الأسماء الحسنى - الرحمن الرحيم

Question 1

All surahs begin with بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم except for surah at tawbah, why?

Answer 1

It came as a declaration of war to the disbelievers, therefore it was not befitting to start a declaration of war with the names ArRahman and arRahim

Question 2

Oftenntimes ar Rahman and ar Rahim come together in the Quran, what attribute does it point to?

Answer 2

The attribute of الرحمة, which is mercy

Question 3

How do we differentiate between the names ar Rahman and ar Rahim?

Answer 3

These two names coming together, theres a evidence for two things:
1. As for ar rahman: it tells us that Allah has the attribute of mercy. The wazn of rahman is فعلان which refers that the word has to do with a permanent attribe. So this attribute is permanently for Allah, he is the infinite merciful/ the most merciful
2. As for ar rahim it tells us that this mercy is given out to whoever Allah wants. Pttern فعيل this indicated the action itself, that Allah is merciful to whoeeever he wants whenever he wants

TBC

Question 4

Name some points regarding Allah’s mercy

Answer 4

• Everything in the heavens and earth, every benefit and everything we’d love to happen to us, everything good is an effect of Allah’s mercy.
• Allah’s mercy preceded His anger.
• We see the mercy of Allah in His commands and laws. His shariah is full of mercy, guidance and light and it js all based upon mercy
• Allah legislated the shariah to preserve the religion, our intellect, our mind, our honor, our bodies, health and out wealth, manners and ettiquetes.
• Allah has 100 mercies. Allah sent down one single part that came down to the jinn, men animals and insects. Just because of this one part we see the mercy around ourselves.
• His mercy encompassed everything. Then there is also a specific mercy for the ones who have taqwa, who give zakat and those who believe in His ayat.
• The more we increase in obedience to Allah and the nearer we come to Him, the more we receive a portion of this. The more you follow the Quran and the Sunnah, the more mercy you will receive.

Question 5

How merciful is Allah?

Answer 5

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: Some prisoners of war were brought to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and a nursing woman was among them. Whenever she found a child among the prisoners, she would take it to her chest and nurse it. The Prophet said to us, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?” We said, “No, not if she was able to stop it.” The Prophet said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than this mother is to her child.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5999, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2754

The most merciful anyone can be to anyone is a mother to her child. If you brought the mercy of every mother, its nothing in comparison of the mercy of the Most Merciful.

Question 6

What are the types of rahma that are attributed to Allah?

Answer 6

1. الرحمة عامة:
   40:7
   ٱلَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ ٱلْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ رَّحْمَةًۭ وَعِلْمًۭا فَٱغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ ٧
   Its a mercy of the body, of the dunya, being given food/drink etc
2. الرحمة خاصة
   Mercy of iman, in deen, dunya and akhirah. Being given the succes to obey him and making it easy to do good. Making us firm to stay on the straight path and honoring us to entering us into paradise and keeping us away from the fire. This is a special rahma.

When thinking of this name think of the special rahma. Be grateful for what you have from it and ask Allah for more of it and strive to attain it.

Question 7

What are the actions required from us from ar Rahman and ar Rahim:

Answer 7

• recognizing, knowing and affirming Allah’s Mercy and our need for it
• Asking Allah for His mercy in dua.
• Using the Names with what the sunnah came with (البسملة)
• Being merciful to one another. The merciful people, Allah will have mercy on them. If we don’t show mercy we won’t be shown mercy.
• Having mercy to your spouse (surah rum mercy love)
• Make dua for Allah to have mercy on your parents.
• Never losing hope in Allah, because His mercy has encompassed everything and His mercy is way greater than our sins. But this Hope needs to be mixed with fear.
• His mercy is available to everyone if we seek it, and will be given to the people of taqwa, those who gove zakat and those who believe in His ayat