Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim

It is reported about Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he was asked about reciting "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" aloud (when reciting during prayer), and he said: "We used to consider it the way the Bedouins recite."
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator Abu Sa'd al-Baqqal; he is "thiqah" (trustworthy) but a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), and he narrated this with 'an'anah (using "from"). The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sa'id bin Yazid narrates: I asked Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): "Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (begin his audible recitation) by reciting 'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim', or did he begin by reciting 'Al-hamdu lillah'?" Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You have asked me about something that no one before you has asked me about."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are "thiqat" (trustworthy).

One of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (the narrator Nafi' says: I think she was Sayyidah Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her)) was asked about the recitation of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). She said: "You are not able to do it." It was said to her: "Just tell us about it." The narrator says: So she recited; she recited slowly and deliberately. The narrator says: Then Ibn Abi Mulaykah demonstrated that recitation for us: he recited "Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin", then paused; recited "Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim", then paused; then recited "Maliki yawmid-din".
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Ibrahim al-Sa'igh narrates: I asked Matar al-Warraq, saying: "Do you recite 'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim' and 'A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim' in every rak'ah and at the beginning of every surah?" He replied: Qatadah narrated to me, from Muhammad bin Sirin, from Sayyiduna Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) and Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "These are two pauses which a person observes within himself: when he begins the prayer, and when he rises from the sitting after two rak'ahs."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator Rayhan Abu Ghassan, whom I do not know; the remaining narrators of this report are "thiqat" (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim", the polytheists would mock him, saying: "Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is mentioning the god of Yamamah," because Musaylimah had named himself "al-Rahman al-Rahim". When this verse was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that this verse not be recited aloud.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" quietly.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Abu Wa'il narrates: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) did not recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" aloud, nor did they say "A'udhu billah" or "Amin" aloud.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator Abu Sa'd al-Baqqal; he is "thiqah" (trustworthy) and a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" aloud in prayer. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Abu Dawud and others have recorded this narration, but it does not mention reciting it aloud.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not know the end of a surah until "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" was revealed. When "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" was revealed, it became known that the surah had ended and the next surah had begun, or that another surah had started (that is, the narrator was unsure of the wording here). (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Abu Dawud recorded only these words of this narration: "He would not know the end of a surah until Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim was revealed."
Al-Bazzar recorded it with two chains, and the narrators of one of them are the narrators of the "Sahih".

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).

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" aloud.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator Jabir al-Ju'fi, whom Shu'bah, al-Thawri and Zuhayr bin Mu'awiyah declared "thiqah" (trustworthy); he is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), and people have declared him da'if (weak).

Nafi' narrates: When Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) began the prayer, he would recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" before Surah al-Fatihah, and also recite "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" before the surah after it, and he would mention that he had heard this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Umar al-Umari, and he is extremely "da'if" (weak).

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not leave the mosque until I teach you a verse of a surah that was not revealed to anyone before me except Sayyiduna Sulayman bin Dawud (peace be upon them both)." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to go out, until he reached the threshold of the door, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "With what do you begin your recitation?" I said: "With 'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim'." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is it, that is it." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put his other foot outside as well.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator Abd al-Karim bin Abi al-Mukhariq, and he is weak because of his poor memory; its chain also contains narrators whom I do not know.