a speaker when he says, "In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful" and then begins reciting a Sura, that his following "In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful" with the recitation of the Sura informs of the meaning of his saying "In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful", and it is understood from it that he intends thereby: "I recite in the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful." Likewise, his saying "In the name of Allah" when rising to stand, or when sitting, and in all other actions, informs of the meaning of his intention by his saying "In the name of Allah", and that he intended by his saying "In the name of Allah": "I stand in the name of Allah," and "I sit in the name of Allah." And likewise for all other actions.

And this which we have said regarding the interpretation of that is the meaning of the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās which:

138 - Abū Kurayb narrated to us, saying: ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd narrated to us, saying: Bishr ibn ʿUmāra narrated to us, saying: Abū Rawq narrated to us, from al-Ḍaḥḥāk, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, who said: Indeed, the first thing Gabriel brought down to Muḥammad, he said: "O Muḥammad, say: I seek refuge in the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Devil," then he said: "Say: In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful." He said: Gabriel said to him: Say, "In the name of Allah," O Muḥammad—meaning: Recite by mentioning Allah, your Lord, and stand and sit by mentioning Allah. (1)

Abū Jaʿfar said: If a questioner were to say to us: If the interpretation of His statement "In the name of Allah" is as you described, and that which governs the bāʾ in "In the name of Allah" is what you mentioned, then why was it said "In the name of Allah", meaning "I recite in the name of Allah," or "I stand or sit in the name of Allah"? For you know that every reciter of the Book of God recites only by God's help and grant of success, and that every person standing, sitting, or performing any action stands, sits, and acts only by God. Why then—since that is the case—was it not said "By Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful" instead of "In the name of Allah"? For a speaker's saying: "I stand and sit by Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful," or "I recite by Allah," would be clearer in meaning to his listener than his saying "In the name of Allah," since his saying "I stand" or "I sit in the name of Allah" gives the listener the impression that his standing and sitting are by something other than God.

It is said to him—and with God is success: The intended meaning of that is different from what you imagined in your mind. Rather, the meaning of his saying "In the name of Allah" is: I begin by naming Allah and mentioning Him before everything,