the Name of Allāh’, invoking a blessing upon every action and undertaking of a Muslim. The full form is bismillāhi (ar-)raḥmāni (ar-)raḥīm, ‘in the Name of Allah the merciful the compassionate’. Cf. also ḤAMDALA, the saying of alḥamdu li 'illāh, ‘praise belongs to Allāh’, which precedes the writing of any formal document.