ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, was the Prophet’s stepson—that is, the son of his wife Umm Salamah. The Messenger of Allah once set food before him while he was still a young boy, and the child’s hand began to wander all over the dish. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never missed an opportunity to teach, even the very young, so he said to him: “Mention Allah’s name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of you.” In this way the Prophet imparted three manners of eating to the boy.

First: he said, “Mention Allah’s name,” meaning, say bismillah (“In the name of Allah”). It is perfectly acceptable for a person to add al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm (“the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful”), for Allah praises Himself with these two Names in the basmala of the Noble Quran—bismillah al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm. Whoever says bismillah al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm incurs no blame, and whoever suffices with bismillah alone has fulfilled the requirement.

Pronouncing the basmala before eating is obligatory. Whoever omits it deliberately is sinful, and Satan shares in his food. No one would tolerate an enemy sharing his meal—so how could anyone be content for Satan to do so? Thus, if you fail to say bismillah, Satan partakes with you. If you forget to pronounce it at the beginning but remember while eating, then say: bismillah awwalahu wa ākhirahu (“In the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end”), just as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, directed in the ḥadith narrated by ʿĀʾishah and recorded by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī.