--- title: "What Is Rahmah? Mercy in Islam | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Rahmah means mercy — the quality God names Himself by most often. Muslims are called to show it to people, animals and all creation." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/rahmah/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is Rahmah? Mercy in Islam # What Is Rahmah? Mercy in Islam Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Rahmah means mercy, compassion and tender care. It is at the heart of how Islam describes God: two of His best-known names, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, come from this word. Muslims believe all the kindness in the world is a small share of God's mercy, and are called to show it to all creation. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. Mercy in creation 3. Mercy in practice 4. Example **Rahmah** (Arabic: رحمة) is pronounced *RAH-mah*, with a breathy “h”. ## Meaning *Rahmah* means mercy, compassion and loving care. Its Arabic root is linked to the word *rahim*, “womb” — the place where a child is surrounded by protection and nourishment before it even knows to ask. That image says a great deal about how Muslims understand God’s mercy. Two of God’s most frequently mentioned names come from this root: *ar-Rahman*, the Entirely Merciful, and *ar-Rahim*, the Especially Merciful. They appear in the phrase *bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim*, which opens nearly every chapter of the Qur’an. The Qur’an also describes the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as sent as a mercy to all the worlds (Qur’an 21:107). ## Mercy in creation The Prophet ﷺ gave a moving picture of how great God’s mercy is: > Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, Allah divided Mercy into one hundred parts. He kept ninety nine parts with Him and sent down one part to the earth, and because of that, its one single part, His Creations are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it [Sahih al-Bukhari 6000](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=divided%20Mercy%20into%20one%20hundred)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) So every act of kindness we see — a parent’s love, a friend’s help, an animal caring for its young — is, for Muslims, a reflection of just a small part of God’s mercy. ## Mercy in practice Muslims are asked to show *rahmah* to everyone: family and strangers, Muslims and non-Muslims, the weak, the poor, and animals. Harshness and cruelty are seen as the opposite of faith. ## Example *“Have rahmah on him — he’s trying his best.”* This idea is so central that this whole website is named after it: read [Why Islam Is Called a Religion of Mercy](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/why-islam-is-mercy/). ## Key takeaways - Rahmah means mercy and compassion. - God's names ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim both come from this word. - All mercy between creatures is a small part of God's mercy. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20Rahmah%3F%20Mercy%20in%20Islam%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Frahmah%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Frahmah%2F&text=What%20Is%20Rahmah%3F%20Mercy%20in%20Islam)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20Rahmah%3F%20Mercy%20in%20Islam&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Frahmah%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Frahmah%2F) ## Sources - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6000](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=divided%20Mercy%20into%20one%20hundred) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Start Here ### Why Is Islam Called a Religion of Mercy? Mercy is at the heart of Islam — in God's names, in the Prophet's mission, and in how Muslims are taught to treat people, animals and the earth. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/why-islam-is-mercy/)[Glossary ### What Does Bismillah Mean? Bismillah means "in the name of God". Muslims say it before eating, travelling, reading the Qur'an and starting almost anything. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/bismillah/)[Start Here ### Who Is Allah? Allah is the Arabic word for the one God, Creator of everything. Learn how the Qur'an describes Him, His beautiful names, and why Arab Christians say Allah too. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-is-allah/)