For many of us, the day begins with a \u00abBismillah\u00bb half-awake and ends with an \u00abAlhamdulillah\u00bb on the couch. We don\u2019t even notice them anymore. These Arabic words cross our sentences in French, Dutch or German at work and on the phone with our families back home. They have become our intimate language.<\/p>\n
Here are the twelve most common ones: what they exactly mean when they are said, where they come from in the Quran and the Sunna, and how some end up finding a place on our walls.<\/p>\n
In Islam, remembering God is not limited to the five prayers. The dhikr<\/em> (Mentioned<\/span>, The reminder) slips into ordinary gestures: eating, going out, receiving good news, sneezing. Each little phrase connects a banal moment to something greater.<\/p>\n \"It is by the remembrance of Allah that the hearts are at peace.\"<\/p>\n \u00ab Is it not by the mention of Allah that hearts are calmed?\u00bb<\/p>\n Quran, Surah Ar-Ra\u2019d (13), verse 28 \u00b7 translation of the meaning<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For families from the diaspora, there is one more reason. Our children grow up between two languages and these expressions are often the first Arabic words they remember. Even before they know how to read, they know that they say Bismillah before eating. It is a subtle transmission, which passes through the ear and through habit.<\/p>\n Bismillah (In the name of Allah<\/span>, pronounced bis-mil-lah<\/em>) is the short form of \u00abBismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim\u00bb, \u00abin the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful\u00bb. It is the phrase that opens almost all the surahs of the Quran. It is said before eating, drinking, embarking on a journey, entering one's home, or undertaking a difficult task.<\/p>\n The Prophet \ufdfa taught it simply to a child, Umar ibn Abi Salama, who ate by dipping everything in his plate:<\/p>\n \u00abMy son, mention the name of Allah, eat from your right hand and eat from what is in front of you,\u00bb he said.\u00bb<\/p>\n Hadith reported by al-Bukhari (5376) and Muslim (2022)<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is also a hadith that speaks directly about the house: when one mentions God when entering the house and at mealtime, the devil says that he will find neither shelter nor food (reported by Muslim, 2018). That is why the word Bismillah has such a meaning near the entrance door or in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n
The 12 Muslim words of everyday life, at a glance<\/h2>\n
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\n \nMot<\/th>\n Arabic<\/th>\n Sense<\/th>\n When you say it<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Bismillah<\/td>\n In the name of Allah<\/span><\/td>\n In the name of God<\/td>\n Before you start: eating, going out, driving, working<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Alhamdulillah<\/td>\n Thank God<\/span><\/td>\n Praise to God<\/td>\n After a meal, good news, a sneeze, or to say \u00abit's okay\u00bb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Salam \/ As-salamu alaykum<\/td>\n Peace be upon you<\/span><\/td>\n Peace be upon you<\/td>\n To greet when arriving or entering your home<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n InshaAllah<\/td>\n God willing<\/span><\/td>\n If God wills it<\/td>\n When we talk about a project or the future<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n MachaAllah<\/td>\n By Allah, as it should be.<\/span><\/td>\n What God wanted<\/td>\n To admire something beautiful without being jealous<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n SubhanAllah<\/td>\n Praise be to Allah<\/span><\/td>\n Glory to God<\/td>\n To the astonishment, the beauty of nature<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Allahu akbar<\/td>\n Allahu Akbar<\/span><\/td>\n God is greater<\/td>\n In prayer, and in joy or emotion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Astaghfirullah<\/td>\n I beg Allah's forgiveness<\/span><\/td>\n I ask God's forgiveness<\/td>\n After a mistake, one too many words<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n BarakAllahu got<\/td>\n God bless you<\/span><\/td>\n May God bless you<\/td>\n To thank or congratulate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n JazakAllahu khayran<\/td>\n May Allah reward you well<\/span><\/td>\n May God reward you with good<\/td>\n To thank someone for a service<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sabr<\/td>\n Patience<\/span><\/td>\n Patience, endurance<\/td>\n To encourage in an event<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mubarak<\/td>\n Mubarak<\/span><\/td>\n Blessed<\/td>\n In the wishes: Ramadan Mubarak, Eid Mubarak<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Bismillah: in the name of God, to start well<\/h2>\n
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