Name 23 of 99
الرَّافِعُ
Ar-Rafi' – The Exalter, the One who raises
- Transliteration
- Ar-Rafi'
- Meaning
- The Exalter, the One who raises
- Arabic root
- ر ف ع
- Theme
- Justice and judgement
Meaning of Ar-Rafi'
Ar-Rafi' is the One who raises whomever He wills in rank, honour and closeness to Him. The Quran states that Allah raises in degrees those who believe and those given knowledge. Real elevation is the one He grants, not the one people award each other.
Many scholars point out that this name is best mentioned together with its complementary name, so that the meaning is understood as part of Allah's perfect wisdom rather than in isolation.
Paired name: Ar-Rafi' is often mentioned together with Al-Khafid (The Abaser).
Ar-Rafi' in the Quran
The exact form Ar-Rafi' is not used in the Quran, but its meaning is affirmed through a related word from the same root:
Related verse
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ
O ye who believe! when it is said unto you, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher! go up higher; Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Informed of what ye do.
Related verse
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
(And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering thee and causing thee to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing thee of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me ye will (all) return, and I shall judge between you as to that wherein ye used to differ.
Reflection
Faith and beneficial knowledge are the means through which Allah raises people.
Related names: justice and judgement
Frequently asked questions
What does Ar-Rafi' mean?
Ar-Rafi' (الرَّافِعُ) means "The Exalter, the One who raises". Ar-Rafi' is the One who raises whomever He wills in rank, honour and closeness to Him. The Quran states that Allah raises in degrees those who believe and those given knowledge. Real elevation is the one He grants, not the one people award each other.
Is Ar-Rafi' mentioned in the Quran?
Ar-Rafi' does not appear in exactly this form, but its meaning is affirmed in the Quran through a related word from the same root, for example in Surah Al-Mujadila 58:11 and Surah Ali 'Imran 3:55.
The list of 99 names follows the order of the narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507, without the name “Allah”, and adds Al-Ahad from Sunan Ibn Majah 3861. The hadith that Allah has ninety-nine names is in Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and Sahih Muslim 2677. Quran text: Tanzil (Uthmani); translation: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930, public domain).