الرحمن
AR-RAHMAN
Whose mercy encompasses all creation
Meaning and Explanation
Ar-Rahman expresses that God's mercy encompasses all of creation — believer and disbeliever, human and animal alike — without distinction. It comes from the root for mercy in an intensive form; classical commentaries emphasize the breadth of this mercy in worldly life (sustenance, life, blessing), distinguishing it from the following name Ar-Rahim (mercy specific to the hereafter and believers). The name is so central in the Quran that it appears right after the name Allah in the Fatiha's opening and gives Surah Ar-Rahman its title.
Traditional Note — Abjad Value
This name's abjad (letter numerical value) calculation is 298.
Letter-by-letter abjad calculation (root "رحمن", excluding the definite article): ر (200) + ح (8) + م (40) + ن (50) = 298 — independently confirmed across multiple sources.
Quranic Usage and Related Verses
Dhikr Counter
Dhikr Counter
Historical abjad value: 298.
0 / 33
Specific counts, days, or times are not religious obligations or guarantees of outcomes. Dhikr and abjad methodology
Remembrance and Reflection
Some sources describe reciting Ar-Rahman as part of morning and evening remembrance as a traditionally recommended way to recall and seek God's mercy; a specific repetition count (including 298) has no firm basis in hadith.
Understanding This Name
Mercy that precedes the reader's achievement
Ar-Rahman points to mercy of immense scope. Surah Ar-Rahman begins with this name before mentioning the teaching of the Quran and the creation of the human being. That order directs attention to mercy as divine giving, not a reward that creation first earns. Reflection on the name should enlarge care for people, animals, and the vulnerable. It should not be turned into a claim that every painful event can be explained immediately or that a chosen recitation compels a preferred outcome.
Mercy and moral seriousness
Divine mercy does not make injustice unimportant. The same revelation that teaches Ar-Rahman also establishes accountability and rights. A person who hopes in mercy is called to become more merciful without excusing harm. That means helping, forgiving where safe, and stopping oppression. No reader can use this name to announce that another person's repentance is rejected or that consequences no longer matter.
Other Names
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ar-Rahman mean that everyone receives the same worldly experience?
No. The name affirms vast divine mercy; it does not say that every person receives identical circumstances or that human beings can map the hidden reason for every hardship.
Sources
- Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Kur'an Yolu Tafsir (Fâtiha 1:3, Rahmân 55:1) (in Turkish)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry "Rahmân" (in Turkish)
- Al-Ghazali, al-Maqsad al-Asna fi Sharh Asma' Allah al-Husna, chapter on Er-Rahmân
- English Translation — Noor International Center (v1.1.2)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam — Esmâ-i Hüsnâ — in Turkish
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — The 99 Names of God — in Turkish
Prepared by: Kadir Özbek · Updated: