Name 2 of 99
الرَّحِيمُ
Ar-Rahim – The Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful
- Transliteration
- Ar-Rahim
- Meaning
- The Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful
- Arabic root
- ر ح م
- Theme
- Mercy and love
Meaning of Ar-Rahim
Ar-Rahim shares its root with Ar-Rahman, but its form stresses mercy that is constant and acted upon. Many scholars explain that Ar-Rahman points to the breadth of Allah's mercy, while Ar-Rahim points to the mercy He shows continuously, especially to the believers. The two names appear side by side in the Basmalah and in Surah al-Fatihah.
Ar-Rahim in the Quran
Ar-Rahim appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
The Beneficent, the Merciful.
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful.
Reflection
Ar-Rahim invites hope. No matter how far a person has strayed, turning back to Allah is met with mercy.
Related names: mercy and love
Frequently asked questions
What does Ar-Rahim mean?
Ar-Rahim (الرَّحِيمُ) means "The Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful". Ar-Rahim shares its root with Ar-Rahman, but its form stresses mercy that is constant and acted upon. Many scholars explain that Ar-Rahman points to the breadth of Allah's mercy, while Ar-Rahim points to the mercy He shows continuously, especially to the believers. The two names appear side by side in the Basmalah and in Surah al-Fatihah.
Is Ar-Rahim mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Ar-Rahim is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Fatihah 1:3 and Surah Al-Hashr 59:22.
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).