Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim.

الله Allah

Who is Allah? (Part 2)

To continue with understanding the One, let us have a look at the phrase
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim.

In order to analyse the deeper meaning behind this, let us break down the phrase into it's three elements and study each of those. This will help us understand the meaning of the phrase as a whole and take us one step closer to understanding the moral ethics of Allah.Brother Wahiduddin  has done such amazing work on this topic that there is not much I can further add. For the purpose of sharing information I will quote and summarise his work however I highly recommend reading his article for yourselves in order to get a full understanding of this concept.

He has broken down the phrase into three different segments and has looked at each one in its literal, idiomatic and poetic sense in order to fully understand and grasp the meaning behind this. 

He looks at the two moral attributes of the One, Rahman and Rahim in detail.

"rahman:

The term rahman describes that aspect of the source of all creation which is endlessly radiating, endlessly nourishing, regardless of who or what is receiving the endless flow of blessings.

Rahmân conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, indicating the great quality of love and mercy which engulfs all of creation without regard to any effort or request on our part.

According to Ibn Qayyum (1350 AD), rahmân describes the quality of abounding Grace which is inherent in and inseparable from the Almighty.

rahim:

On the other hand, the term rahim describes that aspect of the source which is issued forth only in response to the actions and behaviour of the recipient. It is in this manner that God takes ten steps toward us when we take even a single step toward God.

Rahîm conveys the idea of constant renewal and giving liberal reward in response to the quality of our deeds and thoughts.

According to Ibn Qayyum (1350 AD), rahîm expresses the continuous manifestation of the Grace in our lives and its effect upon us as a result of our own activities."

He follows and concludes by illustrating some poetic comments and verses on the topic which I found to be extremely enlightening as this is a phrase which we as Muslims use on daily basis, before doing any activity.

"There is no way for any one translation to capture the many facets of this beautiful phrase Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim. Here are some poetic renderings that attempt to capture some aspects of the meaning without being literal translations:

With every breath that we breathe, may we be act on behalf of the Divine Presence,  the Source of all that we receive. 

With every step that we take, may we be instruments of the One Light which guides us, the Source and Nourisher of all of creation.

Every moment of this life is filled with your eternal radiance my Beloved, You are the Beneficent One who endlessly showers all of creation with nourishment and blessings, and the One who generously rewards those who live in harmony with Your Divine Will."

"ir rahman ir rahim:

Rahman points toward the Beneficent One whose endless outpouring of love and mercy are continually showered upon all of creation, while Rahim points toward the Merciful One whose love and mercy are manifested in that which is received as the consequence of one's deeds.

So, the phrase ir rahman ir rahim is a recognition and honoring of the very source of all existence, the source of all blessings, the source of all compassion, the source of all mercy who gives endlessly to us and who also responds according to our moral integrity, our harmony with all of creation and our love of Allah."

This phrase alone is enough to give us an insight into the concept of Allah. And the first attributes we find are love, mercy, honour, moral integrity and harmony. The fact that almost every chapter of the Quran begins with this phrase serves as a reminder to us that these are the strongest and most pinnacle attributes of Allah. Isn't it wonderful to know that the Lord whom I seek is One of Love, Mercy and Honour?

However the journey to understanding Allah with me is only beginning. To quote an Hadith:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 50 Hadith 894

And so with these 99 names my journey begins, to understand and embrace each one and to take one step at a time to get closer to the One.