83
Yā-Ra'ūf
The
Kind, The Ever-Indulgent, The Compassionate and Merciful
In general it has been
agreed that ra’ fa (from which comes ra’ ūf) is a simple synonym of rahma, or this is the same quality to
the extreme1.
In his commentary on
Koran 2, 143 Rāzī said that Abū Bakr al-Qaffāl wrote that ra’ fa
indiquates this quality of rahma
that consist to minimize or make the pain cease (such as it is demonstrated in
Koran 24,2: wa lā ta’ hudkum
bihimā ra’fatun “do not feel sorry for them”; the other
quality of rahma would be to provide
a good deed1.
This way of
understanding1 ra’ fa is similar to Halīmī
interpretation of ra’ ūf, meaning that God place on
mankind duties that are not as heavy as they could bear, that He lift that burden
for the sick and the traveler (Asmā’ 139,13).
May be can we see in ra’ fa
and ra’ ūf the idea of “pitié”1.
Saadi explains the root of the name in his
Pathways of the Soul2. The principle root of Ra'ūf shows recovering, regeneration, redemption, medicine and
health (RPH). This is the same Semitic root that forms the angelic names Raphael
and Se-Raph-im. Ra'ūf allows us to feel the wings
of healing that take us back to the source of compassion and consolation2.
'Ra' is the 20th letter of the alphabet and has the numerical value of 200. It is abbreviated form the word 'Ras', meaning head, and was written as the profile shape of a head. Ra represents 'recognition', which comes as the natural consequence after Qaph, both figuratively and symbolically. God's names that start with Ra are associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion: Al Rahman (The Beneficent), Al Rahim (The Merciful), Al Razzaq (The Provider), Al Rafi' (The Exalter), Al Ra'uf (The Compassionate), Al Raqib (The Watcher), Al Rashid (The Guide to the Right Path)3.
"And God is full of clemency
to His devotees" (Qur'an 2:207): Wamina
alnnasi man yashree nafsahu ibtighaa mardati Allahi
waAllahu raoofun bialAAibadi.
“Linguistically, this Attribute is
derived from ra'fa, intense mercy or compassion which is the ultimate limit of
rahma. When applied to the Almighty, it means His warding off all types of
evil. The Attribute "al-Ra'oof"
refers to the One Who does not cease being kind and compassionate to the
sinners by accepting their repentance, and to His friends by protecting them
from committing sins. It conveys the same meaning conveyed by the Attribute
"al-Rahim" with an
intensification of the meaning embedded in the latter. Among the manifestations
of His mercy towards His servants is that He protects them against committing
what incurs His penalty. Such a protection from slipping from the right path
carries a stronger sense of mercy than His forgiveness for sins already
committed. He may be Merciful unto one of His servants by outwardly exposing
him to hardship, but inwardly there may be a great deal of bliss and blessing
hidden for him in such hardship, while he does not know it. How often has a
servant of Allah been pitied by people for the harm from which he suffers, the
harm of poverty, want, and misery, while in reality he is enjoying a blessing
for which the angels envy him?
The Most Exalted One has advanced
the Attribute "al-Ra'oof"
over that of "al-Rahim,"
preferring "ra'fah" over
"rahmah" and giving
precedence to the first over the latter in the following glorious verses: Most
surely Allah is Affectionate, Merciful, to people. (2:143) ... and We put in
the hearts of those who followed him kindness and mercy. (57:27) ... to the
believers he is compassionate, merciful. (9:128) This Attribute is derived from
"mercy" and "compassion." This requires us to distinguish
between both of these words. Also, whenever the Almighty uses both of these
words, He mentions the Attribute "al-Ra'oof" before
"al-Rahim;" therefore, we have to explain the difference between both
of them and the reason for such a preference.4”
In Koran 9:117:
Certainly Allah has turned (mercifully) to the Prophet and those who fled
(their homes) and the helpers who followed him in the hour of straightness
after the hearts of a part of them were about to deviate, then He turned to
them (mercifully); surely to them He is Compassionate, Merciful5.
