رءف

Root entry · 13 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of mercy, compassion, and tenderness. It denotes a deep, often intense, form of mercy, distinguishing it from general compassion. The root also describes God's attribute of being merciful and compassionate towards His creation.

Derived headwords

الرَّأْفَةnoun

1.
mercyboth
Mercy, or a more intense form of mercy.
2.
compassionboth
A tender and profound compassion, often implying a gentler quality than general mercy.

رَأَفَverb

1.
to show mercyboth
To show mercy or compassion towards someone.
2.
to be compassionateboth
To be tenderly compassionate, especially towards someone in need.

يَرْأَفُverb

1.
he shows mercyboth
The present tense form indicating the act of showing mercy or compassion.

رِئْفَverb

1.
to show mercy (variant)classical
A variant conjugation of the verb 'to show mercy', with a kasra on the hamza.

رُؤُفَverb

1.
to show mercy (variant)classical
A variant conjugation of the verb 'to show mercy', with a damma on the hamza.

رَآفَةnoun

1.
mercy (variant)classical
A variant form of 'ra'fah', meaning mercy or compassion, with a long alif.

الرَّؤُوفadjective

1.
The Most Compassionateboth
One of the divine names of God, signifying His immense mercy and compassion towards His servants.

رَؤُوفadjective

1.
compassionateboth
Possessing deep mercy and tenderness; a description often applied to God or a very kind person.

رَؤُفadjective

1.
compassionate (variant)classical
A variant form of 'ra'oof', meaning compassionate, often used in poetry.

رَأَفَverb

1.
to be mercifulboth
To be merciful or compassionate; this form is used when describing someone who is merciful.

أَرَاِفِيًّاadjective

1.
very mercifulclassical
An intensified form of 'merciful', likely derived from the root, used in poetic contexts.

رَأْفnoun

1.
mercy (variant)classical
A variant pronunciation or form of 'ra'fah', meaning mercy.

رَأْفًاnoun

1.
mercy (variant)classical
A variant form of the masdar (verbal noun) for 'to show mercy'.

Parallel reading

الرَّأْفَة: الرحمة، وقيل: أشد الرحمة

Al-ra'fah: mercy, and it is said: the most intense mercy.

رَأَفَ به يَرْأَفُ ورِئْفَ ورُؤُفَ رَأْفَةً ورَآفَةً

He showed mercy to him, he shows mercy, and it was said with different conjugations, with ra'fah and ra'afah.

ولا تأخذكم بهما رأفة في دين الله

And let not pity or compassion move you in their case, [in] the religion of Allah.

قال الفراء: الرأفة والرآفة مثل الكأبة والكآبة

Al-Farra' said: Al-ra'fah and Al-ra'afah are like Al-ka'abah and Al-ka'abah (referring to similar vowel patterns).

وقال الزجاج: أي لا ترحموهما فتسقطوا عنهما ما أمر الله به من الحد

And Al-Zajjaj said: meaning, do not have mercy on them such that you neglect what Allah has commanded of the prescribed punishment.

ومن صفات الله عز وجل الرؤوف وهو الرحيم لعباده العطوف عليهم بألطافه

And among the attributes of Allah, the Almighty, is Al-Ra'oof, who is the Merciful to His servants, the One who is compassionate to them with His kindnesses.

والرأفة أخص من الرحمة وأرق

And ra'fah is more specific than mercy and gentler.

وفيه لغتان قرئ بهما معا: رؤوف على فعول؛ قال كعب بن مالك الأنصاري: نطيع نبينا ونطيع ربا، ... هو الرحمن كان بنا رؤوفا

And there are two linguistic forms for it, both recited: Ru'oof on the pattern of 'fu'ool'; Ka'b bin Malik Al-Ansari said: We obey our Prophet and we obey our Lord, ... He is the Most Gracious, He was Ru'oof towards us.

ورؤف على فعل؛ قال جرير: يرى للمسلمين عليه حقا، ... كفعل الوالد الرؤف الرحيم

And Ru'f on the pattern of 'fu'l'; Jarir said: He sees upon the Muslims a right over him, ... like the action of a compassionate, merciful father.

وقد رأف يرأف إذا رحم

And he showed mercy, he shows mercy, when he is merciful.

والرأفة أرق من الرحمة ولا تكاد تقع في الكراهة، والرحمة قد تقع في الكراهة للمصلحة

And ra'fah is gentler than mercy and hardly occurs in dislike, while mercy may occur in dislike for the sake of a greater good.

أبو زيد: يقال رؤفت بالرجل أرؤف به رأفة ورآفة ورأفت أرأف به ورئفت به رأفا كل من كلام العرب

Abu Zayd said: It is said 'ru'ftu bil-rajul, ar'oof bihi ra'fah wa ra'afah, and ra'aftu, ar'af bihi, and ri'ftu bihi ra'fan', all are from the speech of the Arabs.

قال أبو منصور: ومنهم من يقول روف جعلها واوا، ومنهم من يقول رأف، بسكون الهمزة؛ قال الشاعر: فآمنوا بنبي، لا أبا لكم ... ذي خاتم، صاغه الرحمن، مختوم رأف رحيم بأهل البر يرحمهم، ... مقرب عند ذي الكرسي مرحوم

Abu Mansur said: And some of them say 'roof', making it a waw, and some of them say 'ra'f', with a sukoon on the hamza; the poet said: So believe in a Prophet, may your fathers not be found without you... the seal-bearer, the Most Gracious fashioned him, sealed. Ra'f, merciful to the righteous, he pities them, ... close to the Owner of the Throne, the recipient of mercy.

ابن الأعرابي: الرأفة الرحمة

Ibn Al-A'rabi: Al-ra'fah is mercy.

وقال الفراء: يقال رئف، بكسر الهمزة، ورؤف

And Al-Farra' said: It is said 'ri'f', with a kasra on the hamza, and 'ru'f'.

ابن سيده: ورجل رؤف ورؤوف ورأف؛ وقوله: وكان ذو العرش بنا أرافي إنما أراد أرأفيا كأحمري، فأبدل وسكنه على قوله: وآخذ من كل حي عصم

Ibn Sidah said: And a man is ru'f, ru'oof, and ra'f; and his saying: And the Owner of the Throne was Araafi towards us, he only intended Araafiyyan like Ahmarriyan, so he substituted and made it sakin according to his saying: And I take from every tribe a covenant.