Mercy and forgiveness
Ar-Raḥīm ٱلرَّحِيم
The Bestower of Mercy: that same mercy in continuous action, and specifically toward the believers.
115 āyāt · 42 sūrahs · root ر ح م
Why Allah uses this name
Al-Saʿdī takes Ar- as mercy described of the Self and Ar- as mercy directed at the one who receives it — which is why the Qurʾān says He is Raḥīm with the believers but never Raḥmān with them.
Take this with you
Mercy is not only something Allah has; it is something He does, to you, particularly.
Al-Saʿdī: Ar- and Ar- indicate a vast mercy that encompasses all things and is written for the people of who follow the prophets.
Al-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān (tafsīr of the beautiful names), on 1:1–3
Where it appears in the Qur'an
Counted from the muṣḥaf text as served by the Quran.com API. A few occurrences describe someone other than Allah; read the āyah in place to see which.
1. Sūrat Al-Fātiḥah الفاتحة
2 āyahs
āyah 1, 3
2. Sūrat Al-Baqarah البقرة
12 āyahs
āyah 37, 54, 128, 143, 160, 163, 173, 182, 192, 199, 218, 226
3. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān آل عمران
3 āyahs
āyah 31, 89, 129
4. Sūrat An-Nisāʾ النساء
11 āyahs
āyah 16, 23, 25, 29, 64, 96, 100, 106, 110, 129, 152
5. Sūrat Al-Māʾidah المائدة
5 āyahs
āyah 3, 34, 39, 74, 98
6. Sūrat Al-Anʿām الأنعام
3 āyahs
āyah 54, 145, 165
7. Sūrat Al-Aʿrāf الأعراف
2 āyahs
āyah 153, 167
8. Sūrat Al-Anfāl الأنفال
2 āyahs
āyah 69, 70
9. Sūrat At-Tawbah التوبة
9 āyahs
āyah 5, 27, 91, 99, 102, 104, 117, 118, 128
10. Sūrat Yūnus يونس
1 āyah
āyah 107
11. Sūrat Hūd هود
2 āyahs
āyah 41, 90
12. Sūrat Yūsuf يوسف
2 āyahs
āyah 53, 98
14. Sūrat Ibrāhīm إبراهيم
1 āyah
āyah 36
15. Sūrat Al-Ḥijr الحجر
1 āyah
āyah 49
16. Sūrat An-Naḥl النحل
6 āyahs
āyah 7, 18, 47, 110, 115, 119
17. Sūrat Al-Isrāʾ الإسراء
1 āyah
āyah 66
22. Sūrat Al-Ḥajj الحج
1 āyah
āyah 65
24. Sūrat An-Nūr النور
5 āyahs
āyah 5, 20, 22, 33, 62
25. Sūrat Al-Furqān الفرقان
2 āyahs
āyah 6, 70
26. Sūrat Ash-Shuʿarāʾ الشعراء
9 āyahs
āyah 9, 68, 104, 122, 140, 159, 175, 191, 217
27. Sūrat An-Naml النمل
2 āyahs
āyah 11, 30
28. Sūrat Al-Qaṣaṣ القصص
1 āyah
āyah 16
30. Sūrat Ar-Rūm الروم
1 āyah
āyah 5
32. Sūrat As-Sajdah السجدة
1 āyah
āyah 6
33. Sūrat Al-Aḥzāb الأحزاب
6 āyahs
āyah 5, 24, 43, 50, 59, 73
34. Sūrat Sabaʾ سبأ
1 āyah
āyah 2
36. Sūrat Yā Sīn يس
2 āyahs
āyah 5, 58
39. Sūrat Az-Zumar الزمر
1 āyah
āyah 53
41. Sūrat Fuṣṣilat فصلت
2 āyahs
āyah 2, 32
42. Sūrat Ash-Shūrā الشورى
1 āyah
āyah 5
44. Sūrat Ad-Dukhān الدخان
1 āyah
āyah 42
46. Sūrat Al-Aḥqāf الأحقاف
1 āyah
āyah 8
48. Sūrat Al-Fatḥ الفتح
1 āyah
āyah 14
49. Sūrat Al-Ḥujurāt الحجرات
3 āyahs
āyah 5, 12, 14
52. Sūrat Aṭ-Ṭūr الطور
1 āyah
āyah 28
57. Sūrat Al-Ḥadīd الحديد
2 āyahs
āyah 9, 28
58. Sūrat Al-Mujādilah المجادلة
1 āyah
āyah 12
59. Sūrat Al-Ḥashr الحشر
2 āyahs
āyah 10, 22
60. Sūrat Al-Mumtaḥanah الممتحنة
2 āyahs
āyah 7, 12
64. Sūrat At-Taghābun التغابن
1 āyah
āyah 14
66. Sūrat At-Taḥrīm التحريم
1 āyah
āyah 1
73. Sūrat Al-Muzzammil المزمل
1 āyah
āyah 20
Names it closes āyāt with
The Qur'an often seals an āyah with two names together. These are the pairings this name appears in most.
Names close to this one
Ar-Raḥmān ٱلرَّحْمَٰن
The Exceedingly Merciful: mercy as an overwhelming, essential attribute reaching all creation.
Al-Ghaffār ٱلْغَفَّار
The Repeatedly Forgiving: forgiveness given again and again to the one who keeps returning.
Al-Laṭīf ٱللَّطِيف
The Subtle and Gentle: He reaches the finest hidden thing, and arranges good by means you never see.
Al-Ḥalīm ٱلْحَلِيم
The Forbearing: He does not hasten punishment, though He has full power to.
Al-Ghafūr ٱلْغَفُور
The Ever-Forgiving: He covers sins and then does not expose their doer.
Ash-Shakūr ٱلشَّكُور
The Most Appreciative: He multiplies the reward of a small deed and never lets it go unnoticed.
Al-Wadūd ٱلْوَدُود
The Most Loving: He loves His believing servants and is loved by them.
Al-Barr ٱلْبَرّ
The Source of Goodness: kind and generous in dealing, whose goodness reaches His servants continuously.