[Q 568] Explanation of 786 and Basmala

QUESTION:

How does 786 = basmala

ANSWER:

Firstly, understand that in the Shari‘at-e-Mutahharah (pure Islamic law), the remembrance (zikr) of Allah and Mustafa Kareem صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is مطلوب (desired). Just as zikr occurs through the tongue, it also occurs through the heart and through writing. In this matter, there is no specification of any particular language or script; rather, people of different nations perform zikr in their own languages and become deserving of reward (sawab). If this zikr is in written form, then obviously the script of that language is used. Just as the previous heavenly books were revealed in different languages, the Name of Allah was also written in those respective scripts.

Now, regarding the clarification of 786 being Bismillah Shareef: this is based upon a numerical script in which numerical values are assigned to the Arabic letters of the alphabet. For every Arabic letter, a specific and fixed numerical value has been designated, such that a particular number represents a particular Arabic letter. Similarly, if there is a sentence, the assigned numbers corresponding to all the letters present in it are added together, and through the total sum, that sentence is indicated.

Since in the Arabic script, when writing Mubarak Asma (blessed names), there is a risk of carelessness—such as pure and impure people touching it, it being thrown on the ground, and other forms of disrespect—and its proper reverence (ta‘zeem) not being upheld, therefore, to avoid such carelessness, Bismillah Shareef and other blessed names are written in numerical script to attain tabarruk (blessing) and to remain safe from possible disrespect and irreverence.

In Bismillah Shareef, there are a total of nineteen letters. For example: for “ب” the number is 2, for “س” the number is 60, for “م” the number is 40, and in the same way, when the assigned numbers for all the remaining letters are added together, the total sum becomes 786, which indicates Bismillah Shareef.

It is stated in Fatawa Bahr al-‘Uloom and other fatawa:

“In letters and correspondence, if tabarruk is taken with these names in the Arabic script, there was a risk of carelessness, that pure or impure people might touch it and it might also be thrown on the ground. Therefore, to protect it from such carelessness, a new script was devised in which numerical values were assigned to the Arabic letters of the alphabet; for example: for Alif ‘1’, for ‘Ba’ ‘2’, for ‘Jeem’ ‘3’, for ‘Daal’ ‘4’, and so on. In any ism-e-zaat (personal name of Allah) or ayat (verse), the numerical values of all the letters are added together, and the total sum is regarded as a symbol for that name or verse. For example, in بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم there are nineteen letters written. The total of their numerical values is 786. By writing this, the tabarruk of بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم is attained, and protection from the possible danger of disrespect is also achieved.”

(Fatawa Bahr al-‘Uloom, Volume 06, Page 132)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 25th February 2026.