Ar-Rahman (الرحمن): Meaning of Allah’s Name

All of these Names are close in meaning, and all of them point to describing the Lord with Mercy, Generosity, Kindness, and to the great expanse of His Mercy and Generosity that encompasses all that is in existence, being granted in accordance to what His Wisdom dictates. The believers have been specifically singled out for this, and they are granted a goodly and the best portion of this, as Allaah said,

"My Mercy encompasses all things and I shall decree it for those who have taqwaa." (7:56)

So the blessings and the good are all from the effects of His Mercy, Generosity and Kindness just as all the goodness in this world and in the Hereafter is from the effects of His Mercy.

" 'Verily, we used to invoke Him Alone before. Verily He is the Generous, the Most Merciful.' " (52:28)

"O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Kind." (82:6)

"And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, (Allaah would have hastened the Punishment). And that Allaah is the Kind, the Most Merciful." (24:20)

"(They say): 'Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us Mercy from You. Truly you are the Bestower.' " (3:8)

God, the Exalted, said: “And your Ilah (God) is one Ilah (God-Allah), La ilaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”. (Al-Baqrrah: 163)

These two Glorious Names are derived from the word (Ar-Rahma), which means the exaggeration of (mercy). (Ar-Rahma) also means: tenderness, graciousness, sympathy, compassion and kindness.

(Ar-Rahman) is more powerful linguistically than (Ar-Raheem) as It comprehends all meanings of mercy; therefore, the differences between (Ar-Rahman) and (Ar-Raheem) are:

1- (Ar-Rahman) is the One Who has comprehensive mercy, a mercy that has no equal for it, that has encompassed all the creation: human beings and jinn, believers and disbelievers- in this life-, and the believers in the Hereafter. (Ar-Raheem) is the One with wide mercy to the believers during Doomsday, and it is exclusive to them, and thus the believers have the largest share of these two Names.

2- (Ar-Rahman) is indicative of the intrinsic self attribute which is adhered to Him all the time, whereas (Ar-Raheem) is indicative of effective attribute which is related to His Will and Desire.

3- (Ar-Rahman) is an exclusive Name to God, the Exalted, and cannot be called on anyone else, whereas (Ar-Raheem) can be named for the slave.

The Vastness of the Mercy of God, the Exalted: The combination of these two Glorious Names indicates the perfection of His Mercy and its vastness, for whatever benefits, happiness and good things that ever happen within all of the universe, they happen as a result of His Mercy, and whatever evil, problems and bad things He prevented them from, is also as a result of His Mercy; therefore He often combines the Name (Ar-Rahman), the Most Merciful with His settling over His Throne, because the Throne is the greatest of all that was created and It is also surrounding them (the created) and the Mercy is the widest of all attributes; therefore, He had settled over the greatest creature by His Widest Attributes.

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