economic concessions, Basmachi-style revolts had
been quashed.
See also bUkhara; tUrkey.
David Reeves
Further reading: Edward Allworth, The Modern Uzbeks
from the Fourteenth Century to the Present (Stanford,
Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 1990); Shoshana Keller,
To Moscow, Not Mecca: The Soviet Campaign against
Islam in Central Asia, 1917–1941 (Westport, Conn.:
Praeger, 2001).
basmala
The basmala, also known as the tasmiya, is an
Arabic word for the phrase bi-smillah ir-rahman
ir-rahim, “In the name of God most compassion-
ate, most merciful.” This is the first verse of the
qUran; it begins all of its chapters but one (Q
9), and it is recited before reading any part of the
Quran. According to religious authorities, people
should pronounce it before any worthwhile activ-
ity, such as a formal speech, a meal, taking medi-
cine, using the toilet, slaughtering an animal for
food, sexual intercourse with one’s spouse, and
traveling. Many recite it when they awake each
day and before going to sleep. It is believed that
whoever repeats the basmala will be granted his
or her wishes, and it is also supposed to keep
satan away. Important documents and religious
books begin with the basmala, and Muslim stu-
dents write it at the beginning of their homework
and exams. Also, Quran inscriptions on the walls
of mosqUes and other buildings begin with this
phrase. Indeed, it is perhaps the most frequently
used verse in Arabic calligraphy, where it is writ-
ten in many styles and forms. According to the
hadith, “Whoever writes the basmala beautifully
will obtain many blessings” or “enter paradise.”
Because its words are believed to be so powerful
and beneficial, it is frequently used in amulets
to help people obtain a blessing or protect them
from harm. Car bumper stickers and decals often
feature it or its numerical equivalent, 786, which
is popular in india, pakistan, and bangladesh.
The basmala has been accorded special status
in Islamic stories and commentaries, too. For
example, it is said that gabriel once told Adam,
the first human being, that the basmala was “the
word whereby the heavens and the earth came
to be, by which the water was set in motion, by
which the mountains were established steadfast
and the earth made firm, and whereby the hearts
of all creatures were strengthened” (Jeffrey, 556).
Sunni Quran commentaries mention that the
basmala contains all of the sharia in it, because
in it God gives both his essence and attributes.
The Shia respect a hadith which says that all of
the Quran is contained in the basmala and that
Ali represents the dot under the Arabic letter b in
that word, meaning that Ali, the first Shii Imam,
embodies not only the basmala, but the entire
Quran.
See also allah; baraka; names oF god; sUnn-
ism; travel.Further reading: Arthur Jeffrey, A Reader on Islam (The
Hague: Mouton & Co., 1962); Moshe Piamenta, Islam
in Everyday Arabic Speech (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1979).batin (Arabic: inward, hidden)
The idea of an inner or secret truth is one that
has intrigued religious thinkers and mystics in
many different religious traditions. In islam, this
idea is captured by the term al-batin. It is particu-
larly important in relation to the interpretation
of scripture. Sunnis are known for being in favor
of interpreting the qUran to bring forth its con-
ventional, outward (zahir) meanings, a procedure
called tafsir. Many Shii scholars, on the other
hand, have contended that although the Quran
has outward meanings that change with the pas-
sage of time, it also has inward (batin), esoteric
ones that contain eternal truths. Indeed, they have
supported key doctrines in their understanding
of Islam by a process of scriptural interpretationK 94 basmala