Most Muslims say this name multiple times throughout our daily lives: before we eat, when we pray, when we’re scared or worried, and countless other times. There’s even a whole surah in the Qur’an dedicated to this name. So, how much do we really understand the meaning of one of Allah’s most well-known names? How much do we really know about, Ar-Rahman? Or has it been so normalized, so watered down from our daily habits that its divine meaning has gotten a bit blurred? What truly matters is that we actively seek out knowledge and forgiveness any time we catch ourselves slipping and becoming forgetful or stagnant in practicing our deen. When we do our best to comprehend Allah’s divine attributes, we truly do begin to feel closer to Him in unexplainable ways.
Many of us have come to know that Ar-Rahman is a name associated with Allah’s great, unmatched and intense mercy. What does this mean to us and why is this significant to our lives on Earth? If you think about it, mercy is a characteristic that enables all other qualities. It embraces all other attributes. For example, you can’t love without having mercy, nor can you help someone if you don’t have mercy. However it’s important to remember how all encompassing, ultimate and superior Allah’s mercy is over any other. We can see Allah’s mercy everywhere, starting from our own lives, our very own existence, and then pondering the planet in which He created sustenance for us to live on.
The Qur’an mentions Ar-Rahman 57 times and there is an entire chapter named after it. In Surah Ar-Rahman (55), Allah speaks to us about all of His creations. From the sun and the moon, to mankind and jinn – Allah has placed mercy in these creations in diverse ways, and has undying mercy for it all. What this surah is most known for is its repetition and the intensity it builds through this literary element. Allah repeats the ayah:
Fabi ayyi aalaaa’i Rabbikumaa tukazzibaan / So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?
This repeating ayah heightens the power and message of not only the surah, but also the meaning behind Ar-Rahman. It’s even interesting to reflect upon the structure of the entire surah from beginning to end. This surah is intense, there’s no doubt about that, but if we look closely, it’s noteworthy to see how the surah evolves and softens up as Allah begins to describe to us what Jannah is like and the people of Jannah, whom also embody a different level of mercy in order to have earned a place there. This surah is so beautiful in its reminder to us all. Allah (SWT) has placed His bountiful mercy all around us and He is always with us, showing us mercy in ways that we don’t even think of most of the time or can even comprehend. From being able to feel refreshed from drinking water, to being able to express our emotions through language, to witnessing the sunrise and sunsets and to even being able to have the capability to read and comprehend this very post. All of this is from Allah and His mercy. All of these activities didn’t have to be enjoyable for us, but everyone, both believers and nonbelievers, are able to enjoy even the tiniest things in life, due to Allah’s mercy.
I recently had a conversation with someone and they wholeheartedly believed that “all religions have one thing in common: if you sin, you will be punished, point blank.” How could this be a concrete truth if Allah is Ar-Rahman? The thing is – Islam has more depth than the aforementioned opinion. Islam is different and teaches us about who Allah really is. Islam does not teach us that if we make a mistake, Allah hates us and punishes us and that’s that. As humans, we are highly critical creatures, and often times very unforgiving of ourselves and of each other. However, it’s extremely important to know that Allah does not embody human characteristics. Allah’s mercy surpasses our intellect and our own capacity to forgive. Allah is waiting for us to ask for help, and waiting for us to seek forgiveness and comfort within Him. Just knowing that is a mercy within of its self.
All of these mercies from Him are so wonderful, so blessed, but far too often overlooked and forgotten. As mentioned earlier, we are only human and it is within our nature to be forgetful as we try to maintain the balance between dunya (worldly life) and deen (religion/faith). This will always be one of our greatest tests. In these times of forgetfulness or hopelessness, it’s key to remember that no matter how many times we sin or walk away from our faith, when we come back searching for answers, He will always be waiting for us and rushing towards us – vast mercy and all. When we are seeking forgiveness, call out for Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful.
As always, it’s easier said than done, but if you think about it, there is beauty and peace in knowing that you are not as invincible as you might think or hope to be. There is a much greater power that is responsible for it all – your health, your knowledge, your trials, and your blessings. Knowing that it all lies within the care of Ar-Rahman, is a mercy on its own, an ease on our minds when we believe wholeheartedly.
