The ones who know have interpreted the meaning of Rahman as the divine will toward the total good, al-iradat al-khayr, and say that Rahman, like Allah, is the proper name of the Creator, and cannot be attributed to others. Allah says:
Say: Call upon Allah or call upon The Compassionate (ar-Rahman): by whatever name you call upon Him, to Him belong the most beautiful names (Surah Isra' 110)
The meaning of mercy begins with a fineness of feeling, a pain and concern felt when one knows that someone is in distress. The pressure of this pain moves to help the one in distress. But the feeling of pity is not sufficient. Real compassion is in force when one is able to alleviate the pain and distress which the pitied one is suffering. Allah is beyond all these conditions, yet He opted for compassion rather than punishment before He ever created creation. He has created all creation with His mercy. Everything which has come to be since the beginning is blessed with mercy. He has created all creation, including His supreme creation, the human being, without defect and pure. He has blessed His creation with infinite bounty. In His mercy, He has shown the dangers of loss and perdition. He has given humanity and only humanity the freedom of choice between good and bad.
Find in yourself the light of Rahman by using your freedom of choice for the good of yourself and of others. Feel the pain of the misguided one as well as the fortunate one, not with condemnation, but with pity and assistance, and find hope in Allah's promise that His compassion far surpasses His wrath.
Abu Hurayah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saaws) said, “Allah Most High has one hundred portions of mercy. He has sent only one portion upon the universe and divided it among all His creation. The feeling of mercy and compassion that His creatures feel among themselves is out of that share. The other ninety-nine portions he has saved for the Day of Judgment when He will bestow them upon the faithful.”
Another hadith reflecting the will and wish of Allah to offer His compassion and beneficence to the creation is: “If someone does not need and ask of Allah [for His compassion and beneficence], Allah will direct His anger toward him.”
'Abd ar-Rahman is the one in whom Allah expresses His mercy upon the universe. Every son and daughter of Hadrat Adam takes his or her share of mercy from the Merciful in accordance with their potential. None are excluded from this expression of the Merciful, as the Prophet (saaws), Allah's mercy upon the universe, says in a tradition: “Allah has created the human being in the form of His mercy.”
One who recites this name 100 times will get sharp memory.
Ar-Rahim
He is the source of infinite mercy and beneficence, who reards with eternal gifts the ones who use His bounties and beneficence for the good. This is mentioned in the Qur'an:
He is compassionate and beneficent [only] to the faithful (Surah Ahzab 43)
Ar-Rahim indicates beneficence toward those who have a choice, and who use it according to Allah's will and for his pleasure. When Allah says, “I have created everything for you...” that is the expression of His rahmaniyyah. When we find this bounty hidden in everything, including ourselves, and use it as He wills us, caring for it as we are asked to do for his sake, we are rewarded with eternal salvation. Allah says, “...and I created you for Myself.” This great honor is the expression of His rahimiyyah.
Hadrat Mujahid said, “Rahman belongs to the people of this world; Rahim belongs to those of the Hereafter.” The ones who know pray: ya Rahman ad-dunya wa Rahim al-akhirah” O Rahman of the world and Rahim of the Hereafter.” Rahman is mercy upon the nafs, the worldly being. Rahim is mercy upon the heart. Rahman gives sustenance in this world. Rahim gives eternal salvation in the Hereafter.
The manifestation of rahimiyyah in the faithful occurs as thankfulness to Allah, who gives us everything, and also as the ability to be compassionate, caring, and giving, which He also gives us. Absence of pride in being instrumental in doing good deeds, and realization that He is the Creator of the ones in need as well as the satisfaction of their needs: all this reflects rahmaniyyah.
If you should encounter difficulties, unthankfulness, and resentment, you should bear it for Allah's sake, because you will receive your reward here and a tendfold reward in the Hereafter. Do not show off your good eeds, especially to their recipients. Be thankful to them: if their conditions did not exist, your compassion and generosity could not be exercised.
As for the recipients of compassion and care, they should be thankful to their benefactors and remember them well at all times, because “The one who cannot be thankful to people cannot be thankful to Allah.” But such people should not make gods out of their benefactors, becoming their servants instead of Allah's servants. They should know that good comes only from Allah; but that the tool He chooses is a beautiful tool, worthy of respect.
The ones who find the taste of Allah's attributes of Rahman and Rahim in their beings, and come close to their Creator through them, cannot have doubt and sadness in their hearts. They know that whatever happens, Allah, ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim, will have mercy upon them, save them, and reward them.
On the other hand, the ones who think that Allah's compassion, mercy, and beneficence appearing in them are their own qualities will become arrogant, and are bound to become doubters. That doubt, in extreme cases, may push people to take their own lives.
'Abd ar-Rahim is the pious person whose fear and love of Allah are constant. Such a life is a constant effort toward perfection in acccordance with the prescriptions of Islam. This is the person with whom Allah is pleased, who is honored with the manifestation of Allah's compassion and beneficence, which he expresses toward other believers in Allah.
Those who, with sincere feeling of compassion in their hearts, recite ya Rahmanu ya Rahim 100 times after each obligatory prayer, may be saved from forgetfulness, heedlessness, and hard-heartedness.
Whoever recites 100 times ya Rahim after each morning prayer may receive mercy and compassion from all creatures.
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