Basic · Knowing Allah · Faith & Theology · Ages 5–99
Allah's Beautiful Names: the Merciful
Allah has the most beautiful names; ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim tell of Allah's mercy, which gives us hope and teaches us to be merciful to others.
What you will learn
- Explain what the names ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim mean, and that they are among al-Asma' al-Husna, Allah's most beautiful names.
- Explain how Allah's mercy gives a person hope, and why it moves a person to be merciful and kind to others.
Can anyone draw a picture of Allah?
Answer: No, because nothing is like Allah
Allah has no shape, so no picture can ever show Allah.
Why can no eye see Allah?
Answer: Allah has no body or form to be seen
Eyes can see only bodies, and Allah has none. Distance and brightness have nothing to do with it.
Allah has many beautiful names. Each name tells us something about Allah. Two of them are ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim. These names mean Allah is merciful, kind and good to all.
Does Allah have one name, or many names?
Answer: Many beautiful names
"Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" means: in the name of Allah, the Merciful to all, the Ever-Merciful. ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim are two of Allah's names. Both come from the Arabic word rahma, which means mercy. Allah has many names, and all of them are beautiful. Muslims call them al-Asma' al-Husna, the most beautiful names.
Before eating or reading, many Muslims say "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim". What do the last two words mean?
Answer: Two names of Allah's mercy
The Bismillah opens every surah but one. In it, before anything else, Allah is called by two names of mercy: ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim. Allah has many names, al-Asma' al-Husna, the most beautiful names, and each one tells of a perfection of Allah. These names are not parts of Allah, for Allah is One.
Allah has many names. Do they name different parts of Allah?
Answer: No: Allah is One and has no parts
Allah is merciful to everyone and everything. Allah gives sun and rain to all. Allah gives food to the birds. That is why Allah is called ar-Rahman.
Who gets Allah's mercy?
Answer: Everyone and everything
Even a tiny bird gets Allah's mercy. So does a person who forgets Allah.
The two names show two ways Allah's mercy reaches us. ar-Rahman tells us that Allah's mercy reaches every creature everywhere, with air, food, sunshine and life. ar-Rahim tells us of Allah's caring, lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah.
The sun shines on every person, whoever they are. Which name does this show?
Answer: ar-Rahman, mercy for all
Sunshine reaches people whether they remember Allah or not, and that is the mercy that leaves no one out.
ar-Rahman names a mercy that embraces all creation: every person and creature, believer or not, grateful or not. ar-Rahim names Allah's lasting, special mercy for those who turn to Allah. And Allah's mercy is not a feeling that comes and goes, as ours is: nothing is like Allah. It is Allah giving good, without limit.
How is ar-Rahman different from ar-Rahim?
Answer: ar-Rahman is mercy for all, ar-Rahim lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah
Both are names of Allah: one speaks of mercy that leaves no one out, the other of mercy that stays with those who turn to Allah.
ar-Rahman ar-Rahman
The Merciful to all, whose mercy reaches every creature
From rahma, mercy. Allah's mercy reaches everyone and everything, whether or not they thank Allah.
ar-Rahim ar-Rahim
The Ever-Merciful, whose lasting mercy is for those who turn to Allah
From the same root as ar-Rahman. This name tells of Allah's special, lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah.
What do both names tell us about Allah?
Answer: Allah is full of mercy
Both names come from the Arabic word for mercy. Allah's mercy reaches every creature, birds too.
al-Asma' al-Husna al-Asma' al-Husna
The most beautiful names, the names of Allah
Each of Allah's names tells of a perfection of Allah, such as the Merciful, the One and the Creator.
ar-Rahman ar-Rahman
The Merciful to all, whose mercy reaches every creature
From rahma, mercy. Allah's mercy reaches everyone and everything, whether or not they thank Allah.
ar-Rahim ar-Rahim
The Ever-Merciful, whose lasting mercy is for those who turn to Allah
From the same root as ar-Rahman. This name tells of Allah's special, lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah.
ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim are among al-Asma' al-Husna. What are al-Asma' al-Husna?
Answer: Allah's most beautiful names
Each of Allah's names, like the Merciful or the One, tells us something true and beautiful about Allah.
al-Asma' al-Husna al-Asma' al-Husna
The most beautiful names, the names of Allah
Each of Allah's names tells of a perfection of Allah, such as the Merciful, the One and the Creator.
ar-Rahman ar-Rahman
The Merciful to all, whose mercy reaches every creature
From rahma, mercy. Allah's mercy reaches everyone and everything, whether or not they thank Allah.
ar-Rahim ar-Rahim
The Ever-Merciful, whose lasting mercy is for those who turn to Allah
From the same root as ar-Rahman. This name tells of Allah's special, lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah.
Why are Allah's names called the most beautiful names?
Answer: Each one names a perfection of Allah, with no flaw in it
Their beauty lies in what they tell of Allah, not in how they sound, and they are Allah's own names, not titles people made up.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Al-Fatiha · 1 · M. H. Shakir (Tanzil)
What do these words tell us about Allah?
Answer: Allah is full of mercy
Both names after the name Allah speak of mercy. And Allah's mercy is not like a person's.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
Al-Fatiha · 1 · Ali Quli Qara'i (Tanzil)
Before any other name, these words call Allah the All-beneficent and the All-merciful. What does putting mercy first suggest?
