Through which doors shall we enter this topic with you? First, we must differentiate between the names Ar-Rahman (The Entirely Merciful) and Ar-Rahim (The Especially Merciful), both of which are among the Beautiful Names of Allah. Ar-Rahman is a name that entails the complete, comprehensive mercy of Allah Almighty for all of His creation, not just for the believers. However, the name Ar-Rahim entails a specific mercy dedicated exclusively to the believers, as stated in the saying of Allah Almighty: “And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful.” [Quran.com, 33:43]. Therefore, Ar-Rahman indicates vastness and intensity in mercy, while Ar-Rahim indicates the exclusivity of mercy toward the believers.

Furthermore, the name Ar-Rahman is exclusive to Allah Almighty alone, as seen in His saying: “Say, ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful [Ar-Rahman]. Whichever [name] you call – to Him belong the best names.'”[Quran.com, 17:110]. The reason for the revelation of this verse, as narrated by Imam Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was prostrating and supplicating to Allah, saying, “O Rahman, O Rahim.” The polytheists heard this and said, “This is Muhammad claiming to pray to one God, yet he calls upon two, saying ‘O Rahman, O Rahim.'” Thus, Allah Almighty revealed: “Say, ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful…'” [Quran.com, 17:110]. It was also said that Abu Jahl heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying: “O Allah, O Rahman.” Abu Jahl said: “Muhammad forbids us from worshipping two gods, yet he calls upon two gods, one god and another.” So, Allah revealed His saying: “Say, ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful…'” [Quran.com, 17:110].

There is another reason for the revelation of this verse: during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Messenger of Allah accepted the terms of the treaty despite their severity, doing so to achieve peace in the region. Reflect with me as the conditions were being written. The Messenger wanted to write, so he said: “Write, O Ali: In the name of Allah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim.” Suhayl ibn Amr stopped him and said: “Do not write, O Ali, ‘Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim.'” So the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Write, O Ali: In Your name, O Allah.” And then the Holy Quran was revealed: “Say, ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful…'” [Quran.com, 17:110]. The Prophet then said, “Write, O Ali: ‘This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has agreed upon with Suhayl ibn Amr.'” Suhayl paused and said, “Do not write, O Ali, ‘Messenger of Allah.’ By Allah, if I knew he was a messenger, I would have followed him.” Ali became angry, but the Messenger of Allah simply said: “Write, O Ali: ‘This is what Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, has agreed upon with Suhayl ibn Amr.'”

Once again, I return with you to the name of Allah, Ar-Rahim. As we noted, it is one of the Beautiful Names of Allah. How deeply we need to comprehend the meanings of Allah’s Beautiful Names, to supplicate with them, and to commune with the Almighty through them! Through them, our hearts find tranquility, and our prayers are answered. Otherwise, what do we make of Allah Almighty’s command: “And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.” [Quran.com, 7:180]. And the Messenger (PBUH) said in a hadith: “The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful.” [Sunnah.com, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1924].

Among the names of Allah Almighty are Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, and therefore, if Allah is called upon by these names, He responds swiftly. Let us see how supplicating with this name was the reason a destiny decreed by Allah Almighty was changed. A woman once came to Moses (Musa), the one who spoke directly to Allah, and said to him: “O Prophet of Allah, pray to Allah Almighty to bless me with a child, for you are the one who speaks to Him.” Moses spoke to his Lord and said: “O Lord, this woman is calling upon You to bless her with a child, so will You grant her a child?” Allah replied: “O Moses, I have decreed her to be barren.” Moses conveyed to the woman what Allah had said: “I asked my Lord to grant you a child, and Allah said to me, ‘I have decreed her barren.'” The woman returned sad, dragging the tails of her tent and her regret behind her.

After a period of time, she returned and said: “O Prophet of Allah, pray to Allah Almighty to bless me with a child.” Moses spoke to his Lord a second time. Allah again replied: “O Moses, I have decreed her barren.” Moses conveyed this to her once more. However, she returned after some time with a child in her arms. Moses asked her: “Whose child is this?” She replied: “He is my son.” Moses was astonished. He returned to his Lord and said: “O Lord, I asked You to grant the woman a child, and You told me twice, ‘I have decreed her barren.’ But she came to me today with a child on her chest.” Allah said to him: “O Moses, every time I decreed her barren, she called out to Me saying: ‘O Rahim, O Rahim, O Rahim’ (O Merciful). So My mercy superseded My decree. Glory be to Allah.”

