الرَّحِيمُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ar-Raheem
The Most Merciful
Ar-Raheem acts with extreme kindness, and it is mentioned 123 times in the Quran. 2:160 closes a promise to those who repent with this Name, and al-Sa'di sees the mercy working twice: first Allah grants them the repentance, then He accepts it from them, as a mercy.
Key verse
﴿إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ وَبَيَّنُوا۟ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾As for those who repent, mend their ways, and let the truth be known, they are the ones to whom I will turn ˹in forgiveness˺, for I am the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.
The scholar's text
He who acts with extreme kindness
(إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ) البقرة 2: 160
(Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.) Al-Baqara 2: 160
It is mentioned 123 times in the Holy Quran
الذي يعامل بغاية اللطف.
(إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ وَبَيَّنُوا۟ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ) البقرة 2: 160
ورد في القرآن الكريم 123 مرة.
He Gives the Repentance, Then Accepts It
Three conditions in 2:160: repent, mend your ways, make known the truth that was hidden. Al-Sa'di is strict about the second. Leaving the wrong is not enough until the good is done; whoever concealed must bring it into the open. Then the Name. His mercy gave them the success to repent in the first place, and His mercy again accepted it, as a kindness. Adam's story ends on the same pair: “Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful” (2:37).
Arabic: وفقهم للتوبة ثم قبلها منهم
قال السعدي في آية البقرة: «فلا يكفي ترك القبيح حتى يحصل فعل الحسن. ولا يكفي ذلك في الكاتم أيضا، حتى يبين ما كتمه، ويبدي ضد ما أخفى». ثم قال: «ومن رحمته أن وفقهم للتوبة والإنابة فتابوا وأنابوا، ثم رحمهم بأن قبل ذلك منهم، لطفا وكرما». وبالاسمين نفسيهما ختمت توبة آدم: ﴿إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾ (البقرة 2: 37).
Mercy for Everything, and Mercy Written for Some
﴿وَٱكْتُبْ لَنَا فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ عَذَابِىٓ أُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَنْ أَشَآءُ ۖ وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ ۚ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾Ordain for us what is good in this life and the next. Indeed, we have turned to You ˹in repentance˺.” Allah replied, “I will inflict My torment on whoever I will. But My mercy encompasses everything. I will ordain mercy for those who shun evil, pay alms-tax, and believe in Our revelations.
7:156: His mercy encompasses everything. Al-Sa'di takes it at its word. The world above and below, the righteous and the wicked, believer and disbeliever: there is no creature it has not reached. The special mercy, the one that brings happiness here and in the next life, is another matter, he says; that is why the verse goes on to name those it will be ordained for. 33:43 speaks of it: “For He is ever Merciful to the believers”. There al-Sa'di explains it as Allah's blessing and the angels' prayers bringing them out of the darkness of sin and ignorance into the light of faith, knowledge and good deeds.
Arabic: الرحمة العامة والرحمة الخاصة
قال السعدي في ﴿وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ﴾: «من العالم العلوي والسفلي، البر والفاجر، المؤمن والكافر، فلا مخلوق إلا وقد وصلت إليه رحمة اللّه، وغمره فضله وإحسانه»، «ولكن الرحمة الخاصة المقتضية لسعادة الدنيا والآخرة، ليست لكل أحد». وقال في ﴿وَكَانَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا﴾: «من رحمته بالمؤمنين ولطفه بهم، أن جعل من صلاته عليهم، وثنائه، وصلاة ملائكته ودعائهم، ما يخرجهم من ظلمات الذنوب والجهل، إلى نور الإيمان، والتوفيق، والعلم، والعمل».
More Merciful Than a Mother
﴿وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ ۖ أَنَّهُۥ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوٓءًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾When the believers in Our revelations come to you, say, “Peace be upon you! Your Lord has taken upon Himself to be Merciful. Whoever among you commits evil ignorantly ˹or recklessly˺ then repents afterwards and mends their ways, then Allah is truly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Umar ibn al-Khattab reports a scene among captives brought before the Prophet ﷺ. A woman among them, her breasts full of milk, took every small child she found among the captives, held it to her and nursed it. The Prophet ﷺ asked those with him: “Do you think that this lady can throw her son in the fire?” They said no. Then he said: “Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5999). 6:54 holds the same promise in the Quran's words, and al-Sa'di explains what the Prophet ﷺ was told to do with it: greet the believers who come to him and give them good news of Allah's mercy, His generosity and His kindness.
Arabic: أرحم بعباده من الوالدة بولدها
عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: «قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَبْىٌ، فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْىِ قَدْ تَحْلُبُ ثَدْيَهَا تَسْقِي، إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِي السَّبْىِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَتَرَوْنَ هَذِهِ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ، قُلْنَا لاَ وَهْىَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تَطْرَحَهُ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا» (صحيح البخاري 5999). وفي آية الأنعام الوعد نفسه بلفظ القرآن: ﴿كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ﴾، وقال السعدي فيما أمر به النبي ﷺ: «أي: وإذا جاءك المؤمنون، فحَيِّهم ورحِّب بهم ولَقِّهم منك تحية وسلاما، وبشرهم بما ينشط عزائمهم وهممهم، من رحمة الله، وسَعة جوده وإحسانه».
