It is not permissible, rather it is forbidden (Haram), to use the word "Rahman" for anyone other than Allah Almighty. If a person calls any human "Rahman", it amounts to Shirk (polytheism), because there can be no one besides Allah Blessed and Exalted whose mercy is so vast. Therefore, it is not permissible to call anyone else Rahman or Al-Rahman. From this, it also becomes known that the wrong custom prevalent in our society nowadays—where if someone is named Abdul Rahman, it is abbreviated and he is called "Rahman Sahib"—is highly incorrect. The word Rahman cannot be used for anyone other than the Being of Allah Blessed and Exalted. Therefore, if someone's name is Abdul Rahman, his full name should be pronounced as Abdul Rahman; it is not correct to address or refer to him simply as Rahman. There is a fear that this might unintentionally lead a person close to Shirk (Allah forbid). May Allah protect us all from this. Therefore, there is a great need to avoid this strictly. Similarly, caution must also be exercised regarding those names or attributes of Allah that are exclusive to Him, such as Al-Ghaffar, Al-Qahhar, Al-Khaliq, etc. For example, if someone's name is Abdul Khaliq, it is not correct to call him simply "Khaliq". However, the word "Rahim" is different from "Rahman" in this matter, because Rahim means one whose mercy is complete and perfect. Since this attribute can exist in a human being due to Allah's creation—that when a human shows mercy to another human, he shows complete mercy—it is permissible to use the word Rahim for an individual other than Allah. The Holy Quran itself states: "Certainly, a Messenger has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is what you suffer; he is deeply concerned for you, and to the believers, he is kind and merciful." Here, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has been called "Rahim", which means that he is merciful, and his mercy is complete upon whomever it is bestowed. Thus, it is proven that the word Rahim can be used for a human being, although its true and ultimate realization belongs only to Allah Almighty. However, it is permissible to use it for other than Allah in its literal sense. (Monthly Al-Balagh, January 2024, p. 13, 14)
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admin | 14 July, 2026