AlRahman

Al-Rahman is one of the 99 Names of Allah in Islam, translating roughly as “The Merciful” or “The Compassionate.” The name is built from the Arabic root r-h-m, meaning mercy, with the definite article al- prefixed. It denotes a pervasive, all-encompassing mercy attributed to God.

In Islamic theology, Al-Rahman represents God’s mercy toward all beings, not limited to believers. The phrase Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, meaning “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,” is invoked at the start of many chapters of the Qur’an and in daily prayers. The attributes Al-Rahman and Ar-Rahim (The Most Merciful) are related but distinct, with Al-Rahman often understood as a universal mercy and Ar-Rahim as a particularly gracious mercy toward the faithful. The chapter named Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent) in the Qur’an highlights this attribute.

Al-Rahman also appears in naming practices. It is used as a given name or as part of compound names in Muslim communities, such as Abdul-Rahman (“servant of the Merciful”). Variants in transliteration include Ar-Rahman, Al-Rahman, and related spellings. In addition to personal names, the term can appear in organizational or commercial names within Islamic contexts. The usage spans Arabic-speaking populations and Muslim communities across South Asia, Africa, and the broader world, reflecting reverence for the divine attribute of mercy.