The Names Beside It
﴿وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾And your Lord is certainly the Almighty, Most Merciful.
In 26:9 Ar-Raheem comes with the Almighty, and al-Sa'di explains the pair there: the Almighty, who destroyed the wretched with every kind of punishment, and the Most Merciful to the blessed, whom He saved from every evil. In 52:28 the people of Paradise use it with al-Barr, the Most Kind. Out of His goodness and mercy, they say in al-Sa'di's reading, He gave us His pleasure and Paradise and protected us from His anger and the Fire. In 2:143 it comes with ar-Ra'uf, the Ever Gracious.
Arabic: الأسماء المقترنة بالرحيم
وفي ﴿وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾ (الشعراء 26: 9) قال السعدي: «العزيز الذي أهلك الأشقياء بأنواع العقوبات، الرحيم بالسعداء، حيث أنجاهم من كل شر وبلاء». وقال في ﴿إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾: «فمن بره بنا ورحمته إيانا، أنالنا رضاه والجنة، ووقانا سخطه والنار». ويقترن بالرءوف في ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾ (البقرة 2: 143).
Do Not Lose Hope
﴿قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾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.
39:53 is addressed to those who have exceeded the limits against themselves, and it ends with the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Al-Sa'di calls forgiveness and mercy attributes that never leave Him. Yet they have means, he adds, and whoever does not bring them has shut the door on himself: above all, turning to Allah in sincere repentance, du'a, humility and worship. The Prophet ﷺ kept both sides in view: “If a believer were to know the punishment (in Hell) none would have the audacity to aspire for Paradise (but he would earnestly desire to be rescued from Hell), and if a non-believer were to know what is there with Allah as a mercy. none would have been disappointed in regard to Paradise” (Sahih Muslim 2755).
Arabic: لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله
قال السعدي في ﴿إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾: «وصفه المغفرة والرحمة، وصفان لازمان ذاتيان، لا تنفك ذاته عنهما»، «ولكن لمغفرته ورحمته ونيلهما أسباب إن لم يأت بها العبد، فقد أغلق على نفسه باب الرحمة والمغفرة، أعظمها وأجلها، بل لا سبب لها غيره، الإنابة إلى اللّه تعالى بالتوبة النصوح، والدعاء والتضرع والتأله والتعبد». وقال النبي ﷺ: «لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ بِجَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنِطَ مِنْ جَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ» (صحيح مسلم 2755).
From the Sunnah
Some Sabi (i.e. war prisoners, children and woman only) were brought before the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, a woman amongst them was milking her breasts to feed and whenever she found a child amongst the captives, she took it over her chest and nursed it (she had lost her child but later she found him) the Prophet said to us, "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 (ﷺ) then said, "Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this lady to her son
قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَبْىٌ، فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْىِ قَدْ تَحْلُبُ ثَدْيَهَا تَسْقِي، إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِي السَّبْىِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَتَرَوْنَ هَذِهِ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ . قُلْنَا لاَ وَهْىَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تَطْرَحَهُ . فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا
If a believer were to know the punishment (in Hell) none would have the audacity to aspire for Paradise (but he would earnestly desire to be rescued from Hell), and if a non-believer were to know what is there with Allah as a mercy. none would have been disappointed in regard to Paradise
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ بِجَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنِطَ مِنْ جَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ
A du'a with this Name
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Our Lord! Make us both ˹fully˺ submit to You and from our descendants a nation that will submit to You. Show us our rituals, and turn to us in grace. You are truly the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.
Al-Baqarah 2:128: the prayer of Ibrahim and Ismail as they raised the foundations of the House
Related Names
Questions about Ar-Raheem
What does Ar-Raheem mean?
Ar-Raheem acts with extreme kindness, and The Clear Quran gives it as Most Merciful. On 2:160 al-Sa'di calls His mercy great, taking in everything.
How many times is Ar-Raheem in the Quran?
Ar-Raheem comes 123 times in the Quran; in 39:53, for one, it closes the verse beside the All-Forgiving.
Who calls Allah the Most Merciful of the merciful?
Prophets in hard moments. Musa prays it for himself and his brother (7:151), Ya'qub says it when his sons ask to take their brother with them (12:64), Yusuf says it as he forgives his brothers (12:92), and Ayyub calls on Him with it in his affliction (21:83).
Is the Prophet ﷺ described as rahim?
Yes. 9:128 calls him gracious and merciful to the believers, ra'uf and rahim, and al-Sa'di explains: most gentle and merciful with them, more merciful to them than their own parents.