Ar-Rahim
Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem (Ar- Rahim) are two of the names of Allah which refer to Allah’s attribute of being Merciful. Although similarly related the meanings are different. Ar-Rahmaan refers to the vastness of Allah’s mercy, and Ar-Raheem refers specifically to His mercy he bestows on His creation.
From the root r-h-m which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to have tenderness, gentleness, kindness to love to have mercy, to have pity to show favor and goodness to have all that is required for beneficence
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Quran 39:53)
The Prophet said to us, “Do you think this woman could throw her child in the fire?” We said, “No, not if she is able to stop it.” The Prophet said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child.”
Source: Sahih Bukhari 5653 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):
“Verily Allah has written down the good deeds and the evil deeds, and then explained it: “Whosoever intended to perform a good deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down as a completed good deed. And if he intended to perform it and then did perform it, then Allah writes it down as from ten good deeds up to seven hundred times, up to many times multiplied. And if he intended to perform an evil deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down as a complete good deed. And if he intended it [i.e., the evil deed] and then performed it, then Allah writes it down as one evil deed.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
“Say: ‘He is the All-merciful'” (Quran 67:29)
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Name: |
Ar-Rahim |
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Ar-Rahim in Arabic: |
ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ |
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Arabic root: |
(ر ح م) |
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Ar-Rahim meaning in English: |
The Most Merciful, The Extremely Kind, The Most Compassionate |
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Ar-Rahim meaning in Urdu: |
بڑا مہربان |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
114 times |
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Tasbeeh: |
Recite Ar-Rahim 100 times after prayers, especially Fajr prayers, for protection from hardships and tribulation. |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
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Ar-Rahim (Arabic: ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ) is one of the 99 names of Allah. It is translated to the most Merciful, the Extremely Kind, and the most Compassionate. Ar-Rahim describes Allah's continuous mercy and compassion towards all creatures, particularly His believers.
Ar-Rahim comes from the Arabic root ra-haa-meem (ر ح م), which suggests kindness, gentleness, tenderness, and Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) love towards mercy, pity, favor, and goodness. In the Quran, Allah says:
Say, O Prophet, that Allah says, "O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah's mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. - (Al-Quran 39:53)
Ar-Rahim may also be considered as a more specific mercy for the believers or Al-mu’mineen. For instance, Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) mercy and kindness during Ramadan are only meant for Muslims who fast in Ramadan and follow the attributes of the sacred month. This aspect can be explained by the following ayah:
هُوَ الَّذِىۡ يُصَلِّىۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمَلٰٓـئِكَتُه لِيُخۡرِجَكُمۡ مِّنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَى النُّوۡر ؕ وَكَانَ بِالۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ رَحِيۡمًا
He is the One Who showers His blessings upon you – and His angels pray for you – so that He may bring you out of darkness and into light. For He is ever Merciful to the believers.
The attributes of Ar-Rahim have also been highlighted by the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). Hazrat Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:
"When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath." (Sahih Muslim 2751a)
Umar bin Al-Khattab (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that during an incident the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Do you think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?" We replied, "No if she has the power not to throw it (in the fire)." The Prophet then said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5999)
The name Ar-Rahim is mentioned 114 times in the Holy Quran, which is twice as much as Ar-Rahman. Ar-Rahim is also a part of Bismillah, the most important dua that we recite before beginning any task to seek His favor.
Believing in Allah's infinite Mercy for His creation and particularly for His believers makes an individual reflect on their traits of mercy and kindness. Doing Dhikr of Ar-Rahim during solitude and moments of reflection helps enhance our inherent nature of mercy and compassion. It is narrated by Jarir bin Abdullah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) that Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind”. (Sahih al-Bukhari 7376)
Ar-Rahim is also one of the names that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) uses to describe Himself in the Holy Quran:
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ
Say, O Prophet, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Compassionate – whichever you call, He has the Most Beautiful Names." - (Al-Quran 17:110)
Reciting Ar-Rahim or Ya Rahim 100 times after prayers, especially Fajr prayers, will keep a person protected from hardships and tribulation. It will also make the people around him merciful and benevolent towards him. Doing Dhikr or Ar-Rahman as part of our daily routine also invites Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) Mercy and compassion and keeps us protected from evil and hardship. It is suggested that one should recite Subhan Allah, Ar-Rahman-Ar-Raheem, and Alhumdulilah (33 times each) every day to seek Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) everlasting mercy.
The root of Ar-Rahim implies mercy, care, and kindness. It is a great name for children and encourages them to embrace their inherent kindness and compassion through their words and deeds. It also guides them to hold on to their faith throughout life and pass on these virtues to the next generations. However, since the name Ar-Rahim is Allah's name and Allah's quality, the child's full name should be Abd Ar-Rahim, which is translated to Ar-Rahim's servant. Abd (Arabic: عبد) means someone who worships (Arabic: عبادة, 'ibādah, also spelled ibada). It is also taken to mean someone who is subordinated as a slave or a servant.
The names Ar-Rahim and Ar-Rahman (the Beneficent) have similar roots and highlight Allah's attributes of mercy, generosity, and kindness. Other names with similar meanings to Ar-Rahim include:
Al-Ghaffar (The Most Forgiving)
Al-Ghafoor (All-Forgiving)
Al-Wadud (The All-Loving)
At-Tawwaab (The Ever-Acceptor of Repentance)
Al-Afuww (The Supreme Pardoner)
Ar-Ra’uf (The Benign One)
Despite having similar roots, both these attributes of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) imply different meanings. The name Ar-Rahman means that Allah is the source of all mercy, while Ar-Rahim signifies the infiniteness of this mercy. Ar-Rahman describes the attribute of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), i.e., mercy, whereas Ar-Rahim signifies action, i.e., He is Merciful towards His creation and especially the believers. So, in combination, Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim imply that Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) mercy is limitless, and it reaches the entire creation with a special focus on the believers.
وَمِن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ
It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the day and night so that you may rest (in the latter) and seek His bounty (in the former), and perhaps you will be grateful.
(Al-Quran 28:73)
لَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِۚ وَإِن كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَٰنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٌۭ
And so We have made you believers an upright community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and that the Messenger may be a witness over you. We assigned your former direction of prayer only to distinguish those who would remain faithful to the Messenger from those who would lose faith. It was certainly a difficult test except for those rightly guided by Allah. And Allah would never discount your previous acts of faith. Surely Allah is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to humanity.
(Al-Quran 2:143)