Discover the meaning of the term Rahma (رَّحْمَة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readIt is an affective state ordinarily befalling him of heart tenderness, and may be principle of the psychic inflexion that is principle of benevolence. Allah cannot be qualified with rahma as a quality, for qualities are genera holding species: either the Creator qualified with each, impossible; with some specified, demanding need; with a specified one, demanding precedence; with none, which is sought. Recourse was thus had to the figurative: Allah’s rahma is figurative for the essence of bestowal, as His anger is figurative for the will of requital. You know the mark of the figurative’s soundness is its negation in the thing itself, as you say of the brave man: he is no lion; and negating rahma of Him is not sound; you may also take it as illustrative metaphor.
The effusion of good and the will of its conveyance; its ta drawn long in the noble Quran, in al-Baqara as « those hope for Allah’s rahma », in al-A’raf as « Allah’s rahma is near the beneficent », that is, His benevolence, no difficulty; in Houd as « Allah’s rahma and His blessings »; in Maryam « and the mention of your Lord’s rahma »; in ar-Roum « behold then the traces of Allah’s rahma »; in az-Zoukhrouf in two places, as « do they apportion your Lord’s rahma? Your Lord’s rahma is better than what they amass ».
It is the will of conveying good.
Allah’s will of good for those worthy of it.
With kasra, or fatha of ra and kasra of ha: the child’s root and his folk in the womb; then named of kinship and tie by the children’s side.
﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ﴾
« Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. »
Surah البقرة : 157
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِصَاصُ فِى ٱلْقَتْلَى ۖ ٱلْحُرُّ بِٱلْحُرِّ وَٱلْعَبْدُ بِٱلْعَبْدِ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۚ فَمَنْ عُفِىَ لَهُۥ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَىْءٌۭ فَٱتِّبَاعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَآءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۗ فَمَنِ ٱعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment. »
Surah البقرة : 178
﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ﴾
« [Who say], "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. »
Surah آل عمران : 8
﴿وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱبْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾
« But as for those whose faces will turn white, [they will be] within the mercy of Allah. They will abide therein eternally. »
Surah آل عمران : 107
﴿وَلَئِن قُتِلْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾
« And if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die - then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world]. »
Surah آل عمران : 157
﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾
« So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. »
Surah آل عمران : 159
This term appears in 72 verses of the Quran.