Ar-Rehman, Ar-Rahim

BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM

Everyone experiences the denotation of the Names of Allah according to their capabilities and capacities. It is impossible to encompass the essence of the names of Allah in one or a few words because these Names belong to eternal dimensions, which are impossible to comprehend or discern. However, uniting with these divine energies has been the goal of all Sufis travelling on the path of mysticism.

The Sufis believe that all human beings have the potential to observe the Divine Names because the Essene of Allah’s Names is present in every soul.

I do Zikar of Ar-Rehman and Ar-Rahim when I feel frustrated and down. I sit cross-legged on the floor quietly and take a few deep breaths to calm down. Slowly, I turn my focus inward towards my chest and feel the movement of the breath in my chest for a while. Once entirely focused and aware of the present, I start reciting Ar-Rehman and Ar-Rahim as often as I am comfortable doing it. During the recitation, I contemplate The Names and Their Essence. Actually, this is a healing stage, and one can feel the manifestation of energies in every cell of one's body. You can try doing it, and best of luck. You can always contact me if you want to practice it with me, to begin with.

Ar-Rehman is the most important name of Allah. It is related to creation due to the qualities of love, generosity, kindness and compassion. The sound code meaning of Ar-Rehman expresses the qualities of eternal existence and infinity. It is the potential of the source of the entire creation. 

In general expression, Ar-Rehman is considered the Most Gracious, yet, its significance is much more profound. Sufis consider the Ar-Rehman the Divine Gate Way through which all the other Divine Names flow before manifesting in this world. This explanation itself symbolizes the permanence, infinity and incalculability of Ar-Rehman. 

PRACTICE

Ar-Rehman is the Divine Gate Waybfor all other Names to flow; therefore, Ar-Rehman is recited very slowly with each long breath while feeling the Essence of the Name in the depth of the heart. It opens the doors of joy, beauty and bounty around us and decreases depression and all other negative thoughts.

Ar-Rahim is the name that brings the infinite qualities of Ar-Rehman into created existence. The name manifests through Ar-Rahim and represents the forever-flowing Mercy of Allah for every creature without any distinction. 

Both the divine names Ar-Rehman and Ar-Rahim are derived from the root r-h-m. The r-h-m signifies (raham), meaning womb, kinship, compassion, and sympathy. Ar-Rahim is vastly understood and considered the Most Merciful. 

The Ar-Rehman and Ar-Rahim is like a flow of the Divine Ocean. In Sufism, the Ocean symbolizes UNITY. The Ar-Rehman is the Divine Power of the Ocean, whose surging waves have unlimited power and strength; the Ar-Rahim is the state of the Ocean when the surging waves fall into a calm state. The Ar-Rehman and Ar-Rehim attributes are always present in the Divine Ocean of UNITY.

PRACTICE

Rehman is the hidden, eternal, all-prevailing Mercy, while Rahim is the unlimited outer expression and the manifestation of this quality. Therefore, Sufis contemplates both Names together while imagining the ebb and flow of the Divine Ocean of Mercy and Joy. When contemplating, let go of yourself into the waves and let them sweep you back into your internal source, your boundless origin. There is no time limit for this practice.

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Ya Haye - Ya Quyam