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Fatwa CenterStarting supplication with Basmalah not obligatory
Question
Is it mandatory in the supplication or in Thikr (expressions of remembrance of Allaah) to start with the Basmalah (saying 'Bismillaahi-r-Rahmaani-r-Raheem' [In the name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful]), or can we just start without it? Does a person bear any sin if he does not say the Basmalah? What if someone forget to say it?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is not mandatory to start a supplication or Thikr with the Basmalah, and the person who does not say it at the start of a supplication does not bear a sin. Rather, scholars underlined that it is not prescribed to start the supplication with the Basmalah. Al-Qaraafi 
said in his book Al-Furooq:
“The actions of people can be classified into three categories in this regard: actions wherein the Basmalah is prescribed, actions wherein it is not prescribed, and actions wherein it is disliked.
The first category includes (acts of worship such as) the ritual shower, ablution, dry ablution (scholars held different views in this regard), slaughtering the animal sacrifices, and reciting the Quran. It also includes lawful actions such as eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse.
The second category includes obligatory prayers, Athaan, Hajj, ‘Umrah, Thikr, and supplications.
The third category includes all prohibited actions, because the reason for reciting the Basmalah before actions is to receive the blessings of Allah in the action; and we do not want the prohibited action to be blessed and increased; and the same applies to disliked actions.” [Al-Furooq]
It is prescribed to start the supplication with praising Allah, The Exalted, and invoking blessings upon the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Encyclopedia of Fiqh reads:
“An-Nawawi said, 'The scholars unanimously agreed that it is recommended to start the supplication with praise of Allah, then to invoke blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and to conclude the supplication with them, as underlined in many famous ahaadeeth in this regard. For instance, it was narrated on the authority of Fadhaalah ibn ‘Ubayd, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard a person supplicate during prayer. He did not glorify Allah nor invoke blessings on the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, 'He made haste.' He then called him and said to him or to others, 'If any of you supplicates, he should start by glorifying his Lord and praising Him, then he invokes blessings on the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and thereafter he may supplicate Allah with whatever he wishes.'’”
Allah knows best.
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