Was the Basmala part of every surah, and why did the first revelation begin with “Read”?

The Basmala was not part of the first revelation; it was placed before that surah later. Revelation began with “Read” because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was unprepared and first had to learn to repeat the words, and because that very first sentence already gives the reason for obedience.

The first revelation came to someone who was not prepared for it. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) had never sought prophethood. He first had to understand what was expected of him. The Arabic word “Iqra” means to read, to recite and to repeat. As a first lesson, it told him that he was to repeat the words he heard.

That is why the first revelation does not begin with the Basmala but with the command to read in the name of the Lord who created. It contains an instruction and its reason at the same time. God is the Creator, and therefore obedience is due to Him. The reason is given right in the first sentence.

The Basmala of this surah was placed before it only later. This is not an exception. The arrangement of the Holy Qur’an does not follow the order in which it was revealed. That applies to the surahs as well as to the verses. Some verses that came later stand before others that came earlier. The surah containing the first revelation now stands in the last part of the book.

The permanent arrangement was fixed according to instructions the Holy Prophet (saw) received through the angel Gabriel. The order of revelation met the needs of its time. The order of the book, by contrast, was meant to last forever. That is why the time a verse came and the place where it stands today differ.