ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٣
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
رَحْمٰن
Rahman: meaning of the name
Boy Arabic origin Raḥmān
In the Quran“The Most Merciful”, a name proper to Allah
The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Al-Fatihah 1:3.
Rahman in Islam
Al-Rahman opens every surah but one, in the basmala, and gives its name to Surah 55. The Quran says: “Call upon Allah or call upon al-Rahman: whichever name you call upon, to Him belong the most beautiful names” (17:110). The Prophet ﷺ said: “The names most beloved to Allah are ʿAbd Allah and ʿAbd al-Rahman” (Muslim 2132).
Meaning of the name Rahman
Rahman is an intensive form of the root r-h-m of mercy: “He whose mercy is immense and encompasses all things”. Al-Rahman is one of the divine names most often cited in the Quran, and scholars hold it to be proper to Allah. In Turkey and South Asia, Rahman is nevertheless given alone, often as a short form of ʿAbd al-Rahman.
- In Arabic
- رَحْمٰن رحمن
- Transliteration
- Raḥmān
- Root
- ر ح م · 339 occurrences in the Quran
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Arabic
Is Rahman in the Quran?
Yes: the word Rahman appears in the Quran 57 times, in 18 surahs.
ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ١
The Most Merciful
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا ١١٠
Say, "Call upon Allāh or call upon the Most Merciful [ar-Raḥmān]. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ١
In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
52 other verses
- Al-Baqarah 2:163
- Ar-Ra’d 13:30
- Maryam 19:18
- Maryam 19:26
- Maryam 19:44
- Maryam 19:45
- Maryam 19:58
- Maryam 19:61
- Maryam 19:69
- Maryam 19:75
- Maryam 19:78
- Maryam 19:85
- Maryam 19:87
- Maryam 19:88
- Maryam 19:91
- Maryam 19:92
- Maryam 19:93
- Maryam 19:96
- Taha 20:5
- Taha 20:90
- Taha 20:108
- Taha 20:109
- Al-Anbya 21:26
- Al-Anbya 21:36
- Al-Anbya 21:42
- Al-Anbya 21:112
- Al-Furqan 25:26
- Al-Furqan 25:59
- Al-Furqan 25:60
- Al-Furqan 25:63
- Ash-Shu’ara 26:5
- An-Naml 27:30
- Ya-Sin 36:11
- Ya-Sin 36:15
- Ya-Sin 36:23
- Ya-Sin 36:52
- Fussilat 41:2
- Az-Zukhruf 43:17
- Az-Zukhruf 43:19
- Az-Zukhruf 43:20
- Az-Zukhruf 43:33
- Az-Zukhruf 43:36
- Az-Zukhruf 43:45
- Az-Zukhruf 43:81
- Qaf 50:33
- Al-Hashr 59:22
- Al-Mulk 67:3
- Al-Mulk 67:19
- Al-Mulk 67:20
- Al-Mulk 67:29
- An-Naba 78:37
- An-Naba 78:38
All the words of the root ر ح م in the Quran (339 occurrences)
In the hadiths
Authentic
Sahih Muslim 2132
Indeed, the dearest of your names to Allah is ‘Abdullah and ‘Abdur-Rahmān
"Indeed, the dearest of your names to Allah is ‘Abdullah and ‘Abdur-Rahmān."
إِنَّ أَحَبَّ أَسْمَائِكُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ "
Is this name permissible?
Scholars count al-Rahman among the names proper to Allah, which are not given to a creature; they rely in particular on the verse “Do you know of any namesake for Him?” (19:65). Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaʾ lists such names among forbidden names; the recommended name is ʿAbd al-Rahman, “servant of the Most Merciful”.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
Writing Rahman in each language
- French
- Rahmane, Rahman
- English
- Rahman
- Spanish
- Rahman
- Turkish
- Rahman
- Arabic
- رَحْمٰن