Having understood this, you should know that as a whole the Qur'an is sustenance for hearts and strength, and its repetition causes not boredom, but for the most part delight and pleasure. Similarly, in the Qur'an are parts that are the spirit of that sustenance and strength; the more they are repeated, the more brilliantly they shine, scattering lights of truth and reality. Among these latter are some like the "Bismillâh (In the Name of Allâh, the Merciful, the Compassionate)" that are essential principles, sources of life, and embodied eternal lights. Savour them, if you have any taste! But this is dependent on acceptance of the repetitions. The story of Moses may be taken as an example: in each place (maqâm) [it is found, it is repeated] for one of the aspects it comprises. It is more useful than the parts of his staff; the Qur'an takes it as silver in its white, shining hand and pours it out as gold so that the sorcerers of rhetoric prostrated before its eloquence.

Similarly, in the "Bismillâh" there are different facets, some expressing the seeking of help and blessings; some looking to the subject [of the sura in question], indeed, its aim; others indicating that it is an index of the fundamental points of the Qur'an.

Also contained in the "Bismillâh" are different levels [of meaning], those of divine unity (tawhîd), and declaring Allâh free of human attributes (tan-zîh), and praise, and divine glory (jalâl) and beauty (Jamâl), and that of working righteousness (ihsan), and so on.

The "Bismillâh" also infers various ordinances: for instance it indicates divine unity, prophethood, the resurrection of the dead, and justice; that is, the Qur'an's well-known four [main] aims. Most suras have [only] one of them as its primary aim, while the rest are secondary. So why shouldn't one of the Bismillâh's facets or ordinances or levels [of meaning] have a particular relation with the spirit of the sura [in question], and be the topic of that context, indeed, a concise index of all those aspects and levels?

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