Laqad taba Allahu AAala alnnabiyyi waalmuhajireena waal-ansari
allatheena ittabaAAoohu fee saAAati alAAusrati min baAAdi ma
kada yazeeghu quloobu fareeqin minhum thumma taba AAalayhim
innahu bihim raoofun raheemun (Koran 9:117)6.
In Koran 9:128;
Certainly an Apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is
your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the
believers (he is) compassionate5.
Laqad jaakum rasoolun min anfusikum
AAazeezun AAalayhi ma AAanittum hareesun AAalaykum bialmu/mineena raoofun raheemun
(Koran 9:128) 6.
In Koran 57:9; He it
is who sends down clear communications upon His servant, that he may bring you
forth from utter darkness into light; and most surely Allah is Kind, Merciful
to you5.
Huwa allathee yunazzilu AAala
AAabdihi ayatin bayyinatin liyukhrijakum mina alththulumati ila alnnoori wa-inna Allaha bikum laraoofun raheemun
(Koran 57:9)6.
In Koran 24:20; And were it
not for Allah's grace on you and His mercy, and that Allah is Compassionate,
Merciful5.
Walawla
fadlu Allahi AAalaykum warahmatuhu waanna Allaha raoofun raheemun (Koran
24:20) 6.
In Koran 22:65; Do you
not see that Allah has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the earth and the
ships running in the sea by His command? And He withholds the heaven from
falling on the earth except with His permission; most surely Allah is
Compassionate, Merciful to men5.
Alam tara anna Allaha sakhkhara lakum ma
fee al-ardi waalfulka
tajree fee albahri bi-amrihi wayumsiku alssamaa an taqaAAa AAala al-ardi illa
bi-ithnihi inna Allaha bialnnasi
laraoofun raheemun (Koran 22:65) 6.
In Koran 16:7; And
they carry your heavy loads to regions which you could not reach but with
distress of the souls; most surely your Lord is Compassionate, Merciful5.
Watahmilu athqalakum ila
baladin lam takoonoo baligheehi illa bishiqqi al-anfusi inna
rabbakum laraoofun raheemun (Koran 16:7) 6.
In Koran 59:10 And those
who come after them say: Our Lord! forgive us and those of our brethren who had
precedence of us in faith, and do not allow any spite to remain in our hearts
towards those who believe, our Lord! surely Thou art Kind, Merciful5.
Waallatheena
jaoo min baAAdihim yaqooloona rabbana ighfir lana
wali-ikhwanina allatheena sabaqoona bial-eemani wala tajAAal
fee quloobina ghillan lillatheena amanoo rabbana
innaka raoofun raheemun (Koran 59:10) 6.
In Koran 57:9; He it
is who sends down clear communications upon His servant, that he may bring you
forth from utter darkness into light; and most surely Allah is Kind, Merciful
to you5.
Huwa allathee yunazzilu AAala
AAabdihi ayatin bayyinatin liyukhrijakum mina alththulumati ila alnnoori wa-inna Allaha bikum laraoofun raheemun (Koran 59:10) 6.
Rāzī13
said that Ra’ūf comes from Ra’fa: compassion meaning mercy (rahma), that Ra’ūf is built on the Fa’ūl paradigm like Shakūr (contentment and
appreciation) and Çabūr (very
steadfast). He observes the difference between ra’ūf (compassionate) and rahīm
(merciful) as followed. He13 says that Allah mentioned the name of ra’ūf before rahīm as He did for ra’fa
(compassion) before rahma (mercy) in
many verses that were cited above. So he notes that there must be a difference
between those terms13.