In conclusion, we should supplicate to Allah Almighty through His attribute of mercy, whether it is His general mercy for all creation (Ar-Rahman) or His specific mercy for the believers (Ar-Rahim). This is why, when Umar ibn Abdul Aziz lay on his deathbed, he supplicated to Allah saying: “O Lord, I am the servant whom You commanded, and I disobeyed; You forbade me, and I opposed. O Allah, if I am worthy of reaching Your mercy, then have mercy on me, and if I am not worthy of reaching Your mercy, then Your mercy is worthy of reaching me. For You are the One who says: ‘…but My mercy encompasses all things.’ [Quran.com, 7:156]. And I am a thing, so let Your mercy encompass me… let Your mercy encompass me… let Your mercy encompass me…”

This is also why the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Muadh: “Shall I not teach you a supplication by which you can pray to Allah, such that even if you had a debt as large as Mount Uhud, Allah would pay it off for you?” Muadh said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet told him: “Say, O Muadh: ‘Say, O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.'” [Quran.com, 3:26]. Then the Prophet added: “O Rahman of this world and the Hereafter, and their Rahim. You give them to whom You will and You withhold them from whom You will. Have mercy on me with a mercy that makes me independent of the mercy of anyone other than You.” [Al-Mu’jam al-Saghīr].

My advice to you, my beloved brother, is never to consider your sin too great next to the mercy of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty says: “…but My mercy encompasses all things.” So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakāh and those who believe in Our verses-“ [Quran.com, 7:156]. It is narrated that during the time of Hasan al-Basri, there was a man named “Abu Nuwas.” When he died, people asked Imam Hasan al-Basri to come and perform the funeral prayer over him. Hasan al-Basri refused, saying: “Let someone else pray over him, for I cannot bear to do so due to the abundance of his sins.” He added, “Praise be to Allah that the funeral prayer is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) and not an individual obligation—meaning if some perform it, the obligation is lifted from the rest.”

They said to him: “O Hasan of Basra, but we found this piece of paper in his pocket when we stripped him of his clothes on the washing board.” Hasan al-Basri read it and found the following written:

O Lord, if my sins are vast in number, I know that Your forgiveness is vastly greater. If only the righteous can hope in You, Then in whom can the criminal seek refuge and shelter? I call upon You, my Lord, in earnest plea as You commanded, If You turn my hands away, then who will show mercy? I have no means to approach You except hope, And Your beautiful forgiveness, and that I am a Muslim.

Hasan al-Basri said: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Nuwas, for he had a good expectation of Allah.” He then prepared himself and performed the funeral prayer over him.

There should never be despair of Allah’s mercy. When Allah sent the trustworthy Jibril (Gabriel) accompanied by the Angel of the Mountains… The Messenger of Allah practically translated his Lord’s mercy into his own life; he was merciful, and his Lord bore witness to that when He said: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Quran.com, 21:107]. The Messenger of Allah told us what happened after the difficult journey to Ta’if. He said: “I raised my head, and suddenly a cloud was shading me. I looked, and there was Jibril in it. He called out to me and said: ‘Allah Almighty has heard what your people said to you, and Allah has sent me to you and sent the Angel of the Mountains with me for you to command him as you wish regarding them.'”

The Prophet said: “The Angel of the Mountains called me, greeted me, and said: O Muhammad, Allah has heard what your people have said to you. I am the Angel of the Mountains, and my Lord has sent me to you so that you may give me your orders. What do you want? If you wish, I will bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Mecca to crush them in between.” [Sunnah.com, Sahih Muslim 1795]. The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “I rather hope that Allah will produce from their descendants such persons as will worship Allah, the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him.” [Sunnah.com, Sahih Muslim 1795]. It was here that Jibril made his famous statement: “He spoke the truth who named you the Kind, the Merciful.”Beware of ever despairing of Allah Almighty’s mercy, for Allah Almighty says: “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'” [Quran.com, 39:53]. Despair is a trait of the disbelievers, as Allah Almighty stated through the tongue of His Prophet Jacob (Yaqub): “O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.” [Quran.com, 12:87]. Despair is also a trait of those who have gone astray, as our Lord clarified through the tongue of His Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) when the angels came to give him the glad tidings of a boy. What did Abraham, the friend of the Most Merciful, say to them? “He said, ‘Have you given me good tidings although old age has come upon me? Then of what [wonder] do you inform?’ They said, ‘We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing.’ He said, ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?'” [Quran.com, 15:54-56]. Therefore, a person should never despair; rather, they must always remain optimistic.