بسم الله الذي لا إله إلا هو
Bismi Allāh alladhī lā ilāha illā Huwa
Topic
“In the name of Allah, other than Whom there is no god”: said each time one undresses.
What it means
The phrase means “In the name of Allah, other than Whom there is no god.” Faruqi records that it is said each time one undresses. It places a private act under God’s name and affirms His oneness (tawḥīd) in the words lā ilāha illā Huwa, “there is no god but He”. The practice reflects the Muslim habit of beginning even small, private acts with God’s name. It is also an act of modesty, since undressing is an occasion when a person is exposed and in need of protection. The wording joins the basmala with the declaration of God’s oneness.
Often misunderstood as
That religious phrases belong only to public worship, when Muslims also use them in private matters.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 61, listed as BISMI ALLAH ALLADHĪ LĀ ILAHA ILLĀ HUWA.. The definition is restated here.