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Fatwa CenterSaying Bismillaah at the beginning of every act
Question
I constantly forget to say "Bismillaah" before doing anything. I know this is a problem, and want to know if there's a way to help this. Are there any Du'aa that you would recommend or any other methods I could use to help me remember to say "Bismillaah" not only before eating, but all the time?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
We do not know any special supplication that would help the person remember saying Bismillaah (i.e. in the Name of Allaah) at the beginning of eating food or in other situations.
Nonetheless, we draw your attention to the following matters:
1) It is not an obligation to say Bismillaah at the beginning of every act. Your saying that 'this is a problem', if you mean that it is a sin, then it is not and it is not an obligation to say Bismillaah at the beginning of every act. However, some scholars
are of the view that it is an obligation to say it when starting to eat, and the majority of scholars are of the view that it is desirable, and according to them it is a condition to say Bismillaah when slaughtering, and at other times on which they differed.
2) It is legislated to say Bismillaah 'when having a ritual bath, or a dry ablution, drinking, eating, slaughtering, getting on a means of transport, either an animal or a boat, and when entering and going out of the house and mosque, or wearing clothes, closing the door, turning off the lights, having sexual intercourse, and when the Imaam gets on the pulpit to deliver the Friday speech, and when closing the eyes of a dead person and when buying him.' [Extracted from one of the Maaliki Fiqh books]
3) If one forgets to say Bismillaah when starting to eat or drink, and remembers during his meal, he may say: 'Bismillaahi awwaluhu wa aakhiruhu.' 'In the name of Allaah at it’s beginning and end (i.e. the meal).' The evidence is that the Prophet 
said: "Whenever one eats food, he should say Bismillaah, and if he forgets at the beginning, he should say Bismillaah at it’s beginning and end." [Abu Daawood]
4) Even according to the opinion which is of the view that it is an obligation to say Bismillaah when starting to eat food, a person is not held accountable for it, as the Prophet said: "My nation will not be held accountable for things they forget to do or things that they do by mistake." [Ibn Maajah]
Allaah Knows best.
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