The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
(The Entirely Merciful,)
Root رحم — to have mercy on, have compassion upon, pity · 339 times in the Quran
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِword 1
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe prefix ٱل at the front of a noun (a naming word) means 'the' — one specific, known one. Because the next letter ر is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made in the same part of the mouth as ل itself — the ل of the prefix melts into it and the ر is doubled, shown by the shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped doubling mark written above the letter: ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ, ar-Raḥmān. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ال ('the') is a noun — a word that names a person, thing, or quality. This word carries that prefix and names a quality of Allah: the Most Gracious, from the root رحم — to have mercy on, to have compassion upon. L1 · R1
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is a noun ending usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke written below the final letter — and ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ends with exactly that mark. It copies the ending of ٱللَّهِ, the One it describes ('praise is to Allah'), whose name stands in the genitive after the little word لِ ('to/for'). L2 · R12
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after the noun it describes and matches it point for point — gender, number, ending, and 'the'-ness. ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ reaches back to ٱللَّهِ, the One all praise is for, and matches Him in description: definite, and ending in the same genitive kasrah ـِ (a small slanted stroke below the letter). L7 · R1
So far: “The Entirely Merciful,”
ٱلرَّحِيمِ
(…the Especially Merciful,)
Root رحم — to have mercy on, have compassion upon, pity · 339 times in the Quran
ٱلرَّحِيمِword 2
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe prefix ٱل means 'the', marking the noun (naming word) as one specific, known one. The letter ر after it is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made in the same part of the mouth as ل itself — so the ل of the prefix melts into it and the ر doubles — shown by the shaddah ـّ, a small w-shaped mark written above the letter: ٱلرَّحِيمِ, ar-Raḥīm. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ال ('the') is a noun — a word that names a person, thing, or quality. This word carries that prefix and names a second quality of mercy — the Most Merciful — from the same root رحم: to have mercy on, to pity. L1 · R1
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is a noun ending usually shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke written below the final letter — and ٱلرَّحِيمِ closes with that mark. It carries the same ending as ٱللَّهِ, the One it describes, whose name stands in the genitive after the little word لِ ('to/for') in 'praise is to Allah'. L2 · R12
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its noun and mirrors it — gender, number, ending, and 'the'-ness all matching. ٱلرَّحِيمِ is a second description of ٱللَّهِ, definite like His name and ending in the same genitive kasrah ـِ (a small slanted stroke below the letter), so the Lord of the worlds is described by mercy twice over. L7 · R1
Allah describes Himself as the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful right after 'Lord of the worlds' — pairing warning with encouragement; and the Prophet ﷺ said that if the disbeliever knew what mercy Allah has, none would lose hope of it.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 1:3
So far: “The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,”