Rahma — Name Meaning in Islam

Root: ر-ح-م (r-ḥ-m). The root's primary sense is the womb, raḥim, and mercy is derived from it — not the other way round. Arabic builds the word for compassion out of the word for the organ that shelters and feeds without being asked.

From the same root: raḥim (womb, and by extension kinship — ṣilat ar-raḥim, keeping the ties of kinship, is literally "joining the womb"), ar-Raḥmān and ar-Raḥīm (the two names of Allah that open every sūra), marḥūm, tarāḥum (mutual mercy), Rahim, Abd ar-Rahman.

In the Qur'an: raḥma is used of the revelation itself, of rain, of the Prophet ﷺ being sent as a mercy to the worlds (al-Anbiya 21:107), and of the affection placed between spouses (ar-Rum 30:21). The word covers all of those without strain, which is why it resists a single English equivalent — "mercy" carries the sense of a pardon and misses the sheltering.

Spellings: Rahma, Rahmah, Rahime/Rahmiye (Turkish), Rahmah (Indonesian), Rehmat (Urdu), رحمة.

Pronunciation: RAḤ-ma, with the deep throat ḥ.

Masculine counterpart: Rahim, Abd ar-Rahman, Rahman is not given alone.