The Book of Divine Unity · Hadith 286 (#Ḥadīth #1)
Chapter 31 | The Meaning of “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”
1 - حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق الطالقاني رضي الله عنه، قال: أخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد مولى بني هاشم، عن علي بن الحسن بن علي بن فضال، عن أبيه، قال: سألت الرضا علي بن موسى عليهما السلام، عن بسم الله، قال: معنى قول القائل بسم الله أي أسم على نفسي سمة من سمات الله عز وجل وهي العبادة قال: فقلت له: ما السمة؟ فقال: العلامة.
1. Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa`id master of the Bani Hashim reported to us, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn `Ali ibn Fuddal, on the authority of his father that I asked al-Rida `Ali ibn Musa about the meaning of Bismillah: He said: “The meaning of the statement Bismillah is ‘I mark myself with one of the traits of Allah, the Mighty and High’ and that is true service.” I asked him, “What is al-simah?” Therefore, he replied, “It is the mark.”
Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).