’ Anas ( - رضي الله عنه -) said, ‘The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) , Ab? Bakr and ‘Umar used to commence their Sal?t with “Al-Hamdulill?hi Rabbil ‘?lam?n”’. (1)
In another narration, ‘Anas ( - رضي الله عنه -) said; ‘I performed Sal?t behind the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) , Ab? Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman ( - رضي الله عنهم -) and I have never heard any of them recite “Bismill?hir Rahm?n Ar-Rah?m”’. (2)
Another wording of the had?th states: ‘They used to recite “Bismill?hir Rahm?n Ar- Rah?m” secretly’. (3)
Other narrators added: ‘They used to recite “Al-Hamdulill? h? Rabbil ‘?lam?n” loudly’. (4)
A fifth narration runs as follows: ‘They used to recite Basmalah secretly’. (5)
Many of Sah?bah, T?bi‘?n and Fuqah?’ held that reciting the Basmalah secretly is of the Sunnah such as: ‘Umar, ‘Al?, ‘Amm?r and Ibn ‘Abb?s. Different narrations ‘related different practices of the Sah?bah but all of them stated that Ibn Mas‘?d ( - رضي الله عنه -) used to recite it secretly. This view was held by Al-Hasan, Ibn S?r?n, Sufy?n and the rest of the Kufi scholars. So did Ahlul Had?th such as: Ahmad, Ish?q, Ab? ‘Ubaid and all their followers. (6)
(1) Narrated by Al-Bukh?r? in “As-Sah?h” (vol. 2 / p. 188) and At-Tirmithi in “Al-J?mi‘ “(no. 246). At-Tirmith?’s narration, however, includes the word “recitation” instead of “Sal?t”. And he added to the two Sah?bah ‘Uthm?n ( - رضي الله عنه -) as well.
(2) Narrated by Muslim in his “Sah?h” (no. 399).
(3) Narrated by Ahmad in his “Musnad” (vol. 3 / p. 264), At-Tah?w? in “Sharh Ma‘?n? Al-’?th?r) (vol. 1 / p. 119). And Ad-D?raqutn? in “As-Sunnan” (p. 119).
(4) Narrated by An-Nas?’? in “Al-Mujtab?” (vol. 2 / p. 135) and Ibn Hibb?n.
(5) Narrated by Ibn Khuzaimah in his “Sah?h” ( no. 498) and At-Tah?w? in “Sharh Ma‘?n? Al-’?th?r” (vol. 1 / p. 119). The narrators are all reliable ones who narrated many ah?d?th in the Sah?hain as mentioned by Az-Zayla‘? in “Nasbur R?yah” (vol. 1 / p. 327).
(6) “Al-Ins?f F?m? Bainal ‘Ulam?’ Minal Ikhtil?f” (vol. 2 / pp. 179 - 81). See also: “Al-I‘tib?r fin N?sikh Wal Mans?kh Minal ’?th?r” (p. 130). Many scholars compiled books on this point such as: Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibb?n, Ad-D?raqutn?, Al-Baihaq?, Ibn Abdil Barr and many others.