Mercy and forgiveness
Ar-Raḥmān ٱلرَّحْمَٰن
The Exceedingly Merciful: mercy as an overwhelming, essential attribute reaching all creation.
56 āyāt · 18 sūrahs · root ر ح م
Why Allah uses this name
Ibn Kathīr records that Ar- is specific to Allah and names a mercy so vast it encompasses every creature; where it appears, mercy is being stated as the setting in which the rest of the passage is heard.
Take this with you
Approach Him expecting mercy — that is the name He introduces Himself with.
Allah said: 'I am Ar-. I created the womb () and derived its name from My name; whoever keeps it joined, I will keep him joined.'
Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1694 (ṣaḥīḥ); cited by Ibn Kathīr on 1:1
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
1 āyah
āyah 163
13. Sūrat Ar-Raʿd الرعد
1 āyah
āyah 30
17. Sūrat Al-Isrāʾ الإسراء
1 āyah
āyah 110
19. Sūrat Maryam مريم
16 āyahs
āyah 18, 26, 44, 45, 58, 61, 69, 75, 78, 85, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 96
20. Sūrat Ṭā Hā طه
4 āyahs
āyah 5, 90, 108, 109
21. Sūrat Al-Anbiyāʾ الأنبياء
4 āyahs
āyah 26, 36, 42, 112
25. Sūrat Al-Furqān الفرقان
4 āyahs
āyah 26, 59, 60, 63
26. Sūrat Ash-Shuʿarāʾ الشعراء
1 āyah
āyah 5
27. Sūrat An-Naml النمل
1 āyah
āyah 30
36. Sūrat Yā Sīn يس
4 āyahs
āyah 11, 15, 23, 52
41. Sūrat Fuṣṣilat فصلت
1 āyah
āyah 2
43. Sūrat Az-Zukhruf الزخرف
7 āyahs
āyah 17, 19, 20, 33, 36, 45, 81
50. Sūrat Qāf ق
1 āyah
āyah 33
55. Sūrat Ar-Raḥmān الرحمن
1 āyah
āyah 1
59. Sūrat Al-Ḥashr الحشر
1 āyah
āyah 22
67. Sūrat Al-Mulk الملك
4 āyahs
āyah 3, 19, 20, 29
78. Sūrat An-Nabaʾ النبأ
2 āyahs
āyah 37, 38
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-Raḥīm ٱلرَّحِيم
The Bestower of Mercy: that same mercy in continuous action, and specifically toward the believers.
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.