Is it permissible to write 786 instead Bismillah?

I have encountered some local muslims putting 786/92 on an advert in a newspaper and I also saw another local brother put it on an invitation. When I asked him the significance he did not have a clue about the significance of the /92 part but said that 786 stands for Bismillah.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

It is permissible to use the number 786 on letterheads etc if there is a fear of the name Allah being disrespected. According to the numeric values mentioned in the famous lexicon, Fairuzul Lughaat, the number 786 symbolizes Bismillahir Rahmaan Nir Raheem if the numeric value of each letter in Bismillahir Rahmaan Nir Raheem is added up.

 

Every Arabic letter has a numeric value. For example the numeric value of the letter ( ب ) Ba is 2 and the numeric value of the letter م)) Meem is 40. The numeric values of the letters that make up Bismillahir Rahmaan Nir Raheem are illustrated below:

 

ب       -------------------      2

س      -------------------    60

م        -------------------      40

ا         -------------------      1

ل        -------------------      30

ل        -------------------      30

ه        -------------------      5

ا         -------------------      1

ل        -------------------      30

ر        -------------------      200

ح       -------------------      8

م        -------------------      40

ن        -------------------      50

ا         -------------------      1

ل        -------------------      30

ر        -------------------      200

ح       -------------------      8

ي       -------------------      10

م        -------------------      40

 

Total: 786

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم = 786

 

Note: The Alifألف) ) in the word Allah ألله)) and in the word Rahmaan رحمن)) has been excluded as these two Alif's are not written in Bismillahir Rahmaan Nir Raheem although they are pronounced when recited.

 

However, the practice of substituting Bismillahir Rahmaan Nir Raheem with the number 786 is not substantiated by the Ahadith nor the Qur'aan. This was merely the practice of some of our pious predecessors. It is not a sunnah practice nor does it hold any virtue.

 

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Suhail Tarmahomed,

Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai