Every surah begins here. Every action of a Muslim begins here. The Name of Allah — then two names of mercy.
4Words — the greatest opening
ر-ح-مRoot — mercy, compassion
1Surah number
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Stage 2 of 5 · Break It
بِسْمِاللَّهِالرَّحْمَٰنِالرَّحِيمِ
Bismi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
Word 1بِسْمِbismiIn the name ofPreposition + noun
Word 2اللَّهِallāhAllah — the only GodProper name
Word 3الرَّحْمَٰنِar-raḥmānThe Most GraciousDivine attribute
Word 4الرَّحِيمِar-raḥīmThe Most MercifulDivine attribute
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Stage 3 of 5 · Discover It
🌱 The Root of This Verse
ر
—
ح
—
م
Mercy · Compassion · Tenderness
Root ر-ح-م appears 339 times in the Quran
رَحِمَ
raḥima — he showed mercyVerb form
رَحْمَة
raḥma — mercy / blessingNoun — most common form
الرَّحْمَن
ar-Raḥmān — the All-MercifulVast, all-encompassing mercy
الرَّحِيم
ar-Raḥīm — the Especially MercifulFocused mercy for believers
الرَّحْمَن is mercy vast and all-encompassing — for all creation. الرَّحِيم is mercy focused and intimate — especially for believers. Allah opens His Book with two names of mercy before anything else.
Source: مفردات ألفاظ القرآن — الراغب الأصفهاني · تفسير السعدي
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Stage 4 of 5 · Connect It
📖
The Gateway to the Quran
Al-Sa'di: the Basmala is the opening of every surah — and every action. Beginning with Allah's name means acknowledging that all blessing, ability, and power come from Him alone.
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Two Names, One Root
Both الرَّحْمَن and الرَّحِيم come from رَحِمَ — womb, tenderness, mercy. Ibn Kathir: الرَّحْمَن is the vastness of mercy; الرَّحِيم is the depth of it.Allah's mercy has both breadth and depth.
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Most Repeated Verse in the Quran
Al-Sa'di: the Basmala appears 114 times — once before every surah. No verse is recited more by Muslims than this one. It is the most repeated phrase in human history.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Mercy — before commands, before warnings, before everything. Allah's first word to humanity is His mercy.
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Insights: تفسير السعدي · تفسير ابن كثير
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Stage 5 of 5 · Seal It
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
Quick Check
What is the difference between الرَّحْمَن and الرَّحِيم?