A Deserted Sunnah :Saying, Bismillah when you trip
Abu Al-Malih narrated that a man said: “I was riding behind the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salim) and his mount stumbled. I said: “May the Shaytan perish! The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salim) said: “ Do not say” May the Shaytan perish,” because when you say that he swells up so much that he becomes like a house and says,” By my power.” Rather say say: Bismillah (In the name of Allah), “for if you say that the Shaytan shrinks until he becomes like a fly.”
Collected by Abu Dawud (4982 ) and Ahmed (5/59) graded Sahih by Shaykh Abdul Muhsin Al-Abbadd hafidahullah
Benefits for this topic:
Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Salih Muhyadeen hafidahullah said, “Saying Bismillah when you trip is Sunnah as reported in this hadeeth. All mishaps that befall the Muslim are result of Allah’s decree not Shaytan. [ Q/A with Shaykh Abdur Rahman via telephone.]
As-Sindi said: Shaytan says, “By my power” because Shaytan believes the person has made Dua against him. The person made dua against the Shaytan with the belief that this mishap occurred, because of Shaytan.
“ Shaytan shrinks until he becomes like a fly.” Means nothing is attributed to his power, because Allah’s remembrance makes him reduce in size and humiliates him.[ Hasheeyah Musnad Imam Ahmed 5/59]
“May the Shaytan perish!...” refers to his destruction. When a person makes dua against Shaytan because of a mishap and calamity, he believes that Shaytan is the one who caused it to take place.
“he swells up so much that he becomes like a house… means he grows mighty, strong and arrogant. [ Awanul Ma’bude sharh Sunnan Abi Dawud]
Sheikh Muhammad Adam hafidahullah views that saying, “ Bismillah “ can also be done, when a person is walking with his child in the street and the child trips, or when a car accident happens, or a blowout on a tire, etc.
