Surah Fatiha >> Currently viewing Surah Fatiha Ayat 3 (1:3)

Surah Fatiha Ayat 3 in Arabic Text

ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 3

Sahih International
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

Yusuf Ali
Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

Abul Ala Maududi
The Merciful, the Compassionate

Muhsin Khan
The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Pickthall
The Beneficent, the Merciful.

Dr. Ghali
The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.

Abdel Haleem
the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy,

Quran 1 Verse 3 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Fatiha ayat 3, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(1:3) The Merciful, the Compassionate[4]


4. Whenever we are deeply impressed by the greatness of something we try to express our feelings by using superlatives. If the use of one superlative does not do full justice to our feelings, we tend to re-emphasize the extraordinary excellence of the object of our admiration by adding a second superlative of nearly equivalent meaning.* This would seem to explain the use of the word Rahim following Rahman. The form of the word Rahman connotes intensity. Yet God’s mercy and beneficence towards His creatures is so great, so extensive and of such an infinite nature that no one word, however strong its connotation, can do it full justice. The epithet Rahim was therefore added to that of Rahman.

Ibn-Kathir

3. Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful)).


Allah said next,

﴿الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴾

(Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful)) We explained these Names in the Basmalah. Al-Qurtubi said, “Allah has described Himself by `Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim’ after saying `the Lord of the Alamin’, so His statement here includes a warning, and then an encouragement. Similarly, Allah said,

﴿نَبِّىءْ عِبَادِى أَنِّى أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ – وَأَنَّ عَذَابِى هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الاٌّلِيمُ ﴾

(Declare (O Muhammad ) unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the most painful torment.) (15:49-50) Allah said,

﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

(Surely, your Lord is swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (6:165)

Hence, Rabb contains a warning while Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim encourages. Further, Muslim recorded in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,

«لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ فِي جَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنَطَ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَحَدٌ»

(If the believer knew what punishment Allah has, none would have hope in acquiring His Paradise, and if the disbeliever knew what mercy Allah has, none will lose hope of earning His earning.)

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