Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "'Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin' consists of seven verses, one of which is 'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim'. It is the Seven Oft-Repeated (al-Sab' al-Mathani) and the Mighty Qur'an; it is the Mother of the Qur'an (Umm al-Qur'an) and the Opening of the Book (Fatihat al-Kitab)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are "thiqat" (trustworthy).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2635
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ صحیح۔
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه المعجم الأوسط للطبراني برقم: 5098»