3. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said, on the authority of al-`Abbas ibn Ma`ruf, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya, on the authority of the person who told him that

Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked about the meaning of Bismillah al-Rahman alRahim. Thus, he answered: The ba * is the brilliance [baha] of Allah. The sin * is the splendor [sana] of Allah. And the min * is the Kingdom [mulk] of Allah.” I asked, “What about Allah?” He replied, “The A * is the blessins [ala] of Allah over His Creatures from the bounty of our Guardianship [wilayah]. The l * is the obligation of our Guardianship which Allah demand of His Creation. I further asked, “And the h *?” He answered, “It stands for the abasement of those who oppose Muhammad and his Progeny, blessings of Allah be upon them.” I enquired, “What about al-Rahman?” He responded, “Beneficent for the entire universe.” I asked, “And al-Rahim?” He replied, “The Most Merciful towards the Believers specifically.”