Rāzī13
said that this difference comes from the fact that rahīm, in the use of the language, means the one who is the
object of mercy (marhūm) when
facing destitution, weakness and need; while ra’ūf is used when the mercy happens in the one who act by
compassion (shafāqa) towards the
one who is the object of that mercy. Once this is well understood,
Rāzī13 goes further in saying that the perfect attitude of
the one who act to reach goodness (ihsān)
produces compassion. The receptivity of the one who is the object of that mercy
by necessity to obtain something good is at the origin of it. The consequence (ta’thīr) of this ability in the one
who produces such act is more important that the need of the one who is on the
receiving end13.
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen translated ra’ ūf as The Kind, The
Ever-Indulgent Compassionate and Merciful, The Pitying and Consoling One7.
Shems Friedlander translated ra’ ūf as
The Compassionate8.
Laleh Bakhtiar translated ra’ ūf as
The Clement9.
Shaykh Hakim Moineddin Chishti translated ra’ ūf as
The Compassionate and The Full of Pity10.
Al-Bayhaqī wrote11 the following in his introduction to the “chapters which affirm the attribute of purpose (al-mashī’a) and will (al-irāda) for Allāh” in his al-Asmā’ wal-S.ifāt:
The Teacher Abū
Ish.āq [al-Isfarāyīnī] (d. 418) used to say: “Among the
Names of the Attributes of the Essence (asāmi s.ifāt al-dhāt)
are those which pertain to will, such as the Merciful (al-Rah.mān),
that is, He Who wills the sustenance of all that is alive in the abode of trial
and tribulation; the Beneficent (al-Rah.īm): He Who wills the
lavishing of grace on the dwellers of Paradise; the Forgiving (al-Ghaffār):
He Who wills the cancellation of punishment established as deserved; the
Cherisher (al-Wadūd): He Who wills goodness for those who are His
Friends; the Clement (al-‘Afuw): He Who wills facilitation for those who
are His Knowers; the Compassionate (al-Ra’ūf): He Who wills
kindliness for all His creatures; the Patient (al-S.abūr): He Who
wills the reprieve of punishment; the Gentle (al-H.alīm): He Who
wills the cancellation of punishment from the root of the offense; the Generous
(al-Karīm): He Who wills the abundance of resources for those in
need; the Righteous (al-Barr): He Who wills the strengthening of those
who are His Friends."
O you who have
attained to faith!
Do not ask about matters which,
if they were to be made manifest to you in terms of law,
might cause you hardship;
for, if you should ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed,
they might indeed be made manifest to you as laws.
God has absolved you from any obligation in this respect:
for God is much-forgiving, forbearing12.
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1.
Les noms divins en Islam, Daniel Gimaret, exégèse
lexicographique et théologique, 1988, Editions du cerf, page 382.
2.
Pathways of the Soul: A re-translation of and
Commentary on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti,
2003.
3.
Article by Mamoun Sakkal 1993 http://www.sakkal.com/Islamic_Image1.html.
4.
North American Islamic Education Board. NA- IEB: http://www.naieb.org/ashusna/AR-RA'UF.htm
5.
The Holy Quor’ān, Arabic Text with English
Translation and Commentary by Maulana Muhammad Ali, New 2002 edition, Ahmadiyya
Anjuman Isha’at Islam Lahore Inc. USA, Ohio, USA.
6.
Transliteration of the Koran: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/transliteration/index.html
7.
Asma’ul Husna, the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, M.R.
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.
8.
Shems Friedlander with al-Hajj Shaikh Muzaffereddin, Ninety
nine names of Allah, Harper San Francisco.
9.
Laleh Bakhtiar, Moral Healing through The Most
Beautiful Names, 1994.
10.
Shaykh Hakim Moineddin Chishti, The Book of Sufi
Healing, 1985.
11.
Al-Bayhaqī
http://www.aqsaonline.co.uk/articles/aqsaarticle/aqida/divine_names_and_attributes_are.htm
12.
Al-Ma'idah 5:101, tr. Asad
13. Ar-Râzî,
traité sur les noms divins, by Maurice Gloton, Editions Al Bouraq. (Page 581)
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