Answer: Allah's dealings with creation begin from mercy
Opening with mercy shows how Allah meets creation: with mercy first, before anything we could deserve.
وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And if you would count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them; most surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
An-Nahl · 18 · M. H. Shakir (Tanzil)
What does this ayah say about Allah's blessings?
Answer: There are too many to count
No one could ever count all of Allah's blessings, and the ayah ends by calling Allah merciful.
وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful,
An-Nahl · 18 · Ali Quli Qara'i (Tanzil)
The ayah says Allah's blessings cannot be counted, then calls Allah all-forgiving and all-merciful. What hope does this give?
Answer: When our thanks falls short, Allah still forgives and shows mercy
No one can thank Allah enough for blessings without number. Allah's forgiveness and mercy meet that shortfall, so the ayah gives a reason for hope, not for giving up thanks.
True or false?
- Allah has many beautiful names. — True
- ar-Rahman is a name of Allah. — True
- Allah is kind only to grown-ups. — False
True or false?
- ar-Rahman tells us Allah's mercy reaches every creature. — True
- Allah has only one name. — False
- ar-Rahim is one of Allah's names of mercy. — True
- Allah's mercy is only for people, not for animals. — False
Allah gives life, food and air even to people who never think of Allah. Which name speaks most directly of this?
Answer: ar-Rahman
ar-Rahman is the mercy that reaches all. ar-Rahim is the lasting mercy for those who turn to Allah, and al-Ahad means the One.
Allah is merciful. When we are truly sorry, we stop and try to fix it. Allah forgives. That gives us hope. So we are kind to all, people and animals.
Allah is merciful to us. So how can we be with others?
Answer: Kind and gentle to everyone
Allah's mercy reaches everyone. So our kindness can reach everyone too.
Everyone gets things wrong sometimes. When a person is sorry and turns back to Allah, Allah's mercy is there: Allah loves to forgive. That gives us hope. And because Allah is merciful to us, we can be merciful too: we can forgive others, help, and be gentle.
What does Allah's mercy mean for someone who has made a mistake and is sorry?
Answer: They can turn to Allah and hope to be forgiven
Allah's mercy is bigger than any mistake, and the way back to Allah is always open.
Allah's book tells people never to lose hope in Allah's mercy, however far they have gone wrong. Hope is not pretending that mistakes do not matter. It is trusting that Allah's mercy is greater than any wrong, and that it is never too late to turn back.
What makes hope in Allah's mercy different from simply ignoring one's mistakes?
Answer: Hope turns a person back to Allah and to doing better
Hope looks forward and changes a person, while ignoring a mistake changes nothing.
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, one of the great teachers of Islam, made a man named Malik al-Ashtar governor of Egypt, and wrote to him: "Fill your heart with mercy for the people, with love for them and kindness towards them … for they are of two kinds: either your brother in faith, or your equal in creation."
Nahj al-Balagha, letter 53.
In Imam Ali's words, why should mercy reach people of every faith?
Answer: Each person is a brother in faith or an equal in creation
No one falls outside both groups: everyone either shares our faith or shares with us in being created by Allah.
Everyone gets things wrong sometimes. What does Allah's mercy mean then?
Answer: We are truly sorry and make it right, and Allah forgives
Allah's mercy is bigger than any mistake. We can be truly sorry. We stop and try to put it right. Then the way back to Allah is open.
Allah is merciful. How is that linked to our kindness?
Answer: Allah is merciful to us first, so we show mercy to others
Allah's mercy comes first, before anything we do, and someone who lives by that mercy wants others to have it too.
True or false?
- Allah's mercy means our mistakes don't matter. — False
- No one should ever lose hope in Allah's mercy. — True
- Mercy is owed only to people of one's own faith. — False
- Knowing that Allah is merciful moves a person to be merciful to others. — True
You give water to a thirsty kitten. Which thought is right?
Answer: Allah is merciful, and I can be kind too
Allah's mercy reaches every creature. Being kind to a kitten is real kindness.
At school, a younger child knocks over your drink by accident and looks scared. Which thought is right?
Answer: Allah is merciful to me, so I can forgive
We hope for Allah's mercy, so we can show mercy too, even over small things.
A classmate who often mocks others drops a pile of books in the corridor. Which thought is right?
Answer: Mercy is for everyone, so I can help even this person
Allah's mercy reaches people who have not earned it, and ours can do the same.
Someone new in a group you belong to, at work, college or as a volunteer, makes a mistake in their first week that costs everyone a day's work. Which thought is right?
Answer: The mercy I hope for from Allah, I can show to them
Mercy does not ignore the mistake. It meets the person the way we hope Allah meets us.
Suppose you are in charge of a task, and someone of another faith working with you asks for more time on an important part of it. Which thought is right?
Answer: Brother in faith or equal in creation, they are owed mercy
Imam Ali's words leave no one out, and mercy and fairness go together.
Over a long life, you have received more blessings than you could ever count. Which thought is right?
Answer: Allah's mercy has been in all of it, and I can still hope in it
Every blessing was Allah's mercy, and that same mercy is a reason for hope today.