Dua If You Forget to Say Bismillah Before Eating
“Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah” is an authentic dua from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 3767. Read it below in Arabic with transliteration and an English translation, and learn when to say it.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
Transliteration: Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah.
Translation: In the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
When to recite
When you remember during a meal that you did not say Bismillah at the start.
About this dua
Narrated by A’ishah: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that when one of you eats, he should mention the name of Allah; if he forgets to do so at the beginning, he should say these words.
Source and authenticity
- Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
- Grading: Graded sahih by al-Albani.
- Read the source: Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
The English translation is our own, kept close to the Arabic. Hadith numbers follow the standard numbering used on sunnah.com.
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