Ar-Raheem; The Bestower of Mercy

The 3rd name of Allah is Ar-Raheem. This name comes from the same root as Ar-Rahman which refers to Allah’s attribute of being Merciful. Although similarly related the meanings are different. Ar-Rahman can be understood to refer to Allah as the source of all mercy, whereas Ar-Raheem refers to its infiniteness.

Ar-Raheem is a specific kind of mercy reserved only for the believers. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once asked his followers, "Do you think this woman could throw her child in the fire?" They said, "No, not if she is able to stop it." The Prophet (PBUH) then said, "Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child."

Allah's mercy is infinite, and we can not make out the many ways in which He's shown us mercy.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said;

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.

The belief in Allah's mercy is beneficial to a believer because it causes them to reflect on their ability to be merciful themselves. It also encourages a believer to do good and to act with honesty so that they can receive the mercy of their Lord.

Ar-Raheem is one of the Jamali names of Allah. One who recites this name after the Fajr prayer 100 times will stay safe from all calamity. Moreover, he/she will find everyone kind-hearted towards him/her.

In the Holy Quran, it is mentioned;

قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

"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.'"

As an ending note, I would like to repeat something which I mentioned in my previous blog post, which was about the name 'Ar-Rahman'. Muslims repeat this name before starting every task through the phrase;

"بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ" (Bismillah Hir-Rahman Nir-Raheem)

"In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful."

In conclusion, if you want Allah to be merciful towards you, learn how to be merciful towards others. I hope you learnt something new from this post. Share it with others and spread the word among your family and friends about the importance of Allah's names.

Take care of yourselves.

F, signing off.