Ar-Rahman
الرحمن
Name of Allah
The Entirely Merciful — the name whose mercy encompasses all creation; the Quran's second most frequent name of Allah after Allah itself.
Overview
Ar-Rahman — the Entirely Merciful, the Most Gracious — is the name of Allah that appears in the basmala at the head of every surah but one, in the opening surah (1:3), and as the title of Surah 55, which begins with the name alone. Its mercy is described as all-encompassing. The Quran presents it as a proper name of Allah on a par with the name Allah: "Call upon Allah or call upon Ar-Rahman; whichever you call, to Him belong the best names" (17:110).
In the story of Musa, it is the name Harun invokes to call Bani Israel back from the calf: "your Lord is Ar-Rahman, so follow me" (20:90).
Graph
Key connections
What do these labels mean?
Every connection on this page says what it rests on. The label tells you how directly the source supports it.
- Direct textual — Direct textual. The source states this outright.
- The source states this outright.
- Linguistic inference — Linguistic inference. Follows from the wording of the text rather than an explicit statement.
- Follows from the wording of the text rather than an explicit statement.
Select a connection to see the source it rests on.
- Ar-Rahmanالرحمن
Sources
Quran references
Selected passages. Ar-Rahman is linked to 48 ayat in total.
Al-Fatihah 1:3
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
Al-Isra 17:110
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا
Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.
Maryam 19:45
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.يَٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَٰنِ وَلِيًّۭا
O my father, indeed I fear that there will touch you a punishment from the Most Merciful so you would be to Satan a companion [in Hellfire]."
Ta-Ha 20:5
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ
The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
Ta-Ha 20:90
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَٰرُونُ مِن قَبْلُ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى وَأَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَمْرِى
And Aaron had already told them before [the return of Moses], "O my people, you are only being tested by it, and indeed, your Lord is the Most Merciful, so follow me and obey my order."
Ar-Rahman 55:1
Occurs inDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ
The Most Merciful
Across the Quran
- Maryam12
- Az-Zukhruf5
- Al-Anbiya4
- Ya-Sin4
- Al-Mulk4
- Ta-Ha3
- Al-Furqan3
- Al-Fatihah2
- An-Naba2
- Al-Baqarah1
- Ar-Ra'd1
- Al-Isra1
- Ash-Shu'ara1
- An-Naml1
Counts include curated links and automatic matches on the Arabic word form.
Related
Concepts
Tawhid
التوحيدassociated with
The oneness of Allah — the foundational doctrine of Islam, declared to Musa at Tuwa and distilled in Surah Al-Ikhlas.
Provenance
Relationships
What do these labels mean?
Every connection on this page says what it rests on. The label tells you how directly the source supports it.
- Direct textual — Direct textual. The source states this outright.
- The source states this outright.
- Linguistic inference — Linguistic inference. Follows from the wording of the text rather than an explicit statement.
- Follows from the wording of the text rather than an explicit statement.
Every edge in the graph, with the evidence behind it.
Ar-Rahmanrelated toAr-RahimLinguistic — Linguistic inference. Follows from the wording of the text rather than an explicit statement.2 src
The two names share the root r-h-m and are paired in the basmala and throughout the Quran; commentators distinguish encompassing mercy from bestowed mercy.
Evidence
- Quran Al-Fatihah 1:3Direct — Direct textual. The source states this outright.
ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
“The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,”
The two names together in Al-Fatihah.
Open ayah 1:3 → - Quran Al-Baqarah 2:163Direct — Direct textual. The source states this outright.
وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”
Open ayah 2:163 →
Ar-Rahmanassociated withTawhidDirect — Direct textual. The source states this outright.1 src
The Quran presents Ar-Rahman as a name of the one God, on a par with the name Allah.
Evidence
- Quran Al-Isra 17:110Direct — Direct textual. The source states this outright.
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا
“Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.”
"Call upon Allah or call upon Ar-Rahman; whichever you call, to Him belong the best names."
Open ayah 17:110 →