رحم

الرَّحْمٰنُ ذ [thus generally written when it has the article ال prefixed to it, but in other cases رَحْمَانُ, imperfectly decl.,] and ↓ الرَّحِيمُ are names [or epithets] applied to God: (TA:) [the former, considered as belonging to a large class of words expressive of passion or sensation, such as غَضْبَانُ and عَطْشَانُ &c., but, being applied to God, as being used tropically, or anthropopathically, may be rendered The Compassionate: ↓ the latter, considered as expressive of a constant attribute with somewhat of intensiveness, agreeably with analogy, may be rendered the Merciful: but they are variously explained: it is said that] they are both names [or epithets] formed to denote intensiveness of signification, from رَحِمَ; like الغَضْبَانُ from غَضِبَ, and العَلِيمُ from عَلِمَ; and الرَّحْمَةُ, in the proper language, is “ tenderness of heart, ” and “ inclination requiring the exercise of favour and beneficence; ” but the names of God are only to be taken [or understood] with regard to the ultimate imports, which are actions, exclusively of the primary imports, which may be passions: and the former is more intensive in signification than the latter; the former including in its objects the believer and the unbeliever, and ↓ the latter having for its peculiar object the believer: (Bd on the بَسْمَلَة:) accord. to J, (TA,) they are two names [or epithets] derived from الرَّحْمَةُ, and are like نَدْمَانُ and نَدِيمٌ, and are syn.; the repetition being allowable when the [mode of] derivation is different, for the purpose of corroboration: (S, TA:) or the repetition is because the former is Hebrew, [originally 165 ,] and ↓ the latter is Arabic: (I'Ab, TA:) but the former is applicable to God only; though Museylimeh the Liar was called رَحْمَانُ اليَمَامَةِ; (S, TA;) and it is said to mean the Possessor of the utmost degree of الرَّحْمَة; and accord. to Zj, is a name of God mentioned in the most ancient books: (TA:) whereas ↓ the latter is syn. with ↓ الرَّاحِمُ: (S, TA:) or [rather] ↓ رَاحِمٌ is the act. part. n. [signifying having mercy, &c.], and ↓ رَحِيمٌ has an intensive signification [i. e. having much mercy, &c.]: (Msb:) the latter is applied also to a man; and so is ↓ رَحُومٌ, in the same sense, and likewise to a woman: (TA:) the pl. of ↓ رَحِيمٌ is رُحَمَاآءُ; (Msb, TA;) occurring in the trad., اـِنَّمَا يَرْحَمُ ا@للّٰهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الرُّحَمَاآءَ, or الرُّحَمَاآءُ, as related by different persons; [i. e. God has mercy on the merciful only of his servants, or verily those on whom God has mercy, of his servants, are the merciful; ] الرحماء being in the accus. case as the objective complement of يرحم, and in the nom. case as the enunciative of ما in the sense of الَّذِى. (Msb.)