THE NATURE OF MERCY/RAḤMA AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS IN THE QUR’AN

Abstract

The term raḥma/mercy is one of the key terms of the Holy Qur’ān and it has many connotations. Two names of God, raḥmān and raḥῑm and their manifestations are contained in these connotations. So the two names explicitly tackled in our paper. While raḥmān is the proper name indicating the absolute being and the source of all existence, raḥῑm is much narrower. The exegetical tradition emphasizes that God is raḥmān, i.e. provides existence and sustenance to all creatures in this world while raḥῑm gives guidance and salvation to those who just deserve it here. Raḥmān and raḥῑm are used in the Qur’ān asyndetonically, i.e. without the copula wāw (ﻭ): in the form of ar-raḥmān ar-raḥῑm not ar-raḥmān va’r- raḥῑm, indicating that these two names signify One (God) and that they appear in His actions simultaneously and instantaneously, not consecutively. Key Terms: Raḥma/mercy; rule of mercy; principle of hope; divine assistance; heaven and hell.

Keywords

• Raḥma/mercy
• rule of mercy
• principle of hope
• divine assistance
• heaven and hell
• Rahmet/merhamet
• merhamet ilkesi
• ümit ilkesi
• ilahî inâyet
• cennet ve cehennem