quote from the Rimah of Shaykh Umar Futi.

According to Lubab at Ta'wil, ash Shafi and a group of the scholars maintained that is is a verse of the Fatiha, and of every Sura, apart from the Sura of Immunity (al Bara'a). This is the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Haraira, Sa'id ibn Jubair, Ibn al Mubarak. Ahmad and Ishaq, Al Baihaqi transmitted this opinion on the authority of Ali ibn Abu Talib, az Zuhri and Muhammad ibn Ka'b.

Al Awzai, Malik, and Abu Hanifa maintaned that the basmala is not a verse of the Fatiha. Abu Dawud added:"Nor is it a verse of any other Sura, and it is only a part of one verse of the Sura of the Ant (al Naml). It is only inscribed at the beginning of the Suras for the purpose of marking the division between them and invoking Allah's blessing"

Malik said: "It should not be pronounced at the beginning of the prescribed ritual prayer."

Aisha is reported as having said:
"Allah's Messenger (pbuh) used to begin the ritual prayer with the takbir and Al Hamdulillahi Rabbil alamin." Some of the scholars have said:
"the first revelation delivered by Gabriel was:

Recite: In the Name of your Lord who created (96:1)

and he did not mention the basmala at the beginning of it, so this proves that it is not part of the Sura. Besides, the Companions unanimously agreed on the number of verses in many of the Suras, including thirty verses of Sura Mulk, three verses in the Sura Kawhar, and four verses in the Sura Ikhlas. If the basmala had been part of each of those Suras, the respective numbers would have been thirty one, four, and five."

As for the evidence provided by those who maintain the establishment of the basmala at the beginning of the Suras, on the basis of tradition, they cite the authentic report from Umm Salama(ra) who said

"The Prophet (pbuh) recited the basmala at the beginning of the Fatiha in the ritual prayer, and he considered it a verse thereof."

Concerning the saying of Allah

We have given you seven of the oft repeated (verses) and the mighty Quran(15:87)

it is reported that Ibn Abbas(ra) said:
"They are the Opening Sura of the Book." when he was asked: "So where is the seventh?" he replied: "Bismillah Rahman Raheem"

As reported by ad Daraqutni on the authority of Abu Huraira, Allah's Messenger said:

When you recite "Al Hamdulillah Rabbil Alamin," you must recite "Bismillahi Rahman Raheem" because it is the Mother of the Quran and the Mother of the Book. As for the seven oft repeated verses the Basmala is one of them."

Sidi Muhammad al Ghali instructed me (Shaykh Umar Futi), while we were in Medina the Illumined, to recite the basmala at the beginning of the Fatiha in the ritual prayer and on other occasions. He authorized me to practice that myself and to pass it on. He was acting on the advice of our master and our means to access to our Lord, the Hidden Pole (Qutb al Maktum) and the Sealed Isthmus (al Barzakh al Makhtum), our Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad al Hasani at Tijani(ra), for he had instructed him to act accordingly and he had received permission from the Chieftan of Existance, our master and our patron Muhammad(pbuh).

Sidi Muhammad al Ghali also told me, while we were in Mecca the Ennobled, that I should recite the basmala connected with the Fatiha in a single breath, in the ritual prayer and on other occasions. He had received that advice from Sidina Shaykh Tijani. He also informed me of secrets related thereto, including those inscribed on a sheet of paper which he game me. The text of it reads as follows:

Shaykh al Qadi Majd ad Deen al Firuzabadi said:

By Allah, the Almighty, Shaykh Safiyyu Deen al Ba'labakki informed me, on the authority of Shaykh Qaruni, that Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Arabi al Hatimi said:

When you recite the Fatiha, you must say:
Bismillahi ar Rahman ar Raheem in a single breath, for I have this to tell you:

By Allah the Almighty, I heard from the mouth of Abu Bakr al Fudail ibn Muhammad al Katib:

By Allah the Almighty, I heard from the mouth of Abu Muhammad Ali as Salisi

By Allah the Almighty, Abdullah well known as Abu Nasr as Sarkhawi infomed me:

By Allah the Almighty Abu Abdullah al Warraq informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Muhammad ibn Yunus at Tawil informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Muhammad ibn al Husain al Alawi az Zahid informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Abu Bakr ar Rajii informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Umar ibn Musa al Barmaki informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Anas ibn Malik(ra) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Ali ibn Abi Talib(ra) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Abu Bakr as Siddiq(ra) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty the Chosen One (al Mustafa)(pbuh) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Gabriel (as) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Michael (as) informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Israfil (as) informed me:

Allah said: "O Israfil, by My Might and My Majesty and My Magnanimity and My Noble Generosity, if someone recites [Bismillahi ar Rahman ar Raheem] conncected with the Opening Sura of the Book [Fatiha al Kitab], one single time, bear witness that I have forgiven him, that I have accepted his good deeds, that I have pardoned his misdeeds, that I will not burn his tongue with the Fire, and that I will grant him refuge from the torment of the tomb, the torment of the Fire, the torment of the Day of Resurrection, and the greatest terror......"