Divine Names Retreat: Ar-Rahman, Ar Rahim, Bismillahrahmanirahim

Bismillahirahmanirahim

In the All-Embracing Name of Boundless Mercy and Supreme Love 

BLESSED RAMADAN   RAMADAN MUBARAK

May Allah the Generous Beloved grant us the best Ramadan we have ever experienced!

The month of Mercy can best be expressed by the Divine Names ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim and Bismillahirahmanirahim.

Bismillahirahmanirahim is the Seal of the Quran. With this royal Seal begins the glorious Fatiha and each of the 114 Surahs in the Quran, except for one, Tauba. According to the Master of knowledge, Ibn Arabi, ra, ‘Bismillahirahmanirahim’ is the actual first line of the Fatiha and is integral to it.

According to him, ra, the Name Rahman is like the Name Allah. It is a proper Name. It is the only proper Name besides Allah. Therefore he says that there is an equivalence between the two Names.

 Say: Call upon Allah or call upon Rahman…

17:110 

The root name of Rahman is Womb.

The One Who Creates, Sustains and Guides Creation in the most loving way, in the most attached way, never separate, opening opportunities for them to receive goodness.

Ar-Rahman the great Mother/Father nourishing all life and loving all beings and supporting them no matter their actions.

Ar-Rahman  O universal all-encompassing compassionate One!

Kataba ‘alaa Nafsihi Rahman

Allah has inscribed All Embracing Mercy for Himself.

6:12

(Sometimes it is difficult to express the ‘hu’ or ‘-hi’ without saying He.  Just think of it as the He which is beyond He/She, and the He which is both He and She.)

Reveal to My beloved worshippers that I am indeed the Ever Forgiving and All Compassionate One.

15:49

Forgiveness is almost always associated in the Quran with Ar-Rahman.

Muzaffer Effendi, ra, has related that what we experience on earth as the great natural love to oneself and between a mother-father and their child or between lovers, siblings, friends is 1/00th of the power of Rahman. The remaining 99 parts are experienced fully in the ultimate abode of bliss. This portion is called Rahim.

If we are like ar-Rahman we have compassion for our self and for all creatures regardless of whom they are.

And the servants of Rahman are those who walk humbly on the earth and when the ignorant address them they respond ‘Peace’ 

Those who spend the night in adoration of their Beloved, prostrating and standing.

Those who say, ‘Our Lord avert from us the affliction of the Fire for its affliction is terrible – an evil abode and resting place.’

Those who in spending are neither extravagant nor stingy, but who hold the balance

Those who do not call on any other Reality but the One Supreme Source, nor do they slay life which is sacred, except for a just cause, nor are they indiscriminate with their intimacy. Any who falls into these errors will taste the consequences of their actions….

Those who do not support falsehood and if they pass by ignorance or idle speech they pass it by honorably.

Those who when they are addressed with the signs of their Beloved do not remain inert as though not hearing and not perceiving.

And those who pray ‘O Beloved, grant us spouses and children who will be the joy of our eyes, and grant us to lead the righteous.’

Those are the ones inhabiting the exalted abodes of paradise because of their patience. And they will be rejoiced with the greetings of Salaam Salaam. 

There will they abide, a beautiful dwelling and a beautiful station!

Quran, 25:63-76

Ar-Rahman!

Unveils the vast Koran of Creation

Creates the human form most sublime as the merciful khalif of Creation

And guides humanity through clear signs.

Koran 55:1-4

Beloveds, we might remain with the Names ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim and Bismillahirahmanirahim for the entire Ramadan. These first ten days are said to relate in particular to ar-Rahman. 

As part of our immersing in the Name, we may recite Bismillahirahmanirahim every day 33-100 times before sunset, maghrib, or we may recite Ya Rahman every day 33-100 times at any time.

The recitation of 100 Bismillahirahmanirahim before maghrib was given to me by Walida Sultan, the cherished wife of Muzaffer Effendi, ra, as we were walking along the shore of the ocean in Florida when we were there with Effendi and the Turkish Babas and some American dervish helpers, such as Shaykha Amina J 

Later in this month we will contemplate and offer recitation of ar-Rahim.

As a meditation we can sit and allow the gentle power of ar-Rahman to embrace our being, all of our cells and consciousness. Return to the root of Rahman in our heart, for from there we originate.

And remember that the quality of

ar-Rahman is to have compassion on all beings universally. Let us also absorb this quality into ourselves as we meditate.

Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman. By whichever name you call to Hu belong the Most Beautiful Names. 